{"id":1907,"date":"2020-01-02T10:55:41","date_gmt":"2020-01-02T17:55:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/?p=1907"},"modified":"2026-03-09T17:59:22","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T23:59:22","slug":"wellness-incentive-management","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/2020\/01\/02\/wellness-incentive-management\/","title":{"rendered":"How Effective Wellness Programs do Wellness Incentive Management"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_81 ez-toc-wrap-left counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-light-blue ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title ez-toc-toggle\" style=\"cursor:pointer\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 eztoc-toggle-hide-by-default' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/2020\/01\/02\/wellness-incentive-management\/#What_are_wellness_incentives\" >What are wellness incentives?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/2020\/01\/02\/wellness-incentive-management\/#What_should_a_wellness_program_include_in_addition_to_incentives\" >What should a wellness program include, in addition to incentives?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/2020\/01\/02\/wellness-incentive-management\/#1_They_pick_the_right_wellness_incentives\" >1) They pick the right wellness incentives<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/2020\/01\/02\/wellness-incentive-management\/#Even_Better_Options\" >Even Better Options<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/2020\/01\/02\/wellness-incentive-management\/#How_to_Pick_Incentives\" >How to Pick Incentives<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/2020\/01\/02\/wellness-incentive-management\/#2_The_wellness_committee_decides_which_behaviors_activities_or_health_status_to_incentivize\" >2) The wellness committee decides which behaviors, activities, or health status to incentivize<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/2020\/01\/02\/wellness-incentive-management\/#100_Points_Needed_To_Earn_The_Incentive\" >100 Points Needed To Earn The Incentive<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/2020\/01\/02\/wellness-incentive-management\/#3_The_wellness_committee_assigns_values_to_each_item\" >3) The wellness committee assigns values to each item<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/2020\/01\/02\/wellness-incentive-management\/#4_The_wellness_committee_determines_which_items_can_and_cannot_be_verified\" >4) The wellness committee determines which items can and cannot be verified<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/2020\/01\/02\/wellness-incentive-management\/#The_Catch\" >The Catch<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/2020\/01\/02\/wellness-incentive-management\/#5_Effective_wellness_programs_make_it_easy_for_employees_to_verify_and_remind_them_to_do_so\" >5) Effective wellness programs make it easy for employees to verify and remind them to do so<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/2020\/01\/02\/wellness-incentive-management\/#6_They_make_it_easy_for_employees_to_view_and_update_points\" >6) They make it easy for employees to view and update points<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/2020\/01\/02\/wellness-incentive-management\/#Making_It_Easy\" >Making It Easy<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/2020\/01\/02\/wellness-incentive-management\/#7_They_automatically_determine_who_has_earned_the_different_incentives\" >7) They automatically determine who has earned the different incentives<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/2020\/01\/02\/wellness-incentive-management\/#8_They_purchase_and_distribute_incentives\" >8) They purchase and distribute incentives<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-16\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/2020\/01\/02\/wellness-incentive-management\/#9_They_handle_appeals_problems_and_unanticipated_issues\" >9) &nbsp;They handle appeals, problems, and unanticipated issues<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-17\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/2020\/01\/02\/wellness-incentive-management\/#10_They_produce_year-end_accounting_and_participation_reports\" >10) They produce year-end accounting and participation reports<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-18\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/2020\/01\/02\/wellness-incentive-management\/#How_does_technology_simplify_wellness_incentive_management_for_employers\" >How does technology simplify wellness incentive management for employers?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-5' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-5'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-5' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-5'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-5' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-5'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-19\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/2020\/01\/02\/wellness-incentive-management\/#Make_incentives_easy_with_the_WellSteps_Incentive_Management_platform_Schedule_a_FREE_demo_today\" >Make incentives easy with the&nbsp;WellSteps Incentive Management platform, Schedule a FREE demo today.<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-20\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/2020\/01\/02\/wellness-incentive-management\/#What_are_some_additional_wellness_incentive_ideas\" >What are some additional wellness incentive ideas?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote executive-summary is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\" style=\"border-width:1px;padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--50);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--50);font-size:17px\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p style=\"font-size:20px\"><strong>Executive Summary<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group executive-summary\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p style=\"font-size:18px\"><strong>What is wellness incentive management?<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"executive-summary\" style=\"font-size:16px\">Wellness incentive management is the process of designing, tracking, and administering rewards that encourage employees to participate in wellness programs and improve health behaviors. When managed well, incentives increase participation, support measurable behavior change, and ensure programs stay compliant and fair. Effective incentive management also reduces administrative burden while giving leaders clear visibility into engagement and outcomes. This makes wellness programs more consistent, credible, and results-driven.