GiftCard Partners Blog

Health care premiums are increasing at an unprecedented rate, said to reach around $10,000 per employee in 2012. As a result employers are looking to cut health care costs whenever possible. Here are 5 ways employers may need to cut health care costs this year.

With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, many are gearing up to figure out just the right gift for their significant other. Why not take the worry and stress out of finding that “perfect” gift that usually comes with a gift receipt and another trip to the store. Calling all employers! Valentine's day is a great time to exercise that wonderful incentive or loyalty program you’ve just put in place. Show you care by rewarding your employees with gift cards to 
CVS/pharmacy so they can reward the ones they love. While the gentlemen are scratching their heads on whether to grab the Small shirt, so not to offend their wife, or trying to decide if her favorite color is purple even though she’s been wearing a lot of black lately, there is an easy solution. A gift card to Catherines or Lane Bryant
 will ensure she gets exactly what she wants and leave him out of the dog house this February 14th. The women in the office may be having some trouble of their own. They can get their guy the gift that keeps on giving with an
AutoZone Gift Card…for the other love of his life. Or give him the chance to revamp his wardrobe with a gift card to
Burlington Coat Factory. Use this Valentine's Day as an opportunity to reward your employees hard work and let them reward their loved ones.    

Social health games have proven to be effective in the fight against obesity. Whether it is a friendly race, a push-up competition at the gym, or use of a health tracking application. These applications often provide rewards such as gift cards, and health tips to further the participants effort to live a healthy lifestyle. These games do not only provide a social component, which motivates individuals to continue with their healthy companions, but provides an easy opportunity to reward desired behavior. These games and mobile apps could be a great way for employers to engage their employees in a health and wellness program without having to invest the money to create the program. Encouraging a particular social health app or a particular regiment would bring employees camaraderie and shared motivation to work towards rewards, and a healthy lifestyle. These social health games could essentially act as a ready-made health and wellness program for your employees. The only cost that the company would incur would be small rewards such as gift cards to help maintain engagement in the program and promote ongoing healthy living. How does your company use social games to motivate employees to be healthy?
For more information on specific social health games and platforms check out this U.S. News and World Report article.

U.S. workers are spending $5,620 a year on WHAT?

The answer might surprise some, but for many, it’s not a shock—coffee and lunch. According to one estimate, the average U.S. worker spends around $5,620 to $7,700 annually on these everyday expenses. If you’re thinking this seems high, consider the costs of your daily coffee run and lunch break. They add up fast.

As the workforce continues to evolve, so do employee expectations for engagement and corporate responsibility. Today's "activist employee" isn’t just looking for a paycheck—they want to align with companies that reflect their values and take meaningful actions on social and environmental issues. Recent trends suggest that effective employee engagement is increasingly tied to how companies support causes that matter to their employees, creating opportunities for deeper connections between staff and the organization.