A new survey displays mixed results for corporate wellness initiatives.
Wellness programs–the increasingly ubiquitous attempts to help workers lose weight, adopt healthier lifestyles, and manage their finances–have not yielded measurable benefits in many cases.
The survey from Towers Watson, a global professional services company, was conducted between May and July and involved 1,669 employers around the world, including 487 in the U.S.
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The good news for the wellness industry is that the great majority of U.S. employers (77 percent) expect their commitment to health to increase over the next three years.
Similar numbers of employers say they are concerned about stress (75 percent), obesity (70 percent), and sedentary lifestyles (61 percent) among their employees.
The evidence that wellness programs aren't producing their intended effect comes from employee responses.
Only one-third of employees surveyed said that wellness initiatives at work led them to lead healthier lives.
Seventy-one percent of respondents said they'd prefer to manage their own health.
And, perhaps responding to concerns about the ability of such programs to violate employee privacy, nearly half of workers said they don't want their bosses to have access to their health information.
"(W)hile the hot-button issues of stress and obesity remain ever-present, the numerous programs and incentives designed to combat them have failed to effectively engage employees," said Shelly Wolff, a senior health care consultant at Towers Watson. "Employers may find the key to making better progress hinges on looking at these programs through an employee's eyes."
It's still no small feat that 50 percent of employees reported taking part in some type of wellness program or activity.
But considering the financial incentives often tied to participation, it's likely that a substantially smaller percentage of workers were truly engaged in the initiative in the way intended by employer.
Indeed, the highest participation came for health risk and biometric assessments, which 48 percent of employees underwent. Organizations often offer employees lower premiums for doing such screenings.
Only 22 percent of workers participated in worksite diet or exercise events, while 8 percent took part in programs aimed at getting better sleep or quitting smoking.
The average employer offers $800 in incentives to employees for various wellness activities, but the average employee took in only $365, and 40 percent of employees earned nothing.
"Employers recognize that employees are leaving a lot of money on the table," said Steven Nyce, senior economist at Towers Watson. "The good news is, employers are doubling down on their commitment to build a culture of health and improve the employee experience through technology and personalized communication."
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