Fitness in the workplace

Do incentives pay off?

By Jennifer Keirn, Contributing Editor - Fitness Business & News

Wellness programs have hit the big-time of corporate acceptance, and employers are spending creatively and often lavishly on incentives to encourage participation. From T-shirts and pedometers to cash, gift cards and even luxury vacations, employers are making big investments in getting their folks fit.

But which incentives really work? How can their effectiveness be measured?

And are they really encouraging lifelong behavior change, or just short-term action to cash in?

"The employer needs to establish what the goals are, create incentives consistent with the culture and demographic of the company, and make a company-wide commitment to support a culture of health," said Dr. Harlan Levine, chief medical officer of the wellness firm OptumHealth.

"Those three ingredients are really more important than the specific incentives chosen."

The specific incentives vary by industry, said Gregg Lehman, president and chief executive of HealthFitness Corp. , which manages health and fitness programs for major corporations, hospital systems and universities.

"In a high-tech firm in the Northwest, personal time off resonates more," said Lehman. "In a blue-collar Midwest manufacturing firm, they like cash."

Employers who offer what Lehman calls "trash and trinkets" – such as T-shirts, pedometers, duffel bags – typically average about 30 to 40 percent participantion. One HealthFitness client achieved 90 percent participation by offering health insurance premium reductions of up to $600 a year per participant.

Based on our experience, the tipping point is roughly $350 a year, that"s when you start heading up from 70 percent participation," said Lehman.

Levine urges clients to use cash in small amounts to encourage a specific activity - $25 to take a health risk assessment, for instance – while using larger amounts to encourage ongoing participation.

"Maybe you can get someone to join a health club with a $100 payment, but have you really changed their behavior over time? Questioned Levine. "When you offer incentives for small successes, that builds self-efficacy and creates habits they're more likely to sustain for a long period of time."

One strategy he finds effective is paying cash incentives into a health savings account that employees can use for other healthcare expenses.

And what about those folks who shake their pedometers or hide their cigarettes just to get a Home Depot gift card?

"There has to be a tape measure, said Lehman. "You do a screening, and if they’re just in it for the money, their statistics are not going to change in a meaningful way."

Many HealthFitness clients use a health coaching program that Lehman said employs "gentle harassment" to keep people engaged.

"The coach knows if they’re telling the truth or not, " he said. "I would guess that seven to 12 percent are just trying to game the system."

But with clear goals, appropriate incentives and a commitment from the top, most employees are welcoming wellness in the workplace, Lehman and Levine assert.

"They want to work in a place that encourages health, and not just health but vitality," said Levine. "We set the bar too low with encouraging health. We want people to be vital."

Back to the list of articles