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It might sound simple: For workplace wellness to make the greatest impact, it matters when employees are involved. But a new piece from U.S. News & World Report makes the point even clearer: “Achieving these ends depends on participation, and whether you participate largely depends on the program itself.”
As we know, health care and wellness are increasingly connected. Further, that intersection often occurs at work: “American employers and the people who work for them carry nearly half of the country’s burden of health care spending. Your company pays for it in your health insurance policy, and you chip in with your cost-sharing copays, deductibles and coinsurance. It seems like a win-win to reduce these costs by keeping you healthy. And judging by their adoption rate, employers want to make them work.”
“Seventy-four percent of U.S. employers that provide health benefits offer at least one wellness program. For large firms with 200 or more employees, it’s 98 percent, according to the 2014 annual survey of employer health benefits from the Kaiser Family Foundation.”
The bottom line: “Ultimately, the effectiveness of any health improvement program will depend on employee involvement. Though some employers offer incentives as a carrot, workers who recognize the value of better health and have the motivation to achieve that end regardless of the outside rewards will likely be the ones to get the most out of workplace wellness.”
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