Have you thought about offering incentives for your employees to stay healthy?
Many organizations have since the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
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Some companies are even offering employees an Apple Watch for only $25, with a catch, of course. Employees must meet monthly fitness goals over two years, or they must pay the full price of the watch.
Other companies are offering cash, gift cards, and Fitbits to encourage their workers to get in shape.
The ACA allows companies to pay employees wellness incentives that amount to 30% of the cost of health coverage.
Companies can also discount health coverage by 50% for smoking-cessation programs.
Last year, Target offered free or discounted Fitbits to its 335,000 U.S. employees to encourage them to exercise more.
Last year, on average, companies spent $693 per employee on wellness incentives to encourage workers to participate in health risk assessments and screenings. This amount has increased by almost $100 per employee since 2014.
What’s the downside to these exercise incentives?
While the program may motivate workers to get healthy, some data privacy experts have voiced concerns. They have stated that these incentives and monitoring devices could lead to a greater risk of exposure of employees’ private health information.
Are you encouraging your employees to get in shape? Or are you worried about the privacy of worker health information?
Let us know by commenting below!
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