If you have chosen to implement a wellness program, chances are you need some good incentives to motivate your employees. Companies are using all types of incentives to get their staff members to participate. Some companies offer rebates on health care costs, others offer cash compensation, and then they are big prizes like time off work or an all expense-paid vacation.
The best way to get your employees to participate in a wellness program is to encourage them to do it during work hours. Companies that invest some money to hire a yoga instructor, personal trainer, or nutritionist to come in and actually work with their employees normally see some success. When you let people take some time out of the middle of their workday to participate in exercise, they will do it. No one wants to sit behind their desk for 8 straight hours without a break. By offering workout classes at 10 in the morning or 2 in the afternoon, you can get some of your lazy employees to actually participate in the program.
Some other incentives you can try offering your employees include the following:
- T-shirts
- Jackets
- Magazine subscriptions
- Gym bags
- Hats or visors
- Water jugs, cups, or coffee mugs
- Videos
- Books
- Emergency kits for the car
- Gift certificates
People love to get free stuff and they will actually make an effort for something, even if it only cost the company $5. The above prizes can be given out to the employees that meet their initial goals. Once they reach their main goal (which could be to quit smoking for at least a year or to lose 30 pounds), you can offer them a bigger prize like time off work, a paid vacation, or a big cash reward.
It is no question that people will do just about anything for money. If you have a big cash reward to give your employees for meeting their goals, they will work hard to accomplish it. Even small cash rewards like $25 a quarter can inspire some people to live a healthier lifestyle. Try offering the big reward during a time when they employee will really need it like the first part of April to pay their taxes or in November so they have extra money for Christmas shopping.
Before you offer incentives, try introducing the wellness program to see if it is received by your staff members. If you don’t have a lot of participation, then you can try offering the incentives to get people motivated.
A lot of companies use a point system to reward their employees. The point system works by offering employees so many points for reaching their goals. The employees with the highest amount of points will have the opportunity to cash in their points to receive rewards. If only half of your staff participates in the wellness program, up the rewards. You can start offering an extra day of paid time off to your employees with the most amount of points. Since almost everyone would like to have an extra day off work, they may start taking advantage of the wellness program.
Make sure you are there to support and encourage your employees.You should also participate in the wellness program to set a good example for your staff. This way you can show them that you are their equal when it comes to the new program and they are competing with you to get the big rewards. Acknowledge the employees that accomplish their goals by sending out emails to everyone or placing a small article about them in the company newsletter.