Most workers, confined to desks for most of a typical workday, are at high risk of falling into a sedentary lifestyle. Most people who work 9 to 5 office jobs only actively commute during their commute. Even when working from home, there is a risk of being inactive, especially with the ease of scheduling virtual meetings, which keeps the person glued to their seat.
Typically, office workers sit for about 5 to 9 hours a day. That amounts to about two months of sitting each year, according to a 2020 Korean J Fam Med study. Prolonged sitting can affect muscles, reducing their ability to efficiently metabolize fats and sugars. Possibly increases cholesterol levels and diabetes risk. This sedentary lifestyle also greatly affects important muscles such as the legs, buttocks, hips and back.
Lower back pain is on the rise among office workers of all ages, largely due to the increasing number of sedentary roles. The combination of prolonged sitting and poor lifestyle habits can take a toll on the body over time. Employers should be aware of this, as back pain ranks high among the reasons employees miss work.
This article serves as a guide to wellness program incentives.
The Need for Employee Wellness Incentive Programs
Companies are now implementing employee wellness programs to address sedentary lifestyles and health problems. These initiatives aim to encourage and support employees in maintaining healthy habits consistently. Employee wellness programs aim to understand employees’ views on food decisions, uncover misunderstandings, myths, barriers and unhealthy eating habits. These initiatives go beyond food choices, target and promote a healthier lifestyle in the corporate world and also address sedentary habits.
Wellness incentives are crucial to encouraging healthy habits among employees and are often combined with wellness campaigns to boost engagement. A wellness incentive, whether intrinsic or extrinsic, serves as motivation and can take the form of reward and recognition.
Increase employee engagement and well-being with a comprehensive Corporate Wellness Program that goes beyond the ordinary
The importance of wellness program motivation
The wellness program aims to encourage employees to embrace and maintain healthy habits. While intrinsic motivation is ideal, some may struggle with unhealthy habits and need support. It’s unlikely that you’ll see employees eagerly signing up for a wellness program right after your HR program starts. That’s where incentives and rewards come in.
One practical approach involves offering small incentives to randomly selected employees who complete different parts of the wellness program. Not every employee receives an incentive. Instead, they win the chance to participate in a random selection. Employees become eligible for this option by completing a personal health goal, participating in a workshop or taking on a challenge. The prospect of winning is pleasant and often enough to motivate most workers.
The effectiveness of incentives is reduced if they are not properly targeted and monitored. Therefore, managing an effective wellness incentive program is critical to positive results.
Designing an effective wellness incentive program
Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you design an effective wellness incentive program:
- Identify the behaviors you want to motivate.
- Choose the right incentives smartly without blowing your wellness budget
- Understand employee motivation for motivation.
- Choose a streamlined and simple incentive method.
- Encourage open communication throughout the process.
- Prioritize choosing health-conscious incentives.
Main types of incentives
Here are the different categories of incentives, mostly based on budget:
- Cost Incentives: These are tangible rewards and the cost varies depending on the quality and quantity of the materials. You can set a budget per employee or just for winners in a year. Cost incentives can be categorized into three levels:
- Low cost incentives: Examples include water bottles, lids, yoga mats, bags, headphones, etc.
- Medium cost incentives: Options like gym memberships, mobile devices, shoes, health equipment, etc.
- High Cost Incentives: Luxuries like vacations, paid days off, laptops, cell phones, etc.
- Cost-free incentives: These are intangible rewards and can be realized without any additional cost. Some examples include:
- Providing paid office breaks for exercise or meditation.
- Offering flexible working hours.
- Allowing you to choose a work from home schedule each week.
- Progress Based Incentives: These incentives aim at the active participation of employees. For example, you could apply this system to a 6-week weight loss challenge, rewarding participants who meet specific weekly goals.
- Participation-based incentives: In this type, employees receive rewards for participating in wellness workshops or events such as seminars, either through a points-based system or through certificates. This motivation is popular for promoting teamwork and lack of competition.
- Performance-based incentives: Employees receive this incentive by completing a wellness goal. Although it is less inclusive, excluding participants who do not complete a challenge, it reduces the competition between participants.
Wellness program incentive ideas for your workplace
Here are some practical wellness incentive ideas:
Paid leave
The daily life of a regular employee is filled with work and personal responsibilities. It leaves little time for themselves. Juggling long work hours, meeting deadlines, managing family matters and pursuing other needs often affects well-being. It can lead to potential health problems. A satisfying way to deal with this work-life imbalance is to give your employees the gift of paid time off. For example, if an employee meets their performance or wellness goals in a given year, offering them extra vacation days can be a valuable incentive.
Health Incentives
Among the various incentives, employees are especially excited about companies that offer health insurance. It stands out as a top motivator that significantly influences employee engagement. Traditional health insurance incentive programs typically focus on reimbursement of health care expenses.
These incentives may include rewards for achievements such as losing weight or maintaining a smoke-free lifestyle. However, modern health incentives extend beyond basic medical benefits, some providing benefits to both employees and their family members for participating in screenings or health assessments.
Fitness motivation
Fitness incentives motivate employees to improve their physical well-being. It is especially beneficial for office workers, especially for sedentary life. These incentives promote increased physical activity. Sometimes, meditation at home or the gym is not possible due to limited office space. In this case, providing gym memberships serves as a great alternative.
Online and offline resources can effectively contribute to employee health. Memberships in healthy eating communities, online wellness platforms like HealthifyMe, and meditation apps enhance the effectiveness of wellness programs.
Professional motivation
It is not necessary to motivate employees solely with health-related rewards. For dedicated and committed employees who are aligned with the organization’s goals, valuable incentives can contribute to their professional development. Engage high-performing employees in your wellness program by providing career-enhancing rewards such as mentoring, training and other work-related benefits.
Transit incentives
Provide financial support or discounts on public transport passes to make commuting by bus, train or metro more affordable for employees. Additionally, provide benefits such as reserved parking spaces for those who participate in carpooling.
Personal motivations
These incentives are tailored to the unique needs of each employee. For example, congratulating employees on a wellness achievement or milestone with gift cards is a great idea. Using gift cards adds flexibility and a personal touch, especially when you can tailor them to specific brands or amenities that employees already like.
The Final Word
For effective wellness programs, it is essential to carefully design incentives, taking into account the needs and motivations of employees. Effective management of such programs ensures positive results and a healthier, more engaged workforce. These incentives can take various forms, addressing different aspects of well-being. From progress-based incentives that target specific health goals to participation-based incentives that promote teamwork, companies have a range of options to choose from.
Understanding employees and their personal needs is vital. The more one tailors incentives to map actual desires, the more influential the program will be in attracting high enrollment. This principle also applies when choosing a corporate wellness provider for your company.
Research Sources
Sedentary lifestyle: Review of updated evidence on potential health risks