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-are-wellness-incentives\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_are_wellness_incentives\"><\/span>What are wellness incentives?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Every effective wellness program should be using incentives. They are an important part in helping employees stay motivated to make long-term behavior change. But sometimes wellness incentive programs become THE wellness program. The wellness program management, or the tracking, awarding, and processing of the incentives, consumes the wellness budget and personnel time.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"680\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/carrot-and-stick-1024x680.jpg\" alt=\"effective wellness programs, wellness incentive programs examples, wellness incentive ideas, wellness incentive ideas for employees, health insurance incentive programs, wellness incentive meaning\" class=\"wp-image-1918\" style=\"width:600px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/carrot-and-stick-1024x680.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/carrot-and-stick-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/carrot-and-stick-768x510.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>When we use the term &#8220;wellness incentives&#8221; in this article, we are referring to any kind of prize offered by a company to their employees as a reward for adopting healthy behaviors. Examples include: cash, gift cards, premium discounts, days off, wellness swag, etc. In an effective wellness program, these incentives are simply a tool. Albeit an important tool used to encourage people to make healthy decisions; the ultimate goal should be for employees to feel the benefits of their healthy behaviors and no longer need the incentive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here&#8217;s what an employee had to say at the end of the company&#8217;s first year of their program:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><em>&#8220;I started out for the reward incentive, but, must admit, I learned a lot. I shared a lot of the information with my family; the [educational materials] were great!&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>This is a great example of a company that used incentives as a tool to nudge employees toward small changes in behavior. However, for employees to reach the point of realizing that the benefits of their healthy behaviors far outweigh the incentives, the wellness program must be structured correctly. This takes more than just the incentives themselves!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-should-a-wellness-program-include-in-addition-to-incentives\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_should_a_wellness_program_include_in_addition_to_incentives\"><\/span><strong>What should a wellness program include, in addition to incentives?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Too many wellness programs are not really wellness programs at all. They are employee wellness incentive programs. &nbsp;This narrow focus on incentives means that much of the meat and potatoes of effective wellness programs has been completely abandoned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The challenge is how to administer and manage an effective wellness program that does not consume too much time and resources. The nation\u2019s best wellness programs are able to find a balance between the requirements needed to deliver an incentive program and the need to help employees improve their health. Here are 10 ways they do wellness incentive management:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-1-they-pick-the-right-wellness-incentives\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_They_pick_the_right_wellness_incentives\"><\/span><strong>1) They pick the right wellness incentives<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The goal of the wellness program is to help employees adopt and maintain healthy behaviors. It is best when employees are internally motivated to be healthy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, sometimes employees get stuck in unhealthy habits and they need help adopting and maintaining healthy behaviors. The<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/2016\/08\/01\/wellness-program-incentives\/\" rel=\"sponsored nofollow\"> <\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/2016\/08\/01\/wellness-program-incentives\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">best way to do this<\/a> is to provide small incentives such as gift cards. Provide incentives to randomly selected employees who successfully complete different aspects of a wellness program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Employees can qualify for a drawing if they complete program elements. For example, a personal health assessment, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/2016\/07\/11\/how-to-do-biometric-screening\/\">biometric screening<\/a>, a behavior change campaign, or a challenge. Every employee does not get an incentive for completing the target behavior because that leads to entitlement.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"508\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Wellness-Incentives-1024x508.jpg\" alt=\"employee incentive ideas, wellness incentive programs examples, wellness incentive ideas, wellness incentive ideas for employees, health insurance incentive programs, wellness incentive meaning\" class=\"wp-image-818\" style=\"width:430px;height:213px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Wellness-Incentives-1024x508.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Wellness-Incentives-300x149.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Wellness-Incentives-768x381.