Dive Brief:
- According to Towers Watson’s Staying@Work Survey, only 50% of employees participated in a well-being activity or health management-related program in the last year – meaning wellness programs may need some recalibration, according to Employee Benefit News.
- On average, employers offer their employees about $880 worth of annual incentives, but employees collect only about $365 of that, decreasing the ROI of such programs.
- In addition, nearly half (46%) of employees said they don’t want their employers to have access to their personal health information, partly due to privacy concerns. Close to one-third (30%) don’t trust their employers to be involved in their health and well-being.
Dive Insight:
Seventy-one percent of employees surveyed said they prefer to manage their own health, and nearly one-third (32%) said the initiatives offered by their employers don’t meet their needs.
While it is true that employees are leaving “a lot of money on the table,” many employers are using the programs to build a “culture of health” and improve the employee experience, Steven Nyce, senior economist at Towers Watson, told EBN.
Many of these programs, such as incorporating walking/standing meetings, providing healthy foods and encouraging physical activity are important ways to encourage such a culture and are ultimately more effective than spending $900, Shelly Wolff, senior health care consultant at Towers Watson, added.
“Shifting focus from paying people to supporting people at the worksite and looking at the cultural message that you’re sending will cost less and probably give you more in return,” she said.
