See the Benefits to Incentivizing Employee Wellness

Employee wellness, like other benefits, has changed a lot in the last 18 months. Many employees are still working from home, which presents challenges in engaging employees on their wellness. That’s made incentivizing employee wellness an intriguing option. Watch the full episode of Benefits below for a conversation with KrowdFit CEO Jim Miller on what employee wellness incentives look like, or keep reading to learn more. 

Why is incentivizing wellness important?

Providing incentives shows your employees that their wellness is a priority. Miller said participation in wellness programs can reduce or prevent employee burnout and prevent illness. Absenteeism can have a big impact on your bottom line, so there’s a real benefit to employers and employees in keeping them happy and healthy. 

“I think all of those things are weighing on HR teams today,” Miller said. 

What have the last 18 months shown us? 

Since early 2020, the value of employee health and wellness has come into even greater focus. Much of the increased concern is for employees’ mental health. Since the start of the pandemic, mental and behavioral health service requests have increased 100 percent. 

It’s important that employee wellness programs are not catered just for the office athlete. Wellness can be tied to anything related to physical health, mental health, healthy diets, and more. 

“Providing the right kind of incentive structure can really drive engagement across the work population,” Miller said. 

What could incentivizing look like? 

There are a variety of ways you can incentivize wellness. Incentives can include random drawings for participation and extra time off. And tracking can include the use of fitness trackers, meal-logging apps, or meditation/sleep trackers. 

“The most important thing is to create an inclusive program where everyone feels like they can be rewarded for the effort of being healthy,” Miller said. 

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The information in this blog post is for educational purposes only. It is not legal or tax advice. For legal or tax advice, you should consult your own counsel.