It’s tough to put “health care” and “cost cutter” in the same sentence. But employers at their wits’ end are now trying this — with some success.

Seems crazy to pay people to take care of their own health! Don’t you already pay for their health insurance?

But it’s one of the only strategies that’s working in this decade-long siege on companies’ budgets.

By 2009, it’s estimated that more than 70% of your peers will offer financial incentives to employees to monitor or improve their health.

So what types of behaviors should you reward so employees get healthier and your company pays less for health insurance?

Yes, you can offer a small monetary reward for every preventative health screen employees participate in. Employees who hit the gym three times a week or more might also earn an incentive.

But you can get even more creative. One company we know picks up the tab for Friday’s lunch in the cafeteria when folks choose from the low-fat, low-salt menu Monday through Thursday.

Research shows that employees who were paid a small amount to lose weight dropped more than double what their non-incentivized co-workers lost.

And remember, the carrot you dangle doesn’t have to be huge. Workers were offered as little as $7 per 1% of their body weight lost and still snapped to.

Tags: Cost-cutter, Financial incentives, Health care, Healthier employees, Preventative health screenings