MENUMENU
  • FREE RESOURCES
  • PREMIUM CONTENT
        • SEE MORE
          PREMIUM RESOURCES
  • HR DEEP DIVES
        • Coronavirus (COVID-19) Resources for HR Professionals
          Employment Law
          Labor Law Posting Requirements: Everything You Need to Know
          Recruiting
          businesswoman selecting future employees on digital interfaces
          Recruiting Resources for HR & Hiring Managers
          Performance Management
          vector image of young female making star rating
          Performance Review Resources
          Employment Law
          Understanding Equal Employment Opportunity and the EEOC
          Recruiting
          Onboarding Resources for HR & Hiring Managers
  • CORONAVIRUS & HR

  • LOGIN
  • SIGN UP FREE

HR Morning

MENUMENU
  • FREE RESOURCES
  • PREMIUM CONTENT
        • SEE MORE
          PREMIUM RESOURCES
  • HR DEEP DIVES
        • Coronavirus (COVID-19) Resources for HR Professionals
          Employment Law
          Labor Law Posting Requirements: Everything You Need to Know
          Recruiting
          businesswoman selecting future employees on digital interfaces
          Recruiting Resources for HR & Hiring Managers
          Performance Management
          vector image of young female making star rating
          Performance Review Resources
          Employment Law
          Understanding Equal Employment Opportunity and the EEOC
          Recruiting
          Onboarding Resources for HR & Hiring Managers
  • CORONAVIRUS & HR
  • Employment Law
  • Benefits
  • Recruiting
  • Talent Management
  • Performance Management
  • HR Technology
  • More
    • Leadership & Strategy
    • Compensation
    • Staff Administration
    • Policy & Procedures
    • Wellness
    • Staff Departure
    • Employee Services
    • Work Location
    • HR Career & Self-Care
    • Health Care
    • Retirement Plans

Case study: Family approach to building wellness paid off

Tim Gould
by Tim Gould
May 22, 2013
2 minute read
  • SHARE ON

Periodically, we like to offer success stories from HR pros from across the U.S. This account of how one employer boosted its wellness program participation comes courtesy of Jason Vollbrecht, benefits leader of Great River Energy in Maple Grove, MN.
_____________________________________________________________________________
It was time for us to ramp up our wellness activities.
We hoped that helping staffers live healthier lives might help us with those ever-rising healthcare costs.
We knew that it was crucial to get employees involved, but we also knew they were only half of the challenge. Getting staffers’ spouses and dependents on board would really help us in the long run.
But first, we needed to get buy-in from staff.

$1,000 incentive

Our initiative was based around an online portal that workers could access anytime at home or work. Within that portal, we had a two-step program.
The first step was simple enough: Employees would get $300 if they completed an online assessment and attended an on-site health screening.
But if staff members wanted to earn the other $700 we had earmarked for each participant, they’d have to put in some legwork.
The second phase revolved around accumulating points. Employees could gain points by:

  • viewing educational videos on health risks, and
  • tracking healthy activities like water intake, hours slept at night, exercise, seatbelt use and more.

Workers could also earn points by attending wellness events we sponsored onsite and participating in weight-loss and physical-activity challenges.
Finally, receiving a physical, going to the dentist or getting a colonoscopy could also gain staffers points.
The goal for each participating employee: 10,000 points. Once staffers reached that number, we handed over the extra $700, for a total of $1,000 earned for healthy living.

Get everyone involved

We had a lot of success with the program, but we also remembered how crucial it was to get spouses
and dependents involved.
Initially, spouses and dependents didn’t have to participate for employees to earn the full $1,000.
But we decided to change that because, after all, spouses and dependents incur health costs, too. Getting them involved would drive costs down. So that’s what we did.
A crucial part of this phase of  our initiative was to send info on the program directly to employees’ homes. That way, spouses and dependents would feel invested in the program.

Below the national average

Our well-thought-out wellness program helped drive our annual healthcare cost increases below the national average.
That means we haven’t had to ramp up co-pays, deductibles or out-of-pocket costs.
Even better: Our employee surveys say that satisfaction is high. We like to think that’s due in part to having happy, healthy staff members.
 

Get the latest from HRMorning in your inbox PLUS immediately access 10 FREE HR guides.

I WANT MY FREE GUIDES

Keep Up To Date with the Latest HR News

With HRMorning arriving in your inbox, you will never miss critical stories on labor laws, benefits, retention and onboarding strategies.

Sign up for a free HRMorning membership and get our newsletter!
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
HR Morning Logo
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Linked In
  • ABOUT HRMORNING
  • ADVERTISE WITH US
  • WRITE FOR US
  • CONTACT
  • Employment Law
  • Benefits
  • Recruiting
  • Talent Management
  • HR Technology
  • Performance Management
  • Leadership & Strategy
  • Compensation & Payroll
  • Policy & Culture
  • Staff Administration
  • Wellness & Safety
  • Staff Departure
  • Employee Services
  • Work Location
  • HR Career & Self-Care

HRMorning, part of the SuccessFuel Network, provides the latest HR and employment law news for HR professionals in the trenches of small-to-medium-sized businesses. Rather than simply regurgitating the day’s headlines, HRMorning delivers actionable insights, helping HR execs understand what HR trends mean to their business.

Privacy Policy Terms of Service
Copyright © 2021 SuccessFuel

WELCOME BACK!

Enter your username and password below to log in

Forget Your Username or Password?

Reset Password

Lost your password? Please enter your username or email address. You will receive a link to create a new password via email.

Log In

During your free trial, you can cancel at any time with a single click on your “Account” page.  It’s that easy.

Why do we need your credit card for a free trial?

We ask for your credit card to allow your subscription to continue should you decide to keep your membership beyond the free trial period.  This prevents any interruption of content access.

Your card will not be charged at any point during your 21 day free trial
and you may cancel at any time during your free trial.

preloader