Employer Wellness

Following cost, poor employee program engagement and inadequate discussions and support are listed as the greatest challenges for companies administering any health benefi t program.22

By law, companies are required to explain any benefits or explicit conditions of employment to all staff members – this is called “due process,” and it usually takes the form of a packet of information that new staff members are asked to review and sign during orientation or, in the case of existing staff members, a brief communication during open enrollment periods.

Organizations that only engage in the minimally needed due process communication of a Corporate Wellness Program, however, do a disservice to the program and the business.

Opinions about Medical Care in organizations represent one of the largest divides between management and staff members. In discussing the need for savings, most organizations (70%) believe their business effectively communicates about increasing Medical Care costs, while only 34% of staff members feel increasing Medical Care costs impact their business’ ability to succeed.23 When it comes to behaviors, 74% of organizations believe their staff members must be held largely accountable for improving, managing and maintaining health, yet only 4% of organizations think that staff members take part in these activities.

Under the proposed rules, the four specifications to be a bona fide Worksite Health Promotion Program are:

- The total reward that may be given to an individual is limited. The departments invited comments on the appropriate level of the reward, suggesting that a limit of ten% to 20% of the total cost of employee-only coverage may be appropriate.
- The program must be reasonably designed to promote good health or prevent disease for people in the program.
- The reward must be available to all similarly situated individuals. More specifically, the program must allow any individual for whom it is unreasonably diffi cult due to a health care condition to meet the Employee Health Promotion Program standard (or for whom it is medically inadvisable to attempt to meet the Employee Health Promotion Program standard) an opportunity to satisfy a reasonable alternative standard.
- All plan materials describing the terms of the program must disclose the availability of a reasonable alternative standard.
Source: American Department of Labor Employee Benefits Security Administration

As Northwestern Memorial’s Kathryn Krivy says, “The most fundamental failure in any Worksite Wellness Program is not communicating. You need to tell people what you’re doing and why you’re doing it. You have to get workers engaged and educate them of what’s going on.”

A properly implemented Workplace Health Promotion Program is designed to save a company more money with improved participation. Nevertheless, a company must match its focus on program design with an equally strategic investment in efforts to engage staff members in the initiatives.

Lay out your case – Despite widespread recognition of increasing Medical Care costs, employees remain skeptical that the issue affects business operations. In fact, only 53 percent of employees even believe what their business communicates about the subject.24 Companies need to be more candid and forthcoming about the amount they spend on Medical Care and how that relates to larger budgetary constraints and potential investments.

Says Motorola’s Saenz: “We share with employees that we have been able to maintain Motorola’s Medical Care spend trend below national average over the past several years due to their participation in our various Company Health Promotion Programs. This transparency is necessary to keep reminding people the reasons for our actions.”

An effective strategy is to focus on the cost savings and central health benefi ts to the employee and not the employer. By personalizing the information in this way, it establishes a win-win scenario instead of presenting the program as a sacrifi ce on the part of the employee. Information must be presented through multiple channels, constructed in a way that makes sense to all levels of staff members, and provided to staff members, dependents and retirees.

Make it your own – Every Workplace Health Promotion Program will be different, and must reflect the culture of a corporation. While program areas will be determined by analyzing employee health risks, the actual offerings must be shaped by the nature of the corporation. Younger, more active employee communities may be attracted by different programs than an older or technicaloriented employee. In Addition, a global corporation with mobile employees will have different needs than a corporation with one central location.

As noted earlier regarding PepsiCo’s HealthRoads, one strategy is for corporations to brand their Corporate Wellness Programs. Union Pacifi c Railroad (HealthTracks), General Motors (LifeSteps) and Caterpillar (Healthy Balance) all adopted this approach to help create recognition and a larger meaning around their efforts. Having a branded initiative helps staff members and other stakeholders see the larger objectives of the Corporate Wellness Program, instead of focusing on isolated offerings.

Say it loud, say it proud – As a potential cost-saving plan, Workplace Health Promotion Programs should be given the same executive support and internal responsibility as any comparable organization effort. Companies should not approach wellness as simply a preventive, financially-motivated program, but rather as an opportunity for the organization to distinguish itself and become more competitive.

Jeffrey Treem, analyst, Edelman Change and Employee Program Engagement Group, says that effective communication about Employee Wellness Programs must be integrated into existing employer communication channels and vehicles. “This covers executive communication to external stakeholders,” he notes, “because this sends a powerful message back to workers about the significance of the programs. Employee Wellness Programs must not be treated as merely an additional employee perk, but rather a progressive and strategic effort to decrease costs and create a healthier work environment.” Talk among yourselves – The most powerful champions of any Employee Wellness Program will be the participants.

Companies must discover ways to facilitate discussions about the program among staff members. This could take the form of support groups, interactive media and the sharing of success stories.

However, since Workplace Wellness Programs touch on potentially private health topics, it is significant communication remains positive and inclusive, while not pressuring employees. Discussion of wellness topics must be voluntary, though businesses may consider providing incentives and rewards for those willing to contribute. Motivation and information from peers is likely to carry more credibility and significance than messages from management.

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