“Well on the Way: Engaging Employees in Workplace Wellness,” a white paper released by Colonial Life & Accident Insurance Company, explains that strong communication drives the effectiveness of wellness programs. The company has found that more than half of workers do not know enough about their company’s wellness programs to participate in them. In fact, 52 percent of workers whose employers offer wellness programs say they are only somewhat or not at all knowledgeable about them, and the lack of knowledge is highest among young workers, less-educated workers, and lower-paid workers.
“Just offering a wellness program and expecting a majority of employees to participate—the ‘if you build it, they will come’ scenario—is prone to failure,” said Steve Bygott, assistant vice president of marketing analysis and programs at Colonial Life.
“Communication that clearly delineates the benefits of participation to employees is the first step to long-term engagement in wellness programs.
Case studies
Winners of the National Business Group on Health’s (www.businessgrouphealth.org) 2012 Best Employers for Healthy Lifestyles awards, for example, have demonstrated their commitment to promoting wellness and educating employees about it.
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Cardinal Health (www.cardinalhealth.com) received an award for its Healthy Lifestyles program, which is part of the company’s overarching benefits strategy to support the well-being and development of its employees. Cardinal Health incorporates work/life effectiveness initiatives, programs, and incentives that emphasize wellness and prevention. Among other offerings, the company provides its employees with education and awareness programs, as well as health coaching.
NextEra Energy, Inc., (www.NextEraEnergy.com) is another award winner. Its NextEra Health & Well-Being initiative provides a wide variety of health and productivity management programs—with services in five primary categories: health promotion, fitness, nutrition and weight management, health centers, and an employee assistance program.
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In tomorrow’s Advisor, we’ll look at more award winners—plus, we’ll explore an exciting training resource that delivers short blasts of HR content in an effective format.