GiftCard Partners Blog

As the recession eases, and companies begin hiring again, there is optimism amongst organizations bringing in fresh faces and growing again. However, as we see employment numbers improve we see employee engagement steadily decreasing.

Incentives and rewards platforms are often evaluated on one simple promise: make it easy. Easy to launch. Easy to distribute. Easy to manage. But in practice, “easy” at the start can quietly introduce complexity later, especially when programs grow, budgets increase, or leadership scrutiny intensifies.

Smoking cessation incentives are structured rewards—often financial or tangible—designed to encourage individuals to quit smoking by reinforcing key behaviors such as program participation, medication adherence, and sustained abstinence.

One of the most important challenges that employers share is undoubtedly reducing health care costs, while maintaining the perception of high healthcare value being offered to employees. But, employer and employee perspectives can be greatly skewed.

The use of incentives, such as gift cards and small bonuses, are becoming increasingly popular among employers to incentivize employees to participate in health and wellness programs. The HR Consultancy's 2012 Health Care Survey of nearly 2,000 U.S. employers, representing over 20 million U.S. employees and their dependents, provides insight on how employers are using incentives to promote healthy behavior in their workplaces. Healthier employees lead to happier employees who are more productive and dedicated to their organization. Healthy employees also lower the cost of insurance for employers, making the ROI for health and wellness incentives apparent. Here are some of the insights the new HR Consultancy revealed: •58% offered some form of incentive for completing lifestyle modification programs, such as quitting smoking or losing weight. • About a quarter offer incentives for progress or attainment made toward meeting acceptable ranges for biometric measures such as blood pressure, body mass index, blood sugar and cholesterol. • More than 80% of employers provide an incentive to complete a health questionnaire, yet less than 10% provide an incentive to address the results of the questionnaire. • More than 60% of employers provide an incentive to complete biometric screening, but less than 10% provide an incentive to take any action.  
For more information on health and wellness incentives check out this article in Home Channel News.