Workplace Wellness Programs: Rewards and Incentives

Workplace Wellness Programs – Staff Engagement Strategies

Workplace Wellness Programs without employee engagement are useless to a corporation. How do you get staff members to enroll in Workplace Wellness Programs – and stay engaged in the programs?

The brochures for these programs discuss the benefits to staff members and companies. Corporate Health and Wellness Initiative statistics show that there are tangible benefits to a corporation for offering such programs. Workplace Wellness Programs actually do save lives by getting workers to take their health seriously, increase productivity, decrease absenteeism and more.

However, St. Louis, Missouri-based Maritz Inc., the world’s largest incentive corporation, has applied their own invigorating twist to health management by offering gift rewards to staff members who participate in Workplace Wellness Programs. The wellness incentive program is Maritz’s own Exclusively Yours® plan. Health management participants earn points, which can be then redeemed for merchandise, electronics, restaurant vouchers and travel, much like a frequent-flier program.

Enrollment incentives in Workplace Wellness Programs?

Undoubtably businesses that don’t work in the incentives industry will be tempted to cry foul about using such a rich carrot to incentivize health program enrollments. Not every corporation can throw that kind of money at health management resources – and not every corporation has the built-in savings as a business that specializes in offering incentive programs.

For certain rich incentives like Maritz’s will break through the glaze that appears over many staff members’ eyes when they’re encouraged to do something new, different or difficult. For many staff members uncomfortable with health management and exercise, “new, different and difficult” would apply to Workplace Wellness Programs. So where does that leave companies who are unwilling or unable to offer incentives for health management program enrollment?

Successful Workplace Wellness Programs motivate staff members – before and after signup

Corporate Health and Wellness Initiative administrators should keep the long-term view in mind when trying to get staff members to take that critical first step. Even the best incentives can fail in the face of faltering organization, badly-designed Workplace Wellness Programs and wavering support. Make sure to run good Wellness surveys before you build your Workplace Wellness Programs so employee input and needs are being met by your Workplace Wellness Programs. The goal is positive outcomes, not high enrollment numbers.

Workplace Wellness Programs cannot survive managerial apathy. If executive and managerial participation is widespread and heartfelt, staff members will follow their leadership. The potential rewards and Wellness benefits are clearly worth reaping, for both your organization and your co-workers.