Wellness Program Blog

Unless specifically stated otherwise, most company-employee relationships in the U.S. are governed by the principle of at-will employment. Under this system a company, or the employee, can terminate the relationship without any required showing of cause. This at-will standard gives private employers substantial power in governing the behavior of workers. In this environment, employers can Finding Wealth Through Wellness 10 creatively design Company Wellness Programs based upon their specifi c corporate culture. Company Wellness Programs generally take three main forms:

Voluntary Company Wellness Programs – The most popular form of employee Company Wellness , in most cases they are made available to workers but participation (or lack thereof) is not linked to any type of consequence. Due to ineffective communication, often workers are either unaware of these offerings or confuse them with insurance-based healthcare. Incentive-based – Company Wellness Programs based on incentives reward workers for participation in Company Wellness  activities. Incentives usually comprise decreased Health Care premiums, gym membership or customized support offerings. In these programs, employees’ behavior can be linked to a particular reward.

Mandatory Company Wellness Programs – Some employers require, or ban, certain health-related conduct. These can take the form of mandatory Health Risk Assessments for workers and limitations on smoking or alcohol use. While mandating behavior is an effective method to eliminate high-risk behavior, the cost savings must be gauged against the potential message sent to existing and prospective workers. Given that workers are already under various levels of scrutiny in the workplace, individuals may resist attempts by employers to regulate off-duty conduct. In Addition, some workers may fi nd it diffi cult to comply, forcing employers into the uncomfortable circumstance of punishing an otherwise productive employee.

In the short-term a mandate-based Company Wellness  can drive to an increase in turnover, as workers either choose to leave or are fi red for noncompliance. In the long-term, the policy may prevent the company from hiring an otherwise qualifi ed applicant, or may serve as a deterrent for individuals considering the company. Limits in recruiting, for instance, led CNN to rescind a 13-year ban on hiring smokers.18

Companies need to make sure that Company Wellness Programs are aligned with the values and culture that drive company operations. If a company emphasizes trust and individual responsibility, then a mandate-based program will likely cause more dissension than it would in a company that already heavily regulates company conduct. Moreover, a work environment with a big disengaged population will likely have poor participation in a voluntarybased program. When calculating cost savings, employers need to take a wider view and consider the effects on long-term employee program engagement.

In 2005, Michigan-based insurance benefits provider Weyco instituted a smoking ban for all of its nearly 200 workers. Workers are subject to random testing and if they fail a mandatory breathalyzer test, they will be fi red. It is believed that Weyco is the first company to use testing to enforce a smoking ban – most employers ask workers to self-report behavior. Four workers (more than 2 percent of the total crew) left Weyco as a result of the policy. A year prior to the ban the company implemented a $50 smoking fee, which would be waived if a employee passed a nicotine test or agreed to take a smokingcessation class. Weyco’s president Howard Weyers reported that 20 workers quit smoking through this program.20 Workers were told they had one year before the total ban would go into effect. Under the new Company Wellness , Weyco does offer $35 a month for workers who want to use a fi tness center and another $65 a month for workers who meet fitness objectives.