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Wellness-Incentives.jpg 1234w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Instead, they earn the chance to win\u2014sort of like the lottery, only not as big. Just having a chance to win is fun and is sufficient to motivate most employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, if 350 out of 500 employees at a given company complete a behavior change campaign, all 350 employees are entered to win a small number of gift cards, prizes, or event tickets. These small gifts given immediately upon program completion make the program more fun, create the opportunity for vicarious reinforcement, and provide substantial motivation at very little cost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-even-better-options\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Even_Better_Options\"><\/span>Even Better Options<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Employers get even greater adoption of employee health behavior with a benefits-based incentive plan. Benefits-based wellness incentive programs typically offer employees a discount on their insurance premium. They may also offer paid time off, a contribution to an HSA or HRA, or a lower co-pay or deductible. This is a great wellness incentive management strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Benefits-based incentives are considerably more expensive than randomly selecting winners of small gifts, but they also have more impact on employee engagement. Benefits-based incentives are made available to all employees who do the work to earn the reward. Many WellSteps clients offer a $50\/month health insurance premium discount. This adds up to $600 per year per qualifying employee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The dollar amount of the benefit-based incentives should be large enough to motivate employees, but not so much that it creates an <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Entitlement\">entitlement mentality<\/a> among program participants. Benefits-based incentive requirements should be substantial because the financial incentive should also be meaningful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We have noted over the past 14 years that a premium differential incentive in the range of $30-$40 per month is optimal for achieving best outcomes. When combined with simple, short-term prizes, benefits-based incentives will provide employees with enough motivation to get the wellness ball rolling until they begin to feel the internal benefits of a healthy lifestyle.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"678\" height=\"381\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/commitee-meeting-wellness-incentives.jpeg\" alt=\"discuss wellness incentive management, wellness incentive programs examples, wellness incentive ideas, wellness incentive ideas for employees, health insurance incentive programs, wellness incentive meaning\" class=\"wp-image-1949\" style=\"width:469px;height:263px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/commitee-meeting-wellness-incentives.jpeg 678w, https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/commitee-meeting-wellness-incentives-300x169.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 678px) 100vw, 678px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-to-pick-incentives\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_Pick_Incentives\"><\/span>How to Pick Incentives<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the best ways to make sure you\u2019re picking the right incentives is to ask your wellness committee for input. If your wellness committee is composed of a good cross section of employees they will provide valuable input on what a meaningful health incentive program would be for your employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Here are some time-tested employee incentive resources and ideas:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Use incentives, but don\u2019t make a big deal of them. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/2016\/08\/01\/wellness-program-incentives\/\">Make a big deal out of the benefits.<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Make sure your employees know what all the benefits are. Give them a \u201cWhat\u2019s in it for me?\u201d list.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Never use punishments.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Use both immediate incentives and larger benefits-based rewards<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Keep the law. Use the<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/wellness-compliance-checker\"> WellSteps&nbsp;Compliance Checker<\/a> to make sure your incentive ideas are compliant with the law.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-2-the-wellness-committee-decides-which-behaviors-activities-or-health-status-to-incentivize\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_The_wellness_committee_decides_which_behaviors_activities_or_health_status_to_incentivize\"><\/span><strong>2) The wellness committee decides which behaviors, activities, or health status to incentivize<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>For better wellness incentive management, sit down with your wellness committee and come up with a list of behaviors, activities, or health risk levels that you\u2019d like to see your employees accomplish. If this is the first year you are doing this you want to start small. Make it easy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>During the next few years you can change the different items you want to incentivize. Start small so that everybody has a chance to earn an incentive and, with time, help them make bigger improvements in their health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You may have heard of incentive programs that are outcomes-based. &nbsp;The phrase &#8220;outcomes-based wellness program&#8221; may be confusing. When people use the phrase &#8220;outcomes-based wellness program,&#8221; what they mean is that the wellness incentive program is based on employees attaining a specific health outcome, such as not smoking or attaining certain results on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/2016\/07\/11\/how-to-do-biometric-screening\/\">biometric screenings.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Outcomes-based incentive programs are also known as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/2016\/03\/14\/health-contingent-wellness-program\/\">health contingent wellness programs.<\/a> There are many ways to set up an outcomes-based incentive program. Done correctly, they will help employees improve their health. However, when they are done incorrectly, they can do great harm to employee morale and trust.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"811\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/screening-II-1024x811.jpg\" alt=\"outcomes based wellness incentive programs, wellness incentive programs examples, wellness incentive ideas, wellness incentive ideas for employees, health insurance incentive programs, wellness incentive meaning\" class=\"wp-image-708\" style=\"width:436px;height:344px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/screening-II-1024x811.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/screening-II-300x237.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/screening-II-768x608.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/screening-II.