GiftCard Partners Blog

Everyone knows how valuable it can be to practice employee recognition across an organization. The key is to execute an employee recognition program the right way, if your employees don't feel recognized or are not comfortable with the recognition method, your organization is not going to get the ROI it is looking for by way of increased productivity, increased job satisfaction and high retention rates. Here are 3 key ways to make sure your employee recognition program is working for your organization and its employees.

Big companies, small businesses and even colleges are making necessary changes as they prepare to comply with the Affordable Care Act. Employees at the University of Minnesota are looking for ways to reduce their health care premiums and the university has provided them a way, in the form of their University Wellness Program. When employees participate in the Wellness Program they are awarded  points for completing healthy activities and can save up to $400 on their premiums in a single year. But it’s not all about the money. While employees enjoy the lower premiums, the University sees the potential in investing in their employees’ health and wellness as a way to increase morale and retention. Keep reading more about the University Wellness Program in,
As health care costs increase, University employees try to save, from Minnesota Daily. Want to kick start your Wellness Program? Health-focused incentives are a great way to reward healthy behavior in a positive way, gift cards to Whole Foods Market or CVS/pharmacy help keep employees on the right track outside of work.

The realm of Corporate Health & Wellness is vast and changing constantly. GiftCard Partners is dedicated to keeping you up-to-date on the latest in corporate wellness, health and wellness program strategies, creating a healthy workplace, and more…enter the CVS/pharmacy eNewsletter. This
quarterly enews is a great way to stay current with all the news, trends and technologies in the Corporate Wellness industry. This issue highlights:

By now you are probably familiar with the new laws that took effect as part of the Affordable Care Act earlier this summer. Employers can now offer incentives totaling 30% of total plan cost (they used to only be able to offer 20%) to employees who are healthy, taking preventative measures to stay healthy, or meeting goals to get healthier. The idea is that employers should encourage wellness (not just for the greater good of society) because it cuts down on absenteeism and the cost of health care benefits for the employer…and the benefits keep coming. A review of 72 studies in the American Journal of Health Promotion revealed these staggering figures:

Employee praise can actually raise your organization's revenue, so make sure your managers are like good coaches, cheering on players at all times. When managers support their teams and recognize a job well done with public praise, productivity increases and employees get more motivated to contribute to organizational success. There is nothing better for company morale, and peer education, than managers teaching teams and providing positive reinforcement. So start at the top and empower your managers, the effect will trickle down to the rest of your organization. Check out this infographic below to see how much potential there is for improvement with managing employees, and to see how to educate your managers to cheer on their team.