For all the talk of the benefits of onsite wellness programs in both the healthier, more productive lives of workers, as well as the presumed employer cost savings as sickness, injury and absenteeism are reduced are American companies really getting the most out of their wellness dollars?
A new EBN survey, which drew responses from 245 benefits managers, administrators and human resources professionals, finds that wellness programs work best when employee incentives be they cash or decreases to insurance premiums (or penalties for not achieving goals) are clearly established. But meeting wellness objectives, be they cutting costs, increasing employee productivity or lowering on-the-job absences, remains a struggle, and companies whove implemented wellness programs say they sometimes find it difficult to justify the investment in those costly ventures.