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Here is a simple incentive program for employees that could be used by any worksite. It is outcomes-based because it gives points for achieving a certain health status. The best part about this sample strategy is that it includes health risk status, health behaviors and wellness program participation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-100-points-needed-to-earn-the-incentive\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"100_Points_Needed_To_Earn_The_Incentive\"><\/span>100 Points Needed To Earn The Incentive<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><thead><tr><td><br>Have no elevated health risks (BP, CHOL, GLU, BMI, tobacco use)<br>Participate in behavior change campaign #1<br>Participate in behavior change campaign #2<br>Complete preventive cancer screening<br>Attend behavior change webinar\/presentation #1<br>Attend behavior change webinar\/presentation #2<br>Exercise 4 times a month for 6 months<br>Meet with physician to discuss elevated health risk<br>Track your activity with a wearable device<br>Complete a smoking cessation program<br>Complete an approved alternate activity<\/td><td><strong>Points<\/strong><br>70<br>20<br>20<br>20<br>20<br>20<br>20<br>20<br>20<br>50<br>20<\/td><\/tr><\/thead><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/2016\/08\/17\/wellness-program-incentive-ideas\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Here is a complete list of the incentive plans for many of the nation&#8217;s most effective wellness programs.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-3-the-wellness-committee-assigns-values-to-each-item\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_The_wellness_committee_assigns_values_to_each_item\"><\/span><strong>3) The wellness committee assigns values to each item<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Wellness incentive management should always adhere to the rule, \u201csimpler is always better.\u201d &nbsp;It is tempting to create elaborate point systems that can be used to track progress towards the incentives. Resist this urge and keep it simple.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Make a list of all of the different things you want your employees to do to earn an incentive. Rank this list from the most important to the least important. Then, using a point basis of 100 or 1000 points, assign the number of points you want to award for each activity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Give the most points to the things that are most important and the least points to the ones that are least important. Just make sure that you give your employees lots of opportunities to qualify for the incentive, depending upon which activities they complete.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can further divide your point system into different levels such as bronze, silver, and gold, with each one requiring a certain level of points. It doesn\u2019t matter whether you use hundred points or thousand points. What\u2019s important is the weight you assign to different activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s also nice if you can create enough flexibility in your system to allow employees to get the maximum incentive with multiple combinations of activities. Greater flexibility gives employees greater choice and that makes them happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-4-the-wellness-committee-determines-which-items-can-and-cannot-be-verified\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4_The_wellness_committee_determines_which_items_can_and_cannot_be_verified\"><\/span><strong>4) The wellness committee determines which items can and cannot be verified<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Another piece of wellness incentive management is considering verification for activities. With your list of activities ranked from most important to least important, you can now identify those that can be verified. Obviously if you\u2019re going to provide a lot of money or large incentive for a certain activity, it\u2019s preferable that the activity be verifiable. <\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"686\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/smoking-in-secret-1024x686.jpg\" alt=\"verifiable wellness activities\" class=\"wp-image-1921\" style=\"width:406px;height:271px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/smoking-in-secret-1024x686.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/smoking-in-secret-300x201.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/smoking-in-secret-768x515.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/smoking-in-secret.jpg 1180w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>But you should tread carefully when deciding which activities need to be verified. Here&#8217;s an example of why: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>WellSteps was asked if we would help a large hospital system with their incentive program. They wanted to provide a meaningful incentive for those employees who were not tobacco users. Tobacco use can be verified, but that does not mean it should be. This hospital system wanted to verify every employee who claimed to be a non-smoker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Their plan was to swab the inside of each employee&#8217;s mouth to get a sample of saliva. From the saliva, it is easy to determine who is and who is not a tobacco user. This is a very accurate way to determine who is using tobacco. It is also a very accurate way to determine who is lying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-catch\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Catch\"><\/span>The Catch<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Unfortunately, you would have to test just about everyone to find a very small number of employees who were lying about their tobacco use. If the goal was to completely destroy employee morale and make it clear to employees that there is a lack of trust, then by all means, continue with the testing. But if the goal is to create a work environment of mutual trust and respect, then verifying wellness points by testing saliva is probably not a good idea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Obviously, things such as blood work, preventative screenings, flu shots, completion of behavior change tasks, completion of wellness challenges and campaigns will need to be verified. If you have a good wellness incentive management <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/2016\/11\/01\/wellness-platforms-and-wellness-portals\/\">platform<\/a> all of these can be verified automatically with little to no work from you or your employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A good wellness incentive management platform will intuitively know who has completed which aspects of the program. Activities that are done offline such as a lunch and learn or a 5K race can also be verified, but may