They may still lack compelling metrics, and employees continue to resist them. But wellness plans are clearly here to stay.

A survey by Fitbit Wellness of 200 enterprise employers found that 88 percent have wellness plans. That's not surprising, given another survey finding: 94 percent of CEOs believe a strong wellness plan can attract top talent. Additionally, 80 percent said their plans play a crucial role in relieving stress at work.

Fitbit asked employers to rank the benefits of wellness plans. The top five were:

  1. More engaged employees (53 percent selected this as No. 1)

  2. Increased retention (51 percent)

  3. Lower overall health care costs (47 percent)

  4. Stronger sense of community (47 percent)

  5. Fewer sick days used (44 percent)

When asked what they would like to improve about their wellness plans, the top responses were:

  1. Increase participation  (23 percent)

  2. Find better ways to track data (23 percent)

  3. Reduce the high cost (21 percent)

Other survey highlights included:

  • 95 percent want to offer additional incentives to employees who use a fitness tracker;

  • 95 percent are considering hosting an activity challenge for employees that would go through the wellness plan;

  • 77 percent have already hosted such an activity.

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Dan Cook

Dan Cook is a journalist and communications consultant based in Portland, OR. During his journalism career he has been a reporter and editor for a variety of media companies, including American Lawyer Media, BusinessWeek, Newhouse Newspapers, Knight-Ridder, Time Inc., and Reuters. He specializes in health care and insurance related coverage for BenefitsPRO.

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