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Corporate Wellness Initiatives – With Perks

Corporate Wellness Initiatives don’t always stir the blood of staff members, even though they’re designed to do just that. How do you get staff members to enroll in Corporate Wellness Initiatives – and stay enrolled?

The brochures for these programs tout the benefits to staff members and companies. Employee Health Promotion statistics show that there are tangible benefits. Corporate Wellness Initiatives actually do save lives by getting workers to take their health seriously.

However, St. Louis, Missouri-based Maritz Inc., the world’s largest incentive corporation, has applied their own invigorating twist to health management by providing gift rewards to staff members who participate in Corporate Wellness Initiatives. The gift reward program is Maritz’s own Exclusively Yours® plan. Health management participants earn points, which can be then redeemed for merchandise, electronics, restaurant vouchers and travel, much like a frequent-flier program.

Enrollment incentives in Corporate Wellness Initiatives?

Undoubtably companies that don’t work in the incentives industry will be tempted to cry foul about using such a rich carrot to incentivize health program enrollments. Not every corporation can throw that kind of money at health management resources – and not every corporation has the built-in cost savings as a business that specializes in providing incentive programs.

For certain rich incentives like Maritz’s will break through the glaze that appears over many staff members’ eyes when they’re encouraged to do something new, different or difficult. For many staff members uncomfortable with health management and exercise, “new, different and difficult” would apply to Corporate Wellness Initiatives. So where does that leave companies who are unwilling or unable to offer incentives for health management program enrollment?

Successful Corporate Wellness Initiatives motivate staff members – before and after signup

Health management program administrators should keep the long-term view in mind when trying to get staff members to take that critical first step. Even the best incentives can fail in the face of faltering organization, badly-designed Corporate Wellness Initiatives and wavering support. Make sure to run good Corporate Wellness surveys before you build your Corporate Wellness Initiatives so staff member input and needs are being met by your Corporate Wellness Initiatives. The goal is positive outcomes, not high enrollment numbers.

Corporate Wellness Initiatives cannot survive managerial apathy. If executive and managerial participation is widespread and heartfelt, staff members will follow their leadership. The potential rewards and Corporate Wellness benefits are clearly worth reaping, for both your employer and your co-workers.