Involuntary wellness programs: the case of a large US company (original) (raw)
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Health and Wellness Programs: Why Employees Don't Participate
2019
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Corporate Wellness Programs: Implementation Challenges in the Modern American Workplace
2013
Being healthy is important for living well and achieving longevity. In the business realm, furthermore, employers want healthy employees, as these workers tend to be more productive, have fewer rates of absenteeism, and use less of their health insurance resources. This article provides an overview of corporate “wellness” efforts in the American workplace and the concomitant challenges which employers will confront in implementing these programs. Consequently, employers and managers must reflect upon wellness policies and objectives, consult with professionals, and discuss the ramifications thereof prior to implementation. The authors herein explore how employers are implementing policies that provide incentives to employees who lead “healthy” lifestyles as well as ones that impose costs on employees who lead “unhealthy” lifestyles. The distinctive contribution of this article is that it proactively explores wellness program implementation challenges and also supplies “best practices” in the modern workplace, so employers can be better prepared when they promulgate wellness policies, and then take practical steps to help their employees become healthier and thereby help to reduce insurance costs. The article, moreover, addresses how wellness policy incentives—in the form of “carrots” as well as penalties—in the form of “sticks” could affect employees, especially “non-healthy” employees, as well as employers, particularly legally. Based on the aforementioned challenges, the authors make practical recommendations for employers and managers, so that they can fashion and implement wellness policies that are deemed to be legal, ethical, and efficacious.
Health Promotion Practice, 2018
Background. Many employers now incentivize employees to engage in wellness programs, yet few studies have examined differences in preferences for incentivizing participation in healthy behaviors and wellness programs. Method. We surveyed 2,436 employees of a large university about their preferences for incentivizing participation in different types of healthy behaviors and then used multivariable logistic regression to estimate associations between employees’ socioeconomic and demographic characteristics and their preferences for incentives for engaging in healthy behaviors. Results. Compared with nonunion members, union members had higher odds of wanting an incentive for eating healthily (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.60, 95% [CI; 1.21, 2.12]), managing weight (AOR = 1.53, 95% CI [1.14, 2.06]), avoiding drinking too much alcohol (AOR = 1.41, 95% CI [1.11, 1.78]), quitting tobacco (AOR = 1.37, 95% CI [1.06, 1.77]), managing stress (AOR = 1.37, 95% CI [1.08, 1.75]), and managing back...
Workplace Wellness Programs: Services Offered, Participation, and Incentives
Rand health quarterly, 2015
This article leverages existing data on wellness programs to explore patterns of wellness program availability, employers' use of incentives, and program participation and utilization among employees. Researchers used two sets of data for this project: The first included data from the 2012 RAND Employer Survey, which used a nationally representative sample of U.S. employers that had detailed information on wellness program offerings, program uptake, incentive use, and employer characteristics. These data were used to answer questions on program availability, configuration, uptake, and incentive use. The second dataset included health care claims and wellness program information for a large employer. These data were analyzed to predict program participation and changes in utilization and health. The findings underscore the increasing prevalence of worksite wellness programs. About four-fifths of all U.S. employers with more than 1,000 employees are estimated to offer such program...
A Review of Employee Health and Wellness Programs in the United States
Public Policy and Administration Research, 2013
Due to rapidly rising healthcare costs, employee wellness has become an important topic for small and large companies alike. As such, many organizations are now taking a proactive approach to this issue by offering incentives for employees to get healthy and remain in "good shape." Simultaneously, some firms are penalizing employees who are smokers and those who might be above the average weight limit considered to be safe for their age and gender.
Selected Barriers and Incentives for Participation in a University Wellness Program
Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 2010
Evidence supporting the benefits of worksite health promotion (WHP) programs is extensive. Research shows these programs can improve the health of participants, lower health care costs, and improve the bottom line of employers. Although the evidence of these benefits is vast, reported participation in WHP is not optimal. Little published data exists on employees' perceived incentives and barriers for participation in WHP.
Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 2014
Consumer-directed health plans (CDHPs) are popular among employers in the United States. This study examined an employee wellness program and its association with employee health in an organization that recently initiated a CDHP. Methods: This retrospective observational analysis compared the health risks, employer-paid health care costs, and short-term disability absences of employees of a large financial services corporation from 2009 to 2010. Results: The two-time health risk appraisal participants had a significant improvement in the percentage of employees in the overall low-risk category. The average annual employer-paid medical and pharmacy costs did not significantly change. For employees who improved their health risk category, there was a commensurate change in costs and absences. Conclusions: In a difficult economic climate, this organization began a health promotion program for employees as well as a new CDHP benefit structure. No short-term reduction in health care usage or overall health status was observed.
Incorporating wellness into employee benefit strategies--why it makes sense
Benefits quarterly, 2013
By putting together a comprehensive wellness strategy, employers are not only "doing the right thing" but also are able to see, believe and maintain the tangible return on investment (ROI) that wellness programs are capable of delivering. This article discusses employers' ROI from wellness initiatives, as well as innovations that support a culture of wellness and what enhanced opportunities for increasing employee wellness are available under health care reform. It also describes how wellness is a component of population health management, as well as a core component of the health care delivery system.
Examining Wellness Programs Over Time: Predicting Participation and Workplace Outcomes
Journal of Occupational Health Psychology
The return on investment of employer wellness programs has been heavily debated in recent years, yet existing research has failed to adequately assess the psychological factors that motivate program participation and how participation relates to organizationally relevant employee attitudes and behaviors. Using data over a 3-year period, we found beliefs about the value of employee wellness programs and perceived organizational support (POS) for wellness to be linked to wellness program participation through the mediation of intention to participate in the wellness program. Those with greater wellness participation were found to have higher performance ratings, higher job satisfaction, higher intention to stay, and lower turnover. However, the effects for job satisfaction and intention to stay disappeared when controlling for prior levels of satisfaction and intention to stay in cross-lagged models. Implications for scholars and practitioners are discussed. Hypothesis 1a: Beliefs about the value of employee wellness programs (Year 1 [Y1]) will lead to subsequent levels of wellness program participation (Year 2 [Y2] and Year 3 [Y3]).