GiftCard Partners Blog

Corporate wellness programs are essential for improving employee health, reducing healthcare costs, and increasing productivity. But for these programs to be truly successful, they need more than just good intentions—they need the right kind of incentives. Research shows that offering meaningful rewards, or "carrots," can significantly boost participation and engagement in wellness initiatives. However, one-size-fits-all rewards may not be as effective as offering personalized options. Here are some fresh insights on how to incentivize employees and make your wellness program a success.

Delivering employee incentives can only be effective if the incentives available are satisfying to employees. Here are a few popular employee incentives according to a new
Wicke's For Business article.
Travel Packages: Sending employees on a trip for a job well done on a big project, or as part of a bonus is becoming an increasingly popular option for employers. It creates a memorable experience for employees and carries a fixed cost for employers.
Gift Cards: Gift cards to popular retailers such as
CVS/Pharmacy,
Boston Market and
Crutchfield carry the same flexibility of cash but have better trophy value. Employees are more likely to use the gift card on a special occasion, rather than cash bonuses that often get rolled in to paying bills and household costs.
Social Rewards: Giving public praise and socializing employee rewards is a great way to reinforce desired behavior. Public praise does not only reward one employee for a job well done, but it shoes other employees what management is looking for in employee performance.  

The answer for the slow, tired feeling at work used to be reaching for a cup of strong black coffee but for a well-known company in California the cure comes from something a little more natural, meditation. Meditation is a growing trend, not just with Google, but with several other big names like
of Twitter and Facebook that are making contemplative practices key features within their companies. “Across the Valley, quiet contemplation is seen as the new caffeine, the fuel that allegedly unlocks productivity and creative bursts,” writes Wired writer Noah Shachtman in his article
Enlightenment Engineers. You don’t need to be a company as large as Google or Facebook to take advantage of this growing trend.
Yo-Fi Wellness is a company devoted to employee wellness and offers the latest in corporate wellness incentives for companies of any size. Meditation, yoga, fitness and nutrition are all offered on their online platform, bringing healthy living initiatives to employees through inspiring and instructive video programs. Corporate wellness is directly related to a company’s bottom line so it’s important to find the best way to incorporate it in your organization. Set a tone of health with your employees. Whether it be through education, engagement or motivation with incentives, find out what works best for them.

Employee morale can dip at the end of the summer, so around this time of year it is important to make sure you support morale around your office to maintain productivity, retention rates and general workplace happiness. Professional development can be a great way to shake up the day-to-day office routine. Professional development also serves as a morale booster because it shows employer commitment to the workforce. Investing in employees' skills and ensuring they have the latest training in their field is a great way to show you are committed to their professional development now and into the future. If you commit to the well-being of your employees, they will feel greater loyalty and satisfaction at their job and it ensures the well-being of your organization. Check out the infographic to learn more about how professional development can boost morale at your office.

Implementing employee wellness programs can save your organization money in both employee absenteeism and employee productivity, and can help control costs of health care benefits. Here are a few ways to ensure the implementation of your wellness programs is successful.
Make Sure the Program Is Comprehensive: Make sure your health and wellness programs focus on all aspects of employees' everyday lives. Build a community of wellness, focusing on every day areas of concern like exercise, healthy eating and stress management. Build community by creating an office running club, softball league or weight loss group.
Engage Employees: Center your wellness programs around results, while engaging employees into the program. Ensure employees set goals, whether they are weight loss related, fitness related, or focused on healthy eating (does anyone really 
need that 3rd cup of coffee?). On the other side, reward employees for reaching their goals, or for investing themselves in the program. Small rewards like small denomination gift cards to healthy retailers like 
GNC or CVS/pharmacy will be a treat for employees, showing them that their employer cares for their well-being and wants to help them down the road of healthy behavior.