take some extra work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The best incentive systems use a mixture of verifiable and non-verifiable activities. It\u2019s easy to determine who has completed a health risk appraisal but it\u2019s not so easy to verify self-reported health behaviors. And there\u2019s nothing wrong with this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Use your wellness incentive management platform to verify the important things and let employees self-report the rest. Provide more points for those that are validated and fewer points for those that are not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-5-effective-wellness-programs-make-it-easy-for-employees-to-verify-and-remind-them-to-do-so\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"5_Effective_wellness_programs_make_it_easy_for_employees_to_verify_and_remind_them_to_do_so\"><\/span><strong>5) Effective wellness programs make it easy for employees to verify and remind them to do so<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Effective communication will make your wellness incentive program a lot easier for everyone. The best wellness programs use a variety of communication methods to remind employees to report their progress, provide verification, and adhere to program deadlines. A good incentive management system will do this automatically.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"279\" height=\"522\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/app.png\" alt=\"WellSteps app, wellness app\" class=\"wp-image-103798\" style=\"width:215px;height:402px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/app.png 279w, https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/app-160x300.png 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 279px) 100vw, 279px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>As has been noted in the previous section, employers sometimes require their employees to provide verification that an activity has been completed. But, today almost every single employee now has a smart phone. To make the verification process simple, the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/wellsteps-apps\">WellSteps app<\/a>&nbsp;allows employees to take a picture of the verification form. The app will then have it automatically uploaded to their account. Once it has been uploaded the account manager can view the proof and award the necessary points.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"516\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/screening-verification-1024x516.png\" alt=\"WellSteps app, wellness apps\" class=\"wp-image-657\" style=\"width:356px;height:179px\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-6-they-make-it-easy-for-employees-to-view-and-update-points\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"6_They_make_it_easy_for_employees_to_view_and_update_points\"><\/span><strong>6) They make it easy for employees to view and update points<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If it is&nbsp;not very easy for employees to report, view, and update their points, they won\u2019t do it. &nbsp;Despite the good intentions of your wellness incentive program, if it\u2019s a hassle to participate and get incentive points, employees won\u2019t engage and your program will have no effect on employee health and productivity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here is an actual example of an incentive reporting spreadsheet that one employer was using. It looks very complicated and most employees won\u2019t report their points, just because they can\u2019t stand the spreadsheet. It reminds them of doing their taxes.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"652\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/complicated-incentives-1024x652.png\" alt=\"employee incentive tracker\" class=\"wp-image-810\" style=\"width:369px;height:236px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/complicated-incentives-1024x652.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/complicated-incentives-300x191.png 300w, https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/complicated-incentives-768x489.png 768w, https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/complicated-incentives.png 1688w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Instead of a complicated Excel spreadsheet it\u2019s much more enjoyable to use a web-based design:<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"780\" height=\"676\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/program-center.png\" alt=\"WellSteps online platform, WellSteps rewards\" class=\"wp-image-103799\" style=\"width:556px;height:482px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/program-center.png 780w, https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/program-center-300x260.png 300w, https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/program-center-768x666.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-making-it-easy\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Making_It_Easy\"><\/span>Making It Easy<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Employees are constantly checking the status of their points just like they are constantly checking the number of steps reported on their wearable device. If you have a benefits-based incentive, employees will be constantly checking to make sure they have done everything they need to earn the incentive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In other words, a good wellness incentive management platform will keep employees constantly informed of their point status and incentive progress. Without such a platform, every employee will continually be asking wellness coordinators if their paperwork has been received, if things have been verified, if they have the necessary points, if they qualify, etc..<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In conclusion, without the type of communication provided by a simple web-based wellness incentive program, the hassle factor for the wellness coordinator can be tremendous. Below is an example of a wellness incentive management system that updates employee\u2019s data in real time. It is an incentive dashboard that they can check 24 \/7, using any web-enabled device:<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"780\" height=\"336\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/dashboard.png\" alt=\"WellSteps dashboard\" class=\"wp-image-103800\" style=\"width:516px;height:222px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/dashboard.png 780w, https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/dashboard-300x129.png 300w, https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/dashboard-768x331.