If you could win a flat screen TV for lowering your BMI or win a $50 gift card for quitting smoking, would you be more willing to make healthy changes? If your answer is yes, then you are not alone! Making changes and sticking to them is what’s important, so when you win prizes along the way, your success is that much sweeter. Research shows that when programs offer a grand prize, like a 32” flat-screen TV for example, employee participation sky rockets. Incentives are the way to go – they motivate people to get healthier and keep their eyes on the prize. Or prizes. Literally! The idea behind incentives is that the extrinsic (outside) motivation might be just enough to motivate employees to adopt healthy lifestyle behaviors, but, along the way, this may drive their intrinsic (internal) motivation to kick in... and research shows it works!
ACI Specialty Benefits recently completed a wellness program aimed at improving employee health and productivity. With a flat screen at stake, ACI achieved 60% participation in a Health Risk Assessment (HRA) – that is three- five times the national average! HRAs provide a snapshot of the health of your employees and identify the top health risks of your employees and are a great way to strategically plan your wellness programs to best help your employees.
Here at Wellness Workdays, we run 6 week risk management programs, 10 week weight management programs, 30- day and 12 week Wellness Challenges for our clients and can definitely attest to the benefits of incentives. From gift cards to magazine subscriptions all the way to weekend getaways (to the beach or to mountains - employee chooses!), paid vacation days and iPads, we believe that earning prizes for commitment and hard work is well worth a healthier workplace.
We have developed programs that focus on weight loss, smoking cessation, productivity and hypertension, just to name a few. Participants not only increase their personal health status, but employers are seeing reduced health risks and significant cost avoidance. Providing incentives and prizes in exchange for healthier employees is a win-win for everyone.
We have developed programs that focus on weight loss, smoking cessation, productivity and hypertension, just to name a few. Participants not only increase their personal health status, but employers are seeing reduced health risks and significant cost avoidance. Providing incentives and prizes in exchange for healthier employees is a win-win for everyone.
What types of prizes would you amp up your activity for? Let us know. We'd love to hear your ideas.
