How Employers Can Turn the Workplace Into a Wellness Driver
Key Highlights:
- Wellness rewards programs can use incentives to motivate employees to complete preventive care and well-being activities.
- An Elevance Health study found that women, older adults, and individuals with a lower Whole Health Index measurement were more likely to participate in an offered wellness rewards program.
- Elevance Health associates demonstrate strong engagement in the company’s wellness rewards program.
Many facets of everyday life shape a person’s health: what food they eat, the quality of the air they breathe, how much sleep they get. Their job situation also can play a role.
Research indicates employment and health are closely linked, as jobs can provide financial security, access to helpful benefits like health insurance and paid leave, and meaningful social connections that foster greater well-being. And though factors like long hours and job-related stress may be harmful to health, the workplace also offers a direct channel to reach millions of people with support for improving their health.
Many companies offer this support through wellness rewards programs.
What Is a Wellness Rewards Program?
Wellness rewards programs may use incentives to encourage people to participate in activities that can boost their health and well-being. They give employees a nudge they might need to take meaningful steps toward better health.
For example, employers might offer …
- Gift cards
- Reduced insurance premiums
- Paid time off
- Contributions to a Health Savings Account (HSA)
- Cash bonuses
… in exchange for employees completing identified activities like an annual checkup, a flu shot, or a cholesterol screening. Employees also might receive rewards for tracking their daily steps or their sleep.
Wellness rewards programs differ from Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs), which are workplace benefits that offer resources like confidential counseling to help employees navigate personal, family, and work challenges.
Who Participates in Wellness Rewards Programs — and Do They Make a Difference?
A recent study of more than 568,000 adults enrolled in employer-sponsored health insurance provided by Elevance Health-affiliated plans found that women and older adults were more likely to participate in an offered wellness rewards program compared with men and younger members, respectively.
The study by the Elevance Health Public Policy Institute also found that members with a lower Whole Health Index (WHI) measurement — reflecting a person’s relative health and the physical, behavioral, and social factors that influence it on a scale of 0 to 100 — were more likely to engage with the program than those with higher WHI measurements.
The fact that women and members with lower WHI measurements were more likely than their counterparts to complete incentivized preventive care activities highlights how wellness rewards “may help individuals take proactive steps toward improving their well-being,” researchers noted.
Perhaps most importantly, program participants were more likely to meet health quality measures that included receiving appropriate screenings and, for members with diabetes, controlling their blood pressure and blood sugar. This suggests the right incentives may lead to better health outcomes alongside improved health behaviors.
Employers play a big part in shaping employee health, the study says, and wellness rewards programs “offer a strategic way to reduce health risks, promote chronic disease management, and improve quality of life across employee populations.”
Elevance Health Offers Wellness Rewards to Its Associates
Elevance Health has experienced the benefits of offering incentives firsthand.
“We redesigned our wellness programs about five years ago, after examining the health outcomes and health-related social needs of our associates,” said Ryan Craig, executive vice president and chief human resources officer at Elevance Health. “Today, we offer up to $1,200 to associates for completing wellness-related activities that reflect our holistic approach to maintaining and restoring health.”
We’re invested in our associates’ health and well-being and want them to excel both in their careers and in their lives outside of the workplace.”
Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at Elevance Health
These activities include preventive care assessments, vaccinations, fitness activities, and financial planning, and associates can apply their rewards to healthcare premiums, HSA accounts, childcare expenses, and student loan payments. They also can donate their reward dollars to a nonprofit organization.
In 2024, 98% of eligible Elevance Health associates earned at least one wellness reward, and about 4 in 10 earned the maximum baseline amount of $700. Associate screening rates for conditions such as colon cancer and breast cancer have increased, as have rates for adult and child wellness visits.
“We know health and financial security are tied together, and we’ve also been excited to see a number of associates increase their retirement deferments after participating in our program’s financial wellness activities,” Craig said.
Spouses and domestic partners covered by an associate’s Elevance Health plan can earn up to $700 in wellness rewards as well. Associates who can’t participate in wellness activities for medical reasons can obtain waivers and still receive rewards.
“We’re invested in our associates’ health and well-being and want them to excel both in their careers and in their lives outside of the workplace,” he said. “These rewards are about enabling each of us to take meaningful steps toward healthier, more balanced lives so we can thrive at work, at home, and in our communities.”