It’s annual enrollment time, and companies — even mine — are looking for ways to encourage employees to participate in a corporate wellness program that promotes a healthy lifestyle, as it can ultimately mean reduced benefits costs for a company (e.g., smoking cessation, weight management). However, in these budget-conscious times, cost effective tactics are essential. If there was ever time that social media could be leveraged within corporate culture, a social network to drive wellness participation is almost certainly a no brainer — easy to implement, cost effective, with potential for much higher participation than traditional wellness programs.
Imagine my delight when I came across this timely article on using social networking to build participation. See below.
Source: Employers use social networking to maximize wellness program participation, Employee Benefit News
In the wellness industry today, incentives are all the rage. Frustrated by low participation in unpopular wellness programs, employers have resorted to offering golden carrots – often valued up to $1,000 per year – to get employees to engage. But why pay people to lose weight, exercise and eat healthier when all that’s really needed to boost participation is peer-to-peer engagement?
Shape Up The Nation, whose wellness platform is designed to connect employees of all fitness levels with others who share similar interests, has pioneered this innovative approach. The company’s online system enables employees to invite, challenge, track and motivate each other to achieve specific goals through teamwork, friendly competition, and accountability.
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