When an employee is sick or injured, many times it has a direct affect on an employer's cost of health care, disability, worker's compensation, increased absenteeism, lower productivity, reduced safety and morale.The object of an employee incentive wellness program is to improve the health of a company's workers and to improve its productivity. This type of program helps ensure consistency with an employer's long-term strategy on health care management. It aids in forming the framework for effective wellness, health improvement and care management programs.

Wellness incentive programs need close coordination by a company's human resource department; otherwise these programs are less effective. If there is no coordination or follow-up, it is difficult to measure outcomes and performance. The best incentive programs work on a collaborative approach between the health management company and the employer. The goal is to find cost-effective solutions to meet budget needs and reinforce them by performance-based service guarantees. The bottom line is the employer wants to see reduced health care spending and show a return on the health management investment, as well as improvement in the health of employees.

Investing in a corporate workplace wellness program is a good way to improve overall employee morale as well as reduce employee turnover and overall health care costs. By initiating a workplace wellness program in your organization you create a positive, energetic and productive workplace that provides meaningful gains for your business.

Components of a wellness incentive program include preventive health screenings, health fairs, health risk assessments, wellness programs (weight reduction and exercise), Education, newsletters, employee wellness surveys, incentive strategies and employee communications.