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-7-they-automatically-determine-who-has-earned-the-different-incentives\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"7_They_automatically_determine_who_has_earned_the_different_incentives\"><\/span><strong>7) They automatically determine who has earned the different incentives<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Every time your employees complete a wellness challenge or campaign, a wellness coordinator will have to create a database of everybody who has completed it and randomly select some winners of the incentive. Then, at the end of the year, the same process will have to be used to determine who has earned the benefits-based incentive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In today\u2019s fast-paced world employees are, in truth, not as patient as they used to be. And, they\u2019re usually not too thrilled to find out that they have to wait several weeks or months to determine if they have earned enough points to qualify for the wellness incentive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Effective wellness programs use incentive management systems that allow everybody to get a status update in real time. Determining who has earned different incentives is done automatically and a full report and database is generated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-8-they-purchase-and-distribute-incentives\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"8_They_purchase_and_distribute_incentives\"><\/span><strong>8) They purchase and distribute incentives<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the most time and labor intensive aspects of a health and wellness incentive program is the purchasing and distribution of the incentives. Depending upon the incentives that are chosen, a wellness coordinator will have to purchase and distribute the correct incentives to the correct employees and make sure that the benefits department has the required data to determine who has earned the benefits-based incentive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Incentives can be distributed electronically or physically through the mail or interoffice mail. They could even be handed out in person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-9-nbsp-they-handle-appeals-problems-and-unanticipated-issues\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"9_They_handle_appeals_problems_and_unanticipated_issues\"><\/span><strong>9) &nbsp;They handle appeals, problems, and unanticipated issues<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite careful planning and the use of technology there will be some hiccups in the management of every wellness incentive program. There may be some unhappy employees who wish to appeal the reward decision. There will need to be a process in place to adjudicate these cases and do so in a fair and impartial manner that supports the overall goals and objectives of the wellness program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sometimes the incentives that were purchased and mailed are not received. Sometimes lost incentives have to be tracked down or resent. When these issues arise, it\u2019s always helpful to have a robust, clean database of everything that has happened in your wellness incentive program.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"320\" height=\"240\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/workplace-wellness-incentives.jpg\" alt=\"use technology to distribute incentives\" class=\"wp-image-1924\" style=\"width:374px;height:280px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/workplace-wellness-incentives.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/workplace-wellness-incentives-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 320px) 100vw, 320px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-10-they-produce-year-end-accounting-and-participation-reports\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"10_They_produce_year-end_accounting_and_participation_reports\"><\/span><strong>10) They produce year-end accounting and participation reports<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Most organizations want a summary of what happened with the incentive plan. This could include results from specific wellness programs and year-end results. In fact, there are many organizations that spend weeks producing these summary reports. It\u2019s a shame that wellness coordinators and wellness professionals are sometimes spending an inordinate amount of time as wellness accountants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Rather than coach the unhealthy or develop behavior change programs or lead exercise classes, they are pouring over reams of paper and spreadsheets to manually calculate and determine point awards and incentive tallies. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then they spend more time creating charts and graphs that summarize the results of the program. But, the best wellness companies don\u2019t do it this way. They use a wellness incentive management platform to show that they have an effective wellness program.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"610\" height=\"787\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/wellness-incentive-reports.png\" alt=\"WellSteps year-end report\" class=\"wp-image-1925\" style=\"width:411px;height:530px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/wellness-incentive-reports.png 610w, https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/wellness-incentive-reports-233x300.png 233w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 610px) 100vw, 610px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-does-technology-simplify-wellness-incentive-management-for-employers\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_does_technology_simplify_wellness_incentive_management_for_employers\"><\/span><strong>How does technology simplify wellness incentive management for employers?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>To summarize, technology has changed the way we track and administer incentives. Effective wellness programs use this new technology. For as little as 50 cents per month, employers can administer a employee wellness incentive program with ease. With a wellness incentive management system, wellness coordinators are free to do what they do best\u2014improve the lives of those they serve.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter is-resized\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/demosignup\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"484\" height=\"453\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/wellness-platform-tracks-incentives.png\" alt=\"WellSteps app\" class=\"wp-image-1938\" style=\"width:400px;height:374px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/wellness-platform-tracks-incentives.png 484w, https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/wellness-platform-tracks-incentives-300x281.