New Study Shows the Rapid Growth Of Employee Wellness Programs
Dec 8, 2011
Austin, Texas: A new Employer Wellness Survey from ShapeUp reveals how quickly employee wellness programs have grown over the past few years.
Some of the results are:
- 1) 91% of employers with more than 5,000 employees offer web-based wellness programs.
- 2) On average, employers spend $375 per-employee on incentives.
- 3) Employers are attracted to the idea of a single vendor to manage all programs, yet on average, they are managing 4.5 vendors.
- 4) 50% of employers surveyed feel Health Risk Assessments are a waste of money.
There are a few things that I find most interesting about this survey.
First, we all know that nearly every large company is running a wellness program. But how many small and mid-sized companies are participating? We are seeing a huge increase in firms with as few as ten employees actively promoting wellness among their staff. It would be great to get a survey of small and mid-sized companies.
Secondly, the amount spent on wellness incentives is dead-on — about $375. Our company is seeing an average spend of $375-$400 per participant from our clients for wellness incentives, which include kick-off items, monthly reminders, imprinted pedometers, and for rewards and awards.
Lastly, the survey shows half the participants feel the HRA are a waste of resources. It would be interesting to find out the reasons for this high number. I’d love to hear your feedback on why you love Health Risk Assessments for your employees or why you think they are waste of money.
This survey was conducted in partnership with Boston-based The Parthenon Group with high-level wellness and benefits decision makers at some of the largest companies nationwide.
Click on the link to read more about the wellness survey and its results.
Here’s to a more healthy workplace.