Motivating employees to use the wellness benefits they demand

Although every workforce is different, reasons for low employee engagement may include:

• Lack of awareness – Sometimes the reason behind low utilization is as simple as not knowing what’s available
• Unperceived value – If employees don’t understand the value of their voluntary benefits, especially if they believe there is a cost to participate, they may not make the effort to engage
• Privacy fears – Employees may worry that the personal health or well-being information that they share or generate when participating in wellness programs will be shared with their employer

Wellness programs often incentivize employees to incorporate healthier actions into their daily routines and to stay on top of their preventive care milestones. These behaviors may lead to healthier workforce and even help prevent or mitigate chronic illnesses.

For instance, diabetes costs employers $245B a year: $175B in medical and pharmacy costs and $70B in costs related to employee absenteeism and reduced productivity.⁴ Wellness programs that empower employees to live healthier lifestyles may deliver a positive return on investment (ROI).

That’s where UHC Hub™, a selection of health and wellness offerings that employers can sponsor for their employee population, can come in handy. Likewise, UHC Store (coming soon) is a consumer-centric shopping experience that allows members the freedom to choose from discounted health and wellness solutions to support their personal health journey.

Employees under mental duress can experience physical symptoms — like trouble concentrating and making decisions, problems sleeping, headaches and stomach issues — if they are unable to relieve that stress.⁶

Wellness initiatives can help equip employees with strategies to better manage stress and reduce its physical impact.

Providing access to mental health resources, such as digital solutions like the Calm Health app, may help employees cope with stress sooner, before it begins to affect their physical well-being. And when stress does take a toll, it’s helpful to offer support for building healthy habits like eating a balanced diet, getting enough sleep and staying active.

Employees are increasingly looking to get personal value and purpose from their jobs: Salary is no longer the only factor considered when seeking employment, according to a Gartner study.⁷ That same study showed that employees are looking for work benefits that support their holistic well-being.⁷

It stands to reason that unhealthy employees aren’t always able to perform at their best and, depending on the severity of their condition, may not be able to show up regularly to work at all — negatively affecting productivity.

Nearly 85% of surveyed employees who believe their well-being is supported by their employer said they intend to remain at their place of work, and employers who offer wellness programs have seen a 14–19% reduction in employee absenteeism.⁸

There are several strategies employers can use to boost employee engagement, starting with communication.

Only 27% of surveyed employees said they learn about their health plans from their employers.⁹ Developing a communication strategy to educate employees about available wellness benefits and how to access them is critical. It’s also important that these communications be deployed throughout the year, not just during open enrollment.

An effective communication plan also helps address employees’ concerns or barriers to participation, such as reassuring employees that their personal health information will be kept private and not shared with their employer.

Another tactic that can improve engagement with wellness benefits is to build an incentive component into the program. In fact, 70% of surveyed employees said that providing rewards and incentives for participating in certain wellness activities, like biometric screenings and wellness visits, motivates them to engage in those programs.¹⁰

For instance, with UnitedHealthcare Rewards, eligible members can earn rewards for completing tasks like taking a health survey, getting an annual checkup and more. These activities can also be personalized based on employee preferences and health journey goals. They may also lead employees to be more engaged in other aspects of their health benefits. For instance, those who participated in UHC Rewards visited the UnitedHealthcare® app 2.3 times more often than those who didn’t participate.¹¹

Some employers like Children’s Friend even created their own wellness programs, while others like the Unified Government of Wyandotte County/Kansas City, Kansas, opened an on-site employee health center, complete with a workout facility, clinic and pharmacy, to help make it even easier for employees to take care of their health and well-being.