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 484px) 100vw, 484px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-make-incentives-easy-with-the-nbsp-wellsteps-incentive-management-platform-schedule-a-free-demo-today\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Make_incentives_easy_with_the_WellSteps_Incentive_Management_platform_Schedule_a_FREE_demo_today\"><\/span><strong>Make incentives easy with the&nbsp;WellSteps Incentive Management platform<\/strong>, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/demosignup\">Schedule a FREE demo<\/a><\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/demosignup\"> today<\/a>.<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h5>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-are-some-additional-wellness-incentive-ideas\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_are_some_additional_wellness_incentive_ideas\"><\/span>What are some additional wellness incentive ideas?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Examples include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Paid time off<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Casual Friday<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Healthy snacks in the breakroom<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Onsite exercise classes<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Gym\/fitness class membership<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Goodie bag from a healthy grocery store or restaurant<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Fitness attire<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Fitness equipment<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Company swag<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Paid entrance fees to athletic events (i.e. 5k, triathlon, etc.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-\"><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"schema-faq wp-block-yoast-faq-block\"><div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1773100672066\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\">What is wellness incentive management, and why is it so important for HR teams?<\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">When HR teams ask what wellness incentive management really means, I explain that it\u2019s the process of creating, tracking, and rewarding healthy behaviors. Good incentive management keeps employees motivated while giving HR a structure that\u2019s easy to administer<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1773100676147\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\">How can companies create a fair and effective wellness incentive management system?<\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">Fairness comes from clarity and consistency. A strong wellness incentive management system sets clear rules, rewards meaningful effort, and offers alternatives for employees who may need them. Digital tools make this much easier to scale.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1773100676829\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\">What types of incentives work best in wellness incentive management?<\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">Employees respond best to simple, meaningful rewards\u2014like gift cards, PTO hours, raffles, or small recognition bonuses. The key to effective wellness incentive management is tying rewards directly to healthy habits, not just participation.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1773100678151\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\">How do digital tools improve wellness incentive management?<\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">Automation frees HR from endless spreadsheets. Tools like WellSteps Rewards streamline wellness incentive management by tracking progress, awarding points, and integrating with challenges.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1773100679031\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\">Why does wellness incentive management boost engagement long-term?<\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">Employees stay engaged when their efforts matter. Good wellness incentive management sustains participation by creating a positive feedback loop\u2014completed behaviors lead to progress, which leads to rewards.<\/p> <\/div> <\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What are wellness incentives? Every effective wellness program should be using incentives. They are an important part in helping employees stay motivated to make long-term behavior change. But sometimes wellness incentive programs become THE wellness program. The wellness program management, or the tracking, awarding, and processing of the incentives, consumes the wellness budget and personnel&hellip;&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/2020\/01\/02\/wellness-incentive-management\/\" rel=\"bookmark\">Read More &raquo;<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">How Effective Wellness Programs do Wellness Incentive Management<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":107828,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"neve_meta_sidebar":"","neve_meta_container":"","neve_meta_enable_content_width":"","neve_meta_content_width":0,"neve_meta_title_alignment":"","neve_meta_author_avatar":"","neve_post_elements_order":"","neve_meta_disable_header":"","neve_meta_disable_footer":"","neve_meta_disable_title":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4,254,9,522],"tags":[649,650,583,648,651,76],"class_list":["post-1907","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-behavior-change","category-corporate-wellness-ideas","category-incentives","category-wellness-programs","tag-company-incentives","tag-corporate-wellness-incentives","tag-effective-wellness-programs","tag-employee-incentives","tag-incentive-management","tag-wellness-incentives"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.1 (Yoast SEO v27.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How to successfully do Wellness Incentive Management<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Incentives are an important part of great wellness programs. 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Wellness incentive management is the process of designing, tracking, and administering rewards\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/2020\/01\/02\/wellness-incentive-management\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/WellSteps\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-01-02T17:55:41+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-03-09T23:59:22+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Benefits-of-employee-engagement-discussion-scaled.