“Get Healthy... or Else” Directive Hurts Workplace Morale, Employee Motivation

MIDLAND, Mich. - May 10, 2014 - PRLog -- Companies across the US are getting smarter about the need for employee wellness initiatives. With obesity rates at record levels (www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html), plus the resulting health issues (diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain types of cancers), wellness programs are popping up all over. But are they effective? Are participants’ health behaviors changed for the long haul?

“Get Healthy… or Else” Is the Wrong Approach to Wellness, a new SlideShare by Health Enhancement Systems (http://www.hesonline.com) looks at how some organizations -- including the City of Dallas (www.dallasnews.com/news/local-news/20140418-city-of-dallas-working-to-cut-obesity-among-its-workers.ece) -- try to motivate employee health. While many are adopting insurance premium discounts, cash bonuses, and even financial penalties as carrots/sticks, this presentation challenges such an approach and suggests other ways to promote long-lasting healthy behavior changes.

“It’s certainly admirable that more organizations are implementing employee wellness programs,” notes Dean Witherspