From WisPolitics.com/WisBusiness.com …
— Employee wellness programs that offer larger financial incentives were found to have higher participation rates, a recent survey from Green Bay-based Motion-Connected found.
The company, which provides an employee wellbeing and engagement platform to more than 300 businesses and employers, yesterday issued a report with industry survey results. It was produced in partnership with the Worksite Wellness Council of Massachusetts.
Programs like these can include a wide array of elements aimed at improving employees’ physical and mental health, ranging from health screening and risk assessments to nutrition and weight management and tobacco cessation programs, as well as financial incentives and rewards.
After surveying 218 respondents across 26 states and a range of industries, report authors found time was the largest barrier to getting employees to participate in wellness programs. While 54% of respondents said a lack of employee time is an issue, 49% said competing priorities are standing in the way.
Common themes for programs achieving greater than 50% participation include tracking participation, having dedicated ownership for the program and offering larger incentives, the report shows.
It found average participation was 43% for programs offering $100 or less in annual incentive value, while that jumped to 66% for programs offering more than $1,000.
But only 11% of respondents are actually offering that much, while the largest share at 36% is offering $100 or less. The average incentive value was $491 for the survey group.
The most common category of incentive is cash or gift cards with 68% of respondents, followed by company swag at 32%, premium discounts at 27%, health savings account contributions at 15% and lifestyle spending accounts at 7%.
Meanwhile, employers report using AI in employee wellness program administration, with 49% reporting at least one active use case for the technology. Another 36% say they’re still exploring the technology’s use in this space while 26% have no imminent plans to use it.
For those who are, 37% are using AI to communicate with employees about these programs, 23% are using it for data analysis and insights, 19% are using it for education content or learning and 16% are using it for program planning and strategy.
Responses were collected through a digital survey tool from Aug. 3-28. It was promoted by Motion Connected and partner professional networks, including social media, and included both clients and non-clients.
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