Are you Educating Employees on Wellness Programs?

For any Wellness Program to succeed, employees must understand them and know they are there. 

Your company can offer the best Wellness Program around, but if your employees don’t know about it, you’re going to get a poor return on yourself benefits investment, it’s that simple. This is an all too common answer I hear when speaking to some of the top employers. A lot of them have offered corporate wellness programs in the past, but when I inquire about why they’ve stopped, a typical response is, they simply found no return on the investment made. That means a wide range of the population, your workers, miss out on the much needed opportunity to improve their health and productivity in the workplace. Also, you don’t reap the cost savings you’re banking on. 

When done right, Corporate Wellness Programs not only benefit the employee’s, but they drive hard return on your investments made. The Harvard Business Review Insider posted an article, where they showed a staggering 6:1 return for every $1 invested into an Integrative Well-thought out Wellness Program, the company received $6 in return. 

A 2013 Aon Hewitt survey showed wellness programs were also top of mind, with employers ranking increased participation in these programs as the number one outcome they hope to achieve from their health plans. Seventy-six percent of employers surveyed said they seek to increase participation in wellness, health improvement and disease management programs.

There’s a good reason employers look to wellness programs to save money. The return on investment speaks loudly, regardless of the number of employees. And who doesn’t want to feel, and perform better in life and work? Though estimates vary, for every dollar invested in wellness programs, employers can save at least $2 and up to $6 in health care costs, productivity, and absenteeism, according to the Wellness Council of America. Keep in mind, as I mentioned above, when done right, wellness specialist can help your company gain higher returns, by lowering health-care costs and managing health risks effectively. 

Wellness initiatives also help employers increase productivity, morale and retention, which supports the bottom line. A Virgin HealthMiles survey of more than 89 percent of employees say the range of an employer’s health and wellness benefits is important in their choice of an employer. According to a 2012 Principal Financial Well-Being Index, 51 percent of wellness program participants said these benefits encourage them to work harder and perform better.

Who’s offering Wellness Programs?

The majority of employers today offer some type of wellness program or wellness-related initiatives. According to a 2013 survey of employee benefits by the Society for Human Resource Management, 77 percent of employers offer wellness resources and information, and 64 percent offer wellness programs from onsite flu vaccines and CPR training to 24-hour nurse lines and onsite fitness centers.

Regardless of the number and type of wellness benefits offered, employees must choose to participate in them or they will not be effective. That’s where the rub comes in for employers — 58 percent report low engagement as the greatest obstacle to the success of their wellness initiatives, according to Towers Watson.

Lack of awareness affects participation

One reason participation lags in many wellness programs is lack of awareness, or your wellness specialist has failed to properly assess employee needs and those of the employer. Employees can’t participate in wellness programs if they’re not aware of what’s being offered. And if your company is only offering a weight loss challenge as a wellness program, but Sally and Sue need mental health and stress reduction such as meditation, or mindful yoga, they will not be participating in the weight loss wellness program offered bringing down your engagement and driving no returns on your investment. Employers and employees don’t see eye-to-eye on this issue, and it has persisted unfortunately. I have found an effective way I can help your company meet employee needs effectively in a way that actually drives returns. My team and I conduct a series of Health Risk Assessments and Employee Interests Surveys with the companies we work with, performed specifically to gain further insight into how we build & design your program for actual results. 

According to a 2012 Workforce Management survey, more than 57 percent of employers believe their employees have a good understanding of the health and wellness programs they offer and how they can participate. Yet only 41 percent of employees say their employer does a good job of keeping them informed about the health and wellness services available to them. To combat this awareness problem, employers need to take a closer look at their benefits communication efforts. Implementing an effective Wellness Programs is not a one, or few day approach like your typical insurance enrollment process, it is an integrative approach taken to make your workspace more holistic and conducive for the well-being of your employee’s day in and out and requires proper nurturance and attention. 

At DNA we take on a personal approach to benefits communication, which improves participation and year round engagement

Improving your benefits communication efforts can stimulate employee engagement and participation in your wellness program. Communication activities can take many forms and are most effective when executive leadership is involved. Some employers adopt wellness “champions” or ambassadors who help spread enthusiasm about the program throughout the organization. Others include regular articles in newsletters or distribute personal benefits statements that highlight the total compensation package. Some turn to outside resources for communications support.

Partnering with a reliable benefits carrier like DNA, that offers a full slate of enrollment services, including one-to-one benefits counseling with a health benefits specialist, can help you achieve the desired results from your wellness initiatives. Individual, personalized benefits education, lifestyle & health workshops and consistent wellness messaging go a long way in helping employees understand the importance of wellness and how it can improve their lives. Some benefits providers offer these services at no charge as part of their enrollment process.

Surveys of employees who meet individually with benefits counselors during their enrollments prove the effectiveness of the one-to-one method. Virtually all (97 percent) employees surveyed after enrollment by Colonial Life say personal benefits counseling improved their understanding of their benefits, and agreed that this type of communication is important (98 percent). In addition, employee morale can improve as workers begin to feel better about themselves and their employers.

Don’t throw your wellness investment out the window

Benefits budgets are tight. Consequently, you’re placing even higher hopes on getting a good return on your employee wellness investment. Don’t throw money out the window because of poor benefits communication. Partner with a carrier that specializes in one-to-one benefits counseling and drive the participation that will help you maximize your wellness dollars. Contact a benefits specialist below and find out how to maximize the potential of your current employee benefits program. 

by Dunia Rodriguez, RYT200

President at DNA Wholistic Wellness, Inc

Corporate Health & Wellness Specialist.

About the author

Dunia Rodriguez, RYT200 is a Health & Wellness Representative and President at DNA Wholistic Wellness, Inc., a Corporate Health & Wellness Provider helping Organizations like yours with Integrative Health and Wellness Solutions for their specific needs. A veteran of more than 3 years in the insurance and benefits industry, Miss Rodriguez is responsible for promoting the Health and Well-being of employees, viewing them from a whole person perspective, and connects them with added value health benefits such as Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), Meditation and Yoga, Fitness, and Nutritional Classes, as well as sometimes, financial protection benefits through the workplace, including disability, life, accident, dental, cancer, critical illness and hospital confinement indemnity insurance. For more information call Miss Dunia Rodriguez at (561)344-7656 or visit www.dnawholisticwellness.com or connect with the company at www.facebook.com/dnawholisticwellness.  

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