Employers trying to design and implement effective employee wellness programs are finding it difficult to determine whether positive incentives or penalties are more effective in encouraging participation and producing results.
Companies are trying a variety of approaches, such as lowering the prices on healthier cafeteria foods and offering cash or gifts to employees who complete personal health assessments, according to Human Resource Executive Online. They are currently facing a range of questions relating to wellness programs, in fact, including whether negative incentives are appropriate.
Human resources and employee benefit consultants may be able to help firms determine what is the right approach for their employees as they consider whether to target incentives at those who are healthy or those who need medical care. While researchers are still studying the effectiveness of incentives, the news source notes, some businesses and executives are already convinced they work, explaining why the number of employers offering incentives has grown from 36 percent in 2009 to 61 percent in 2012, according to Towers Watson and the National Business Group on Health.
Wellness initiatives seem to be more effective when tied to employee benefit plan administration, some say, which is leading some firms to tie their wellness and healthcare offerings more closely together. Research and experimentation are likely to continue for the near future, the news source notes, as wellness initiatives are still relatively new.
