Company Health & Wellness Initiatives don’t always stir the blood of staff members, even though they’re designed to do just that. How do you get staff members to enroll in Company Health & Wellness Initiatives – and stay enrolled?

The brochures for these programs tout the benefits to staff members and businesses. Employee Health Promotion statistics show that there are tangible benefits. Company Health & Wellness Initiatives actually do save lives by getting workers to take their health seriously.

However, St. Louis, Missouri-based Maritz Inc., the world’s largest incentive company, has applied their own invigorating twist to health management by offering gift rewards to staff members who participate in Company Health & Wellness Initiatives. The gift reward program is Maritz’s own Exclusively Yours® plan. Health management participants earn points, which can be then redeemed for merchandise, electronics, restaurant vouchers and travel, much like a frequent-flier program.

Enrollment incentives in Company Health & Wellness Initiatives?

Undoubtably corporations that don’t work in the incentives industry will be tempted to cry foul about using such a rich carrot to incentivize health program enrollments. Not every company can throw that kind of money at health management resources – and not every company has the built-in cost savings as a business that specializes in offering incentive programs.

For certain rich incentives like Maritz’s will break through the glaze that appears over many staff members’ eyes when they’re encouraged to do something new, different or difficult. For many staff members uncomfortable with health management and physical activity, “new, different and difficult” would apply to Company Health & Wellness Initiatives. So where does that leave businesses who are unwilling or unable to offer incentives for health management program enrollment?

Successful Company Health & Wellness Initiatives motivate staff members – before and after signup

Health management program administrators should keep the long-term view in mind when trying to get staff members to take that critical first step. Even the best incentives can fail in the face of faltering organization, badly-designed Company Health & Wellness Initiatives and wavering support. Make sure to run good Company Health & Wellness surveys before you build your Company Health & Wellness Initiatives so worker input and needs are being met by your Company Health & Wellness Initiatives. The goal is positive outcomes, not high enrollment numbers.

Company Health & Wellness Initiatives cannot survive managerial apathy. If executive and managerial participation is widespread and heartfelt, staff members will follow their leadership. The potential rewards and Company Health & Wellness benefits are clearly worth reaping, for both your employer and your co-workers.