As Workplace
Wellness Programs Gain Popularity, Benefits Are
Not Being Tracked
[Posted 04/24/2008]
A new Aon Consulting
survey finds that employers continue to focus on
trying to keep their workers healthy and productive
as a way to hold down their workplace health care
costs. Aon’s 2008 Benefits and Talent Survey
involving more than 1,100 US-based companies found
that 64% of employers follow a benefits strategy
focusing on employee health and productivity. The
implementation of workplace wellness programs was
the most common approach, with such programs
increasing three-fold from 2007 to 2008.
Employers vary widely in the incentives they offer
to participate in such programs. According to Aon,
23% of employers are offering incentives to take
health risk appraisals, while 20% are providing
incentives such as tobacco cessation or weight
management programs. About 22% of employers offer
non-monetary awards such as gift cards and
merchandise. Only 10% of organizations offer
employees a premium contribution reduction.
While this indicates that employers recognize a
connection between employee lifestyle behaviors and
medical spending, the majority of employers
surveyed said they do not have a process to measure
program impact or track return on investment.
According to Aon, consulting, tracking and
benchmarking will enable an employer to evaluate
the success of the plan, design effective new
programs, and determine the plan’s usefulness in
improvement health status.
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