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Industry News

 

Maritz Study ‘Checks Up’ on Workplace Wellness Programs

Monday August 4, 2008

 

St. Louis — July 30
Interest in workplace wellness programs has been rising as employers and insurance companies battle rapidly rising health care costs. However, a recent study led by Maritz — a provider of services related to understanding, enabling and motivating employees — discovered wellness programs benefit companies beyond lower health costs. Participants also are more engaged employees.
 
Wellness Programs Leave People Feeling Good
The Maritz study found wellness programs are connected to well-being beyond employees’ health. Employees at companies offering wellness programs are significantly more satisfied with their jobs, more likely to remain with the company long term and more likely to recommend the company as an employer to a friend or family member.

Even the people who only occasionally participate in a wellness program are significantly higher on the listed measures of employee engagement than the people who never participate.

“With the U.S. drowning in health care costs, which are projected to top a whopping $4 trillion by 2015, and with three-quarters of current spending being squandered on chronic conditions that are largely preventable, it’s no secret that employers and insurance companies see corporate wellness programs as a lifesaver that could keep them afloat,” said Mindy McGrath, vice president of strategy for Maritz’ health care sector.

“We hypothesize employees who participate in wellness programs may see them as a lifesaver as well, which may give them a heightened perception their companies care about their personal well-being, making them feel better about their workplace.”

Staying Well = Staying at Work
The poll data also showed a relationship between the level of participation in a wellness program and absenteeism at work. People indicating once-a-week participation in a wellness program took significantly less sick time than those choosing to never participate. Even the people with sporadic participation (e.g., once a month, a few times a year, once a year) in wellness programs had better work attendance records than those with no participation at all.
 
Beyond single sick days, people with regular once-a-week participation in a wellness program were significantly less likely to be sidelined for an extended period of time. Infrequent participation did not show much of an impact on the more extreme cases of lost work time.
 
Lots of Benefits, Little Participation
Maritz compared results of the recent study with a similar survey completed in 2006 and found frequency of participation was virtually unchanged, despite a 7 percent increase (moving from 35 percent to 42 percent) in the prevalence of formal corporate programs promoting good health practices.

While good health would seem to represent its own reward, the Maritz study strongly indicates employees need an extra push to get them to participate.

“In our experience, we know it's essential to address key human realities and take a whole-brained approach to solving the challenge of engaging employees in wellness programs,” said McGrath. “This approach encompasses focus, repetition and feedback, which we know are necessary to ‘train the brain’ to create new behaviors and habits.”

Other elements of the whole-brain approach include positive and meaningful consequences for changing behavior and achieving results, as well as communications, education and leadership to help people understand the goals and make their own connections about achieving them.

“We also know it’s critical to offer rewards at key points during the program, not just at the launch,” said McGrath. “Those rewards must stir the imagination, encourage goal setting, allow reinforcement, repetition and create lasting goodwill and behaviors.”

In fact, according to the study, nearly one in four (23 percent) participate once a week when offered a reward or incentive for achieving specific health goals. This same participation declines to only 16 percent when no incentive is offered. Similarly, nonparticipation is 36 percent when no reward is offered (yet drops to only 21 percent when an incentive is present).
 
“Wellness programs clearly benefit employees and employers,” said McGrath. “The programs are associated with increased individual health, productivity and engagement, which lead to reduced lost work time and lower health care premiums. However, these programs are of little value to either side if people don’t participate.”

For more info: http://www.maritz.com