Employers are frustrated that too many of their workers are failing to change their unhealthy habits and take advantage of health and wellness programs that include financial incentives, according to a survey by Towers Watson and the National Business Group on Health.
As a result, some employers are "accelerating" efforts to find ways to further motivate employees and also tighten their requirements for participation in certain healthcare plans, says Ted Nussbaum, senior consultant for Towers Watson, a global professional services company, and co-author of the survey. The National Business Group on Health is a nonprofit association of large employers.
'As employers continue to be more health-focused, they are beginning to target and reward those workers who demonstrate a real commitment to making positive lifestyle changes,' Nussbaum says.
The survey, Raising the Bar on Health Care – Moving Beyond Incremental Change, states that the effort to change employee behaviors related to health has been a 'major obstacle for many companies.' Still, most companies have no plans to abandon their health promotion programs and will continue their existing strategies, according to Nussbaum. More than 500 employers participated in the survey—the 15th annual NBGH/Towers Watson Employee Survey on Purchasing Value in Health Care—conducted between November 2009 and January 2010.
I wonder how many of these same companies communicate to their employers what their poor health habits costs them in lower raises and bonuses and "skinnier" benefits. It is amazing but many employees do not understand this connection.
No comments:
Post a Comment