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1707\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Dr. Steve Aldana\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@wellsteps\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@wellsteps\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Dr. Steve Aldana\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"16 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.wellsteps.com\\\/blog\\\/2020\\\/01\\\/02\\\/wellness-incentive-management\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.wellsteps.com\\\/blog\\\/2020\\\/01\\\/02\\\/wellness-incentive-management\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Dr. Steve Aldana\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.wellsteps.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/5a665881fbbbd2658e8b0fab9a2f701e\"},\"headline\":\"How Effective Wellness Programs do Wellness Incentive Management\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-01-02T17:55:41+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-03-09T23:59:22+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.wellsteps.com\\\/blog\\\/2020\\\/01\\\/02\\\/wellness-incentive-management\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":3302,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.wellsteps.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.wellsteps.com\\\/blog\\\/2020\\\/01\\\/02\\\/wellness-incentive-management\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.wellsteps.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/05\\\/Benefits-of-employee-engagement-discussion-scaled.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"company incentives\",\"corporate wellness incentives\",\"effective wellness programs\",\"employee incentives\",\"incentive management\",\"wellness incentives\"],\"articleSection\":[\"behavior change\",\"corporate wellness ideas\",\"incentives\",\"Wellness programs\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.wellsteps.com\\\/blog\\\/2020\\\/01\\\/02\\\/wellness-incentive-management\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":[\"WebPage\",\"FAQPage\"],\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.wellsteps.com\\\/blog\\\/2020\\\/01\\\/02\\\/wellness-incentive-management\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.wellsteps.com\\\/blog\\\/2020\\\/01\\\/02\\\/wellness-incentive-management\\\/\",\"name\":\"How to successfully do Wellness Incentive Management\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.wellsteps.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.wellsteps.com\\\/blog\\\/2020\\\/01\\\/02\\\/wellness-incentive-management\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.wellsteps.com\\\/blog\\\/2020\\\/01\\\/02\\\/wellness-incentive-management\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.wellsteps.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/05\\\/Benefits-of-employee-engagement-discussion-scaled.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-01-02T17:55:41+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-03-09T23:59:22+00:00\",\"description\":\"Incentives are an important part of great wellness programs. 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Good incentive management keeps employees motivated while giving HR a structure that\u2019s easy to administer","inLanguage":"en-US"},"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/2020\/01\/02\/wellness-incentive-management\/#faq-question-1773100676147","position":2,"url":"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/2020\/01\/02\/wellness-incentive-management\/#faq-question-1773100676147","name":"How can companies create a fair and effective wellness incentive management system?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Fairness comes from clarity and consistency. A strong wellness incentive management system sets clear rules, rewards meaningful effort, and offers alternatives for employees who may need them. Digital tools make this much easier to scale.","inLanguage":"en-US"},"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/2020\/01\/02\/wellness-incentive-management\/#faq-question-1773100676829","position":3,"url":"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/2020\/01\/02\/wellness-incentive-management\/#faq-question-1773100676829","name":"What types of incentives work best in wellness incentive management?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Employees respond best to simple, meaningful rewards\u2014like gift cards, PTO hours, raffles, or small recognition bonuses. The key to effective wellness incentive management is tying rewards directly to healthy habits, not just participation.","inLanguage":"en-US"},"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/2020\/01\/02\/wellness-incentive-management\/#faq-question-1773100678151","position":4,"url":"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/2020\/01\/02\/wellness-incentive-management\/#faq-question-1773100678151","name":"How do digital tools improve wellness incentive management?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Automation frees HR from endless spreadsheets. Tools like WellSteps Rewards streamline wellness incentive management by tracking progress, awarding points, and integrating with challenges.","inLanguage":"en-US"},"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/2020\/01\/02\/wellness-incentive-management\/#faq-question-1773100679031","position":5,"url":"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/2020\/01\/02\/wellness-incentive-management\/#faq-question-1773100679031","name":"Why does wellness incentive management boost engagement long-term?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Employees stay engaged when their efforts matter. Good wellness incentive management sustains participation by creating a positive feedback loop\u2014completed behaviors lead to progress, which leads to rewards.","inLanguage":"en-US"},"inLanguage":"en-US"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1907","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1907"}],"version-history":[{"count":27,"href":"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1907\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":111338,"href":"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1907\/revisions\/111338"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/107828"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1907"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1907"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1907"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}