A Salad or a Cheeseburger? Employee Health Decisions That Benefit You, Too

With such a health-focused society, it’s almost impossible not to be conscious of your wellness. It’s everywhere. Calories are listed next to menu items, you can buy just about anything organic and high-end supermarkets have dedicated their entire mission to health.

While health is king, the modern-day workforce is stressed out, over worked and often suffers from preventable health issues, which can impact an employer through missed deadlines, lower profit margins and more.

However, by instating an incentives program, both employers and their workers can benefit from healthier lifestyles.

Companies that establish wellness programs not only encourage employees to make healthier decisions, but can drive better overall well-being. Additionally, studies have shown that an employer can expect a $3-6 return on investment for every dollar spent on an employee wellness program. Yes, that’s you, and that’s a handsome reward.

To start capitalizing on the benefits of a healthier workforce, here are a few ways employers can use an incentives program to help their employees make healthier decisions.

1. Customizable incentives:
For example, adjust prices to sway employees to buy the healthier option. Say a bag of chips is $1.50 and an apple or banana is .50 cents. Which do you think they’ll choose?

2. Intelligence for success:
Tracking the success of various incentives among workers ensures that the most effective offers are used. Maybe office cafeteria discounts are proving that just a change in diet isn’t enough. You may need to up the ante to ensure employees take the healthier option. Adding a point system where employees can redeem points for a gift card, gym membership or even an extra vacation day could tip the scales. It’s all up to you.

3. Simplicity and speed:
Programs can be paired with a stored-value solution so employees can pay for food in the cafeteria vending machine or coffee shop directly from their ID card. A kiosk also can be integrated so that it’s simple for employees to replenish the value on their cards.

While incentives programs offer great benefits to employees, they benefit employers just as much, if not more. Healthcare costs can be lowered, sick days can go unused and employees might stick around the office for lunch, instead of taking an hour — or maybe more — to eat at a local restaurant.

Sounds like a win-win, doesn’t it?