July 10, 2024
Business Group on Health’s 15th Annual Employer-Sponsored Health and Well-being Survey revealed that even in the midst of a challenging cost environment, well-being remains an integral component of employers’ workforce strategy. This finding was reaffirmed on July 10, when more than 70 members in employer-facing roles convened to discuss their top well-being initiatives, on-site programs, incentive strategies and communication methods that aim to drive positive health outcomes and increase engagement.
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1 | Top Well-being Initiatives
Employers are actively pursuing a plethora of initiatives and campaigns centered around improving employee health and well-being. Going into 2025, areas of focus include GLP-1s, financial well-being, neurodiversity support, menopause education/support, lifestyle spending accounts (LSAs), caregiver benefits, global solutions, employee assistance programs (EAPs), people leader support, mental health services and more. With utilization of GLP-1s far exceeding expectations, employers are eager to hear from others about approaches to mitigate this increasing spend. Some tactics considered by employers include putting in place custom prior authorization processes to ensure that those who are accessing GLP-1s through weight management programs are engaging appropriately. -
2 | On-site Health Offerings
Despite some post-pandemic uncertainty, on-site health programs and services continue to be a valued and central component of employers’ well-being strategies. Offering on-site fitness centers, clinics and activities (e.g., 5k race, biometric screening, health coaching, financial support, massage therapy, cooking classes) is an approach many employers are taking to encourage holistic health. When polled, nearly half of employers on the call responded that they do have at least one on-site health or well-being center. Employers noted positive employee engagement with on-site services, and one is even hosting a party this month to celebrate attaining 1,000 fitness center members. - In addition, on-site programming creates an opportunity to cross-promote to other offerings. For example, one employer said that they regularly meet with all their on-site health service staff, which has allowed for increased coordination between health coaches and fitness staff. As a result, the coaches are aware of what the fitness staff has planned and have become experts in the company’s medical plan, giving them the knowledge to refer employees to other relevant programs.
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3 | Well-being Incentive Strategy
Looking ahead, employers expressed continued interest in using well-being incentive strategies – especially LSAs because of their characteristically broad range of eligible items that can be covered to support well-being. One employer on the call promoted their LSAs by showcasing all the creative ways employees can use the funds (e.g., for gardening supplies). Another shared that they created a list of eligible and ineligible expenses, making sure the list of reimbursable expenses was expansive to illustrate the flexibility of the offering. -
4 | Communication Approaches
Collaborating with well-being champions across the organization is a main method of communication employers are using to gain top-down and bottom-up buy-in and promote new initiatives. The size of the well-being champion networks varied by employer, from a couple dozen to in the hundreds. Several employers on the call also have a well-being council in place to help govern and drive strategic well-being initiatives. - To encourage proactive engagement, some employers are incentivizing their champions through recognition. One employer has an awards initiative that recognizes individuals who go above and beyond. A well-being champion may be considered for an award by consistently attending events, posting on the bulletin boards and being proactive in supporting well-being campaigns (e.g., creating a video).
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Final Thoughts
As employers continue to thoughtfully design and implement their well-being programs, the path ahead offers opportunities to fine-tune existing approaches to meet ever-evolving workforce needs and preferences. In this way, employers have an opportunity to mitigate the effects of increasing cost challenges by successfully engaging employees in health activities and programs that drive long-term positive health outcomes.
Related Business Group on Health Resources
- 15th Annual Employer-Sponsored Health and Well-being Survey
- Designing Incentives and Lifestyle Spending Accounts For a Modern Workforce
- Innovation Showcase: The Health and Well-being Needs of a Neurodiverse Workforce
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