With today's pricey health care, more emphasis is being placed on wellness programs in an effort to improve health and reduce costs. While wellness programs have proven to do just that, employers should not simply implement a one-size-fits-all mentality, says Cathy Tripp, managing consultant at Aon Hewitt. Instead, wellness programs should be tailored to meet the individual needs of an employee.
Health care has become so complex because of the continued effort to drive down costs, Tripp says. Between deductibles, out-of-pocket costs and the various consumer-driven health care plans, many employees are overwhelmed by the system. Employees are also now required to take greater ownership over their health, adding even more complexity to the situation.
"There is so much information that gets pushed to employees, but we need to cut that noise and clutter and tell them what they need to do, when and why." Tripp says. "Health is a personal issue, so what I need to do about my health is about me and my risk factors, behaviors and attitudes. That could be entirely different from another person. The best approach is to individualize it and make it about me and what I need to do, given my health status and risks."
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According to a recent survey by Aon Hewitt, this desire for personalization is a growing trend, as 50 percent of employees want a personalized plan that includes specific health recommendations. This figure is up 9 percentage points from the 2010 survey. The survey also reveals that 40 percent of respondents would like access to a wellness website, and 35 percent of respondents are in favor of personalized health tips and reminders.
Personalization should also be considered when promoting wellness programs, Tripp adds. Wellness motivators can differ among the employee segments, and these should be taken into account when developing messaging strategies. Some employees might be concerned about staying healthy, so they can keep up with their children while others focus on wellness for vanity reasons. Both are common wellness motivators and require different approaches.
"Employers should understand the dynamics of their population and look at how each generation responds to different messages," Tripp says. "To be the most effective, you have to think about the audience and how you would market to that audience."
For many employees, cash or cash-equivalent rewards are effective motivators, the Aon Hewitt survey finds, but even these can vary depending on the work force demographics, Tripp says. For some companies, offering a $150 gift card for undergoing a health screening might be appealing to many employees, but for a work force that is primarily made up of engineers who are making over $100,000 per year, $150 might not be as enticing.
"The incentive has to match the population," Tripp says. "Some employers get away with giving $50, but some employers find giving away $300 works better, so the secret is to find the minimum reward that will drive the maximum behavior."
To encourage wellness programs, employers must also demonstrate a commitment to improving employee health, but even this requires a tailored approach, Tripp says. A certain time commitment is necessary for wellness programs, and an employer should look at its work force to determine how to best implement a feasible schedule.
"Onsite programs are often popular with employees," Tripp says. "Maybe it's bringing in Weight Watchers or fitness coaches to work. Or maybe it's allowing people to work out over lunch or use flexible scheduling. It's about understanding what will work for the audience and then making the workplace a conduit to some of those programs."
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