Employee Wellness Programs Don T Work

Why wellness programs don t work in december the wellness industry got a holiday surprise when a court ruled in aarp v.

Employee wellness programs don t work.

Randomized controlled trials despite their flaws remain a powerful tool. With trust at the center of employer employee relationships wellness programs can transform from shiny lacquer into authentic elements of an. A unique study on workplace wellness programs suggests that the programs may not actually improve employee health contradicting past research and exposing the dangers of relying on so called observational studies to determine whether a treatment works aaron carroll writes for the new york times the upshot. Almost 5 000 employees volunteered to.

Workplace wellness programs efforts to get workers to lose weight eat better stress less and sleep more are an 8 billion industry in the u s. Why some studies show otherwise. Some media reported that the university of illinois study found that providing incentives to employees to participate in health screenings did not work. 62 and weight management efforts 69 vs.

Most large employers offer some type of wellness. Many companies offer wellness programs in a bid to improve the health of their employees and control the costs of providing medical insurance. That s why the efficacy of wellness programs and whether or not money can motivate participation have been targeted by hundreds of research studies with mixed results. Many workplace wellness programs struggle to prove effects on health outcomes and medical spending and have trouble driving enrollment and participation.

This is a misrepresentation of the research. When comparing employees with and without a wellness program at work over 18 months those who had a wellness program had significantly higher rates of self reported exercise 70 vs. Although more employers are turning to workplace wellness programs to improve workers health and save on healthcare costs a new study shows they aren t improving health metrics.