Wellness programs: What’s
working
In an effort to stem the ever-rising health care costs and
increase worker productivity, more companies are implementing corporate
wellness initiatives. While the following examples are from major corporations,
the principals have universal application:
Pepsi offers prepaid debit card for wellness participation
A whopping 70% of Pepsi’s 33,500 employees responded to the offer
of a $75 prepaid debit MasterCard for participating in a health assessment.
To encourage employees who needed follow-up help, Pepsi offered $100 to
workers who attended classes on smoking cessation, diabetes management,
high-risk maternity or depression. The company expects to see a $1.50 to
$2 return for every $1 it invests.
Red Sox incorporate workplace wellness into Curt Schilling’s
contract
The Boston Red Sox signed Curt Schilling to a one-year deal that ties $2
million of his pay to meeting certain weight targets at six weigh-ins next
year. On his blog 38pitches.com, the 40 year-old pitcher acknowledged that
he was overweight when he reported to spring training this year and that
it adversely affected his performance, missing several weeks due to injury
and winning just nine games in the regular season. “Given the mistakes
I made last winter and into Spring Training I needed to show them (Red Sox)
I recognized that, and understood the importance of it. Being overweight
and out of shape are two different things. I also was completely broad sided
by the fact that your body doesn’t act/react the same way, as you
get older. Even after being told that for the first 39 years of my life.”
Union Pacific Railroad long standing program builds health into
culture
Successful wellness programs are often branded to provide greater recognition
and Union Pacific’s is called HealthTrack. Based in Omaha, NE, Union
Pacific offers some companywide benefits, including health risk assessments
and stop smoking plans. But much of the program, including regional walking
contests and group weight-loss efforts, is administered locally. HeatlhTrack
includes a “health index” report card that provides feedback
to managers on their health and safety efforts. Managers’ health initiatives
are included in their annual review.
It works: the proportion of health insurance claims related to lifestyle
has dropped by 11% over 11 years.
Supermarket chain, Hannaford Bros., combines education and incentives
Hannaford Bros has a comprehensive program that includes on-site wellness
professionals, health risk assessment and identification, behavior modification
education and evidenced-based, integrated care and disease management. "Health
Huddles," are impromptu, interactive meetings where various health
topics, such as daily salt intake and the impact on health, are discussed.
Financial incentives are also offered to employees who complete a health
risk assessment, are tobacco-free or enter a tobacco cessation program,
and participate in disease management initiatives.
According to Ellie Udeh, the manager of wellness initiatives for the supermarket
chain,
the incentives have been extremely effective at encouraging participation.
Almost 90% of employees and their spouses now complete health risk appraisals
and 95% of people participating in disease management programs accepted
calls from the wellness coaches, so the company has taken the financial
incentive away from only 5% of those who signed up for the program.
The result: Health risk appraisal data showed a decrease in the number of
employees identified as being at risk for stress conditions from 27% in
2005 to 16% in 2006, while the number of employees at-risk for heart disease
dropped from 21% to 16%.
Wellness programs focus on promoting preventive behaviors and healthier
life styles. The challenge is reaching the employees who can benefit most
from the programs and maintaining their involvement. Additionally, companies
need to carefully navigate the legal and privacy issues surrounding wellness
programs to ensure that they comply with federal and state laws. Before
instituting a program, it is best to review with your attorney. |