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January 28, 2020
The effectiveness of workplace wellness programs can be difficult to measure. Originally conceived with smoking cessation and stress management among their primary aims, today's effective programs have evolved into a comprehensive range of well-being solutions to help employees embrace an array of positive health changes.
There have been findings that show these programs do reduce health care costs and improve productivity, and other studies that show they don't make a significant difference. But knowing that there are some highly effective well-being programs out there, perhaps the more important question is: What makes some well-being programs work better than others?
The answer will help you more confidently represent the differentiating value of Asuris Motivate to your clients.
The health and well-being needs of your clients' employees are diverse, so an effective well-being program will address much more than lack of disease. What's needed is a comprehensive focus on the well-being of the whole employee. This includes incorporating lifestyle management to help them with healthy living habits, like sleeping, or with emotional health, like improving relationships, reducing stress or building resiliency.
Another important topic is financial well-being: A study from the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College found that employees who are financially stressed miss almost twice as many workdays each year as those who aren't.
To find out what your groups' employees want from a well-being program, the best thing they can do is ask. When they do this—through team meetings or surveys—employees will feel more engaged, and your groups can offer a well-being program that's tailored to their employees' preferences, and with customization options to ensure they meet their goals.
Research shows that incentives can increase engagement in well-being programs. Yet according to a study from the National Business Group on Health, 64% of employees underestimate the value of the financial incentives available to them. Communication is key for a program's success, especially when it comes to relaying how much employees can earn.
Another incentive for employees is saving time. If there aren't enough hours in the day for them to spend on well-being, they can't engage in the program. Offering flexible schedules or time off for fitness can encourage employees to invest in their health.
Flexibility delivers even more value. It has been shown to lower workplace stress, boost positivity and foster productivity. In this way, incentives can help groups create a culture of well-being—and culture counts. A 2018 Mercer survey revealed that "creating a culture of health" has the most momentum of all strategies for managing health care costs.
An estimated 60.5 million Americans use a wearable device—that's up 9.2% from 2018—and the number is forecast to grow further. Many employees are already using wearables, so having a well-being program that can link to wearables is key.
Fitbit's 2017 State of Corporate Wellness report recommends incorporating wearables and mobile apps because they allow users to "passively monitor progress and allow participants to track metrics on the go." The bottom line is convenience: The easier it is for employees to engage, the more they will.
Both wearables and apps also allow for personalization. Employees can create their own well-being roadmaps. They receive information that's relevant and timely—which makes all the difference when it comes to engagement.
Lastly, these technologies empower employers. Metrics from wearables and apps enable groups to measure the success of their program and make data-driven adjustments that really move the needle.
Our well-being solution, Asuris Motivate, checks all of the boxes of an effective program, and more.
The core offering—embedded in all fully insured health plans upon renewal—includes a range of 40+ personal challenges on topics like preventive health, clean nutrition, walking and more. Offering diversity and flexibility, Asuris Motivate guides users step by step through their health and well-being journey.
Asuris Motivate offers a mobile app, and users can connect 100+ popular fitness devices and apps to the platform for easy tracking of activity. They can also earn financial incentives for completing a health assessment and additional activities.
Want to learn more? Ask your account representative about our well-being white paper and Asuris Motivate enhanced packages. These packages include client success manager expertise to arm groups with actionable recommendations, along with incentives for ensuring employees are engaged and motivated, to help groups get the most out of their well-being efforts.
Sources:
hitconsultant.net/2019/05/10/study-livongo-for-diabetes-program-medical-spending/#.XRPs5OhKjIV
www.transamerica.com/media/employee-health-whitepaper.pdf
squaredawayblog.bc.edu/squared-away/work-absenteeism-tied-to-money-stress/
www.emarketer.com/content/older-americans-drive-growth-of-wearables