Employee benefits programs have moved beyond standard health and dental insurance coverage to encompass a range of wellness programs designed to engage, motivate and reward employees toward improving holistic health.

In fact, wellness programs are popular and growing: More than nine in 10 organizations surveyed by the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans offer at least one kind of wellness benefit. There is growing evidence that wellness at work is having a noticeable, positive effect on health care costs, not to mention productivity and retention.

Employers are also realizing that they can increase employee participation levels in wellness programs by offering rewards, incentives and other forms of recognition. For organizations with formal recognition programs, wellness incentives can further enrich the program. For organizations without them, wellness rewards can still help reduce health care costs, boost productivity and lower absenteeism by encouraging employees to engage in activities beneficial to their overall mental and physical health.

In a RAND employer survey, results indicated that nationally, of the employers offering workplace wellness programs, over two-thirds (69%) used financial incentives as a strategy to increase participation. Incentives for health risk assessment completion and lifestyle management programs were most common — offered by about 30% of employers with a wellness program.

Read the full article about rewards for wellness initiatives by Cord Himelstein at SmartBrief.