More employers are encouraging employees to quit smoking with incentives (or penalties!) According to the Society for Human Resource Management’s (SHRM’s) 2018 Employee Benefits survey report, 16% of employers provide a discount on health insurance premiums to people who do not use tobacco products, 10% offer a discount for participating in a program to quit smoking and 18% impose a smoking surcharge.

Given the often high-valued health care discounts, many employers are turning to nicotine testing to discourage dishonesty and ensure incentives are appropriately distributed. 

“The purpose of worksite wellness is not to change people, but to change the culture.”
-Dr. Dee Edington

As a HR or health promotion professional, you probably have been hearing a lot about biometric screenings. But you may be wondering how biometric screenings can really help your company and wellness program. By measuring your employees’ cholesterol and glucose levels, body mass index and blood pressure, onsite screenings provide information you and your employees need to understand health risks. Plus, you gain insights that health risk appraisals or claims data alone can’t provide.

Regardless of the size or type of your business you can help protect your business and employees from the flu. An organization can be severely impacted by people coming to work when they’re sick. Illness can spread from person to person causing entire companies to be effected. For small employers, that could mean as much as five missed workdays each for every employee who experiences flu-like symptoms, according to a 2011 study from Walgreens.

What does "Workplace Wellness" mean to you? Is it a business necessity or just a fluffy HR benefit?

Our very own National Account Executive Sara Garcia wrote a feature article for the ACSM’s Health & Fitness Journal® September/October 2012 issue.

An effective way to measure the health of an employee population is to screen individuals for common health risks such as obesity, heart disease, stroke and diabetes. But when is the best time of the year to offer on-site biometric screenings?

With another flu season just around the corner, it's a perfect time to review the financial impact that results each year from the fierce flu virus. This latest infographic, “Flu Vaccinations at Work,” covers the reasons why companies should invest in flu shots for their employees. Detailing the financial costs to companies and the low immunization rates, especially among younger age groups, the graphic calls for more action in flu prevention at the workplace.

Have you ever thought about how important a strong foundation is for your worksite wellness program?

It's like building a house without a solid base — you can put up walls and a roof, but without that foundation, it won't stand strong for long.

Creating a strong foundation is really vital for a successful worksite wellness program. Just like a house needs a solid base, your wellness program also needs some key essentials to thrive. Let’s explore how you can create a strong foundation for a wellness program that really lasts.