Are Incentives Beneficial in Driving Corporate Wellness Programs?

A recent survey found that rewards and incentives are top motivators to engage individuals in employer-sponsored health and wellness programs. The survey comes as studies continue to question the effectiveness of corporate wellness programs.

The survey was commissioned by Wondr Health, which offers weight-loss and nutrition solutions to corporations. Asking 1,500 Wondr Health participants across nearly 60 employer clients what motivates individuals to engage in employer-sponsored wellness programs, the top answers were rewards and incentives, cited by 35.6%; followed by personalized reminders and communications, 31.8%; recognition of achievement, 14.6%; coaching, 13.1%; and community support, 4.9%.

Rewards under Wondr Health’s program include yoga mats, exercise bands, wireless earbuds, smoothie blenders, water bottles, white noise machines, Wondr T-shirts, and hats.

Other corporate wellness incentives, according to Hacking HR, include:

• Cash incentives: Offering monetary rewards for achieving specific health goals (i.e., quitting smoking, reaching certain fitness goals).
• Health insurance premium discounts: Reducing health insurance premiums to employees actively participating in wellness programs.
• Gym memberships and fitness discounts: Subsidized gym memberships, fitness classes, or personal training sessions.
• Healthy food options: Offering discounts on healthy food options within a corporation’s cafeterias or providing meal delivery services that prioritize nutritious choices.
• Financial education and planning: Incorporating workshops on budgeting, debt management, and retirement planning into wellness programs to help employees improve their financial well-being.

According to the KFF, an independent healthcare nonprofit, 54% of small companies and 85% of large companies offered health and wellness programs with investments promising to improve health outcomes, reduce absenteeism, and cut healthcare costs. The offerings range from mindfulness classes, free massages, and time management training to mental health coaching and apps that support better sleep and lifestyle change.

Yet surveys show burnout rates remain high and engagement in wellness programs remains low.

In a penned Harvard Business Review article, researchers from Unmind, a workplace mental health platform, said workplace well-being programs often don’t address “root causes” of stress, such as demanding workloads, and progress may “require more significant changes like reimagining workflow or operations, which can make them a tougher initial sell to HR and senior management.”

Suggestions included offering more flexible working hours, exploring four-day weeks, streamlining existing working processes, and measuring results. Volunteer employees “acting as advocates for mental health” and mental health training for management can bolster employee buy-in, the researchers offered.

A study from Oxford, arriving earlier this year, analyzed survey responses from 46,336 workers across 233 UK workplaces and found that those participating in such programs were no better off than colleagues who didn’t. The research concluded that only the healthiest employees participate in such programs and suggested that employers may do better focusing on “core organizational practices” like schedules, pay, and performance reviews.

“If employees do want access to mindfulness apps and sleep programs and well-being apps, there is not anything wrong with that,” William Fleming, the author of the study and a fellow at Oxford University’s Wellbeing Research Center, told the New York Times. “But if you’re seriously trying to drive employees well-being, then it has to be about working practices.”