Convincing certain staffers to change their heart-attack-waiting-to-happen lifestyles is a daunting task. But before you go cramming a wellness program down employees’ throats, try these subtle approaches.
Here are four cost-effective measures to help get your staff on track for a healthier and more productive lifestyle (hopefully with fewer insurance claims!):
- Healthy vending machines. Don’t make unhealthy living easily accessible. Instead of offering Snickers and Doritos, stock your vending machines with granola bars or baked chips.
- Pedometers pay. These little step monitors barely cost anything (some insurance companies actually give them out for free). Just urge your staff to keep track of their steps-per-day, and you’ll be pleasantly surprised by how quickly the trend catches. Want to up the ante? Create walking competitions and offer small prizes for the winners.
- Health-risk assessments. For somewhere between $5-15 per person, you can get employees to complete health-risk assessments. These can be done through your insurance company or by a third party.
The payoff: Being able to get your staff to prevent a major health problem before it occurs … before you’re stuck with an expensive claim. Remember to make sure your staff knows the assessments are both voluntary and confidential. - Claim reviews. Look at all of your company’s claims when it’s time to renew health insurance. If a majority of your employees have astronomically high cholesterol, it may pay to have an expert come in to the office and offer advice on cholesterol management.
