It looks as if the majority of Canadian employers recognize the importance of wellness in the workplace and are implementing programs to improve the health and well-being of their employees, according to research by the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans (IFEBP).
The Wellness Programs and Value-Based Health Care study found that nearly two-thirds of Canadian employers offer wellness initiatives to help workers achieve better physical health. The most popular initiatives include employee assistance programs (91%), flu shots (65%) and smoking cessation programs (49%).
Many employers have also put increased focus on nutrition and physical fitness as part of their wellness offerings. Of those surveyed, 41% said they offer fitness challenges, 32% offer nutrition counselling, and 27% offer weight loss and weight management programs.
“Without question, employers are beginning to understand the direct connection between wellness initiatives and overall improvement to employee health and the improved health of their families,” said Michael Wilson, IFEBP’s CEO.
The study also found that the prevalence of wellness programs has grown significantly over the past 10 years, with more than 40% of Canadian employers implementing new programs since 2008. Additionally, nearly half of the organizations surveyed have increased their wellness budgets in the last five years.
Of course, when it comes to wellness programs, they’re only as good as the employees participating.
“One measure of success for a wellness program is the participation rate,” said Julie Stich, senior information/research specialist with IFEBP. “Organizations will not realize benefits unless there is sufficient participation.”
The survey found that the wellness initiatives with the highest participation rates are flu shot programs (48%), health risk assessments (41%) and health screenings (40%).
As well, to help boost employee participation, almost 60% of the organizations surveyed said they provide program incentives such as fitness centre discounts (29%), gift cards and gift certificates (27%) and non-cash incentives such as prizes and raffles (27%).
The majority (72%) of employers surveyed said they use an outside vendor such as an employee assistance provider or wellness consultant to implement or assist with their programs.