Incentives for better employee health

Health can be a very difficult subject to discuss with employees and can cause a lot of hard feelings if it isn't approached appropriately.But there are many things that you can do to improve the health of your employees without forcing them to change their ways.Here are some ideas of incentives you can give your employees to get into shape and better health.

There is, of course, no way that you can ethically or legally require someone to change the way that they live or force them to improve their health.But money talks and offering incentives can be a great motivator for people to improve their health.Some successful programs that are pursued by people who want to get into shape are motivated by money or other forms of compensation.Many people who are self motivated or self starters will offer themselves some kind of reward when they reach a certain high point or key level in their health or another aspect of life.The same concept can work with employees and health.

There has been a trend lately for employers to offer incentives to their employees for better health.This incentive often goes hand in hand with employee wellness programs and the many benefits these programs have to offer as well.These health and wellness programs can vary greatly in size and scope and so can the rewards that are offered to employees.The most successful incentives for employees offer some sort of combination of intrinsic and extrinsic awards.People like it when they are recognized in front of other people for a job well done.They also appreciate it when they receive some sort of monetary or other compensation for winning in addition to recognition.

There are many different ways to approach rewarding employees for good health.Some of the most successful follow some sort of graduation or step process.The response of employees to the various steps will taper off as they increase in difficulty, but the system is still very valuable.Most wellness programs begin with some sort of health evaluation or assessment that is done for free or has some kind of compensation tied to it.Many people are motivated to be healthier when they realize that they are not in the best of health after an evaluation.Some people will begin to make steps when they realize there are simple steps they can take to improve their health and overall fitness.

After completing a health assessment, many employees will agree to participate in a health improvement or disease management program.This can vary in length or intensity depending on the resources available and the situation of the employee.The program can also include a smoking or addiction cessation program which will further improve the health of your employees.For many people, assistance in helping them get into shape or to quit smoking can be one of the most important keys to success.

Another way that you can incentivize employees to participate in and health program or just to improve their health in general is to include it in their benefits package.Health insurance is a very important part of any compensation package, but you should also make it clear that they are receiving other benefits on top of medical insurance that will help them get and remain healthy.It is also a good idea to provide publication to your employees that show the amount of money that can be saved by staying in good health.Many people spend a lot of money on prescription medications and also on health care expenses that they wouldn't have if they were healthier.Communicating how much the average person spends on medical care in a year can be more motivation for employees to make changes in their lives and to get healthier.