GiftCard Partners Blog

An increasing number of mid-sized companies continue to adopt health and wellness programs to help manage health care costs, and promote wellness within their workplace. According to a new study out by the ADP Research Institute and The Vitality Group, companies who use Health and Wellness programs save almost six dollars for every one dollar invested in the program. These savings are attributed to improvement in employee health leading to a 27% reduction in employee sick leave, a 26% reduction in health costs and a 32% decrease in workers' compensation and disability claims. These numbers are staggering; with a 168% increase in health care premiums between 1999 and 2011 almost all midsize companies are citing control of health care costs as an organizational priority. Health and wellness programs don’t just stop at controlling costs, but also give employers the chance to boost employee morale, and create camaraderie among colleagues. Health and wellness programs are often goal based, whether that goal is reaching a certain weight, achieving a certain blood pressure, or raising fitness levels to reduce the risk of costly conditions such as diabetes. When colleagues support each other and empower each other to reach goals,professional relationships grow and professional peers begin to work better together. Providing small rewards as "carrots" in a health and wellness program is effective in motivating employees as well. When an employer provides small incentives such as gift cards to retailers such as 
GNC or 
CVS/Pharmacy to help employees along their journey to a healthier lifestyle, employees feel supported and empowered. This type of empowerment can leave lasting effects on an employee’s motivation in their work and in their loyalty to the organization that invested in their personal future. Health and Wellness programs do help control costs, but they also help to motivate employees and maintain employee loyalty.

Looking for the latest trends in employee motivation, engagement, incentives and rewards? In this month’s GCP eNews edition,
you’ll  find the
Tools to Boost Employee Motivation & Productivity, including: -          Wellness Programs in the Workplace: Technology that Inspires Healthy Living – for Mind and Body -          eNews Interactive: 4 Apps to Keep You On-Time and On-Task -          Wrapping up the Holiday: Improving Productivity during the Holiday Season -          The Safety Zone: The Key to a Successful Safety Program -         
AND MORE Don’t forget to subscribe to our eNews, a consolidation of “the best of” in customer loyalty, employee motivation, health and wellness incentives, engagement strategies, and rewards.[hs_action id="2809"]

We are increasingly seeing companies adopt health and wellness programs as a way to manage staggering health care costs. These programs promote healthy behavior, which can reduce the employers health cost per employee. According to one study, lifestyle related illnesses account for 80% of all employer health care costs. Health and wellness programs help companies of all sizes save money, from small start-ups to large corporations. Johnson and Johnson recently stated that their health and wellness program has saved the company more than $250 million in health care costs over the last 10 years. The impact is measurable across a large variety of organizations. Skeptical Employees? As more companies begin to adopt this practice employers are looking at how much these programs affect their bottom line, and how best to affect their employees' behaviors. While many employees can be quick to adopt programs offerings, others feel as though it is a violation of their personal life in the workplace. These individuals often adopt the practice with the incorporation of Health and Wellness rewards. Carrot rewards, that offer incentives for desired behavior, such as meeting a health goal or quitting smoking are proven to be the most effective method of implementing health and wellness rewards. Small incentives such as gift cards to retailers that promote healthy living such as 
CVS/Pharmacy, 
GNC and 
Nutrisystem can help guide employees and make a tangible contribution to their effort to live a healthier life. The more dedicated to health your employees are, the lower your costs, and the larger your bottom line.

Damaging storms, tight finances as we approach the holidays, and stressful political and economic times…what can we do to ease the burdens? Although it’s not always possible to give holiday bonuses during the tough times, there are less expensive things we can do to help our employees’ families. When offering cash bonuses, it’s difficult to decide if the dollar amount hits the spot for the employee. However, a gift card for a full family meal or 2 at
Boston Market, will hit the spot. Research tells us that 61% of employees would be satisfied with a $25 gift card, and 88% of employees would be satisfied with a gift

Virtual workforces, like the atmosphere we share at GiftCard Partners, are becoming more and more common as we can work together and share projects through digital channels. However, virtual workforces need alternate forms of employee engagement and motivation. Fostering team camaraderie and sharing common goals requires innovative solutions from organizational management. Here are 5 ways to motivate your virtual workforce, from an employee of a virtual company who couldn't help writing about such a relevant topic!