How Corporate Wellness Incentives Change Behavior

So we all know that changing employee behavior is an essential aspect of corporate wellness—but how do you actually make it happen?

Sue Lewis, senior vice president of health and productivity solutions at IncentOne, has written a very nice primer on “Using Incentives to Change Employee Behavior in a Consumer-Driven World,” in the May/June issue of CDHC Solutions.

She looks at how consumer-driven health care (CDHC) and incentives go hand in hand, including some interesting real-world outcomes from internal case studies:

A consumer goods company used up to $360 in premium discounts as an incentive for employees to complete a health risk assessment (HRA) and biometric screening, and to declare they were personally smoke-free.
Result: 60% of employees completed the HRA and biometric screening, and 54% declared they were smoke-free.

A health care system offered up to $150 on a gift card to participate in a multi-layered, points-based incentive program.
Result: 70% of employees completed the HRA, 24% received a flu shot, and 16% completed online health education modules.

An insurance carrier offered a $20 gift card to employees to complete an HRA.
Result: 93% of employees completed it. An energy company offered a $25 gift card to achieve the same goal and saw 95% participation.

A utility company offered a $50 gift card to participate in a weight loss campaign with a goal to lose five pounds or more.
Result: 36% of employees enrolled in the program and 14% lost at least five pounds.

Bottom line: It doesn’t take a whole lot to get a return—and often a large one—on your incentive investment.