Promoting wellness is a meaningful way for employers to provide incentives to employees that goes beyond basic compensation.
Wellness incentives’ purpose, application and how they are promoted may be changing this year, according to CIO, so understanding how and why will prepare your company to adjust for industry changes when they occur.
Here are three ways to promote your wellness programs effectively:
Expand Metrics To Drive Wellness Incentives
Wellness incentive metrics are expanding and it’s not just about return on investment (ROI) anymore. It’s about expanded data points that take into consideration several factors including employee development opportunities, financial wellbeing, physical activity level among employees, business profitability and straight ROI on program costs.
According to a global survey by Willis Towers Watson, addressing financial security is No. 1 on the list of employee benefit attitudes.
The survey revealed that employees are more concerned with financial health than with their physical wellbeing. Pairing these issues together may improve your program effectiveness since stress about finances, for example, has a measured negative effect on physical wellbeing.
Consider The Work-Life Balancing Act
Technology is driving a general working culture in which employees can work from anywhere at any time. This is also revolutionizing what work-life balance means.
Rather than work-life balance being about how much paid time off is allotted to employees, technology is making it more about where employees are working and when. Wellness can mean allowing more flexibility for employees when they need it, according to CIO.
Additionally, pairing physical and financial health benefits together can increase total productivity since these issues tend to cluster. It also supports the newer and more effective trend of bundling wellness incentives rather than separating them by what type of wellness is represented.
Invest In Wellness Incentives As An Ethical Responsibility
This one sounds somewhat dramatic, but it’s actually true.
I-Min Lee, a health science expert and professor at both the Harvard Medical School and Harvard School of Public Health, told CIO “ethical responsibilities to help provide better lives for (companies’) employees will always be meaningful.”
“Investing in employee wellbeing programs with measurable outcomes has never been more financially responsible,” she told the publication.
An alternative way to live up to this responsibility is to offer financial planning and analysis, along with healthcare support. Relieving employee anxiety about their health and wellbeing is the an effective way to maximize their productivity.
By promoting wellness initiatives, you’re helping boost your overall investment in employee wellbeing both physically and financially. Closely monitoring the industry and applying program changes as necessary should go a long way toward keeping your wellness plan on track in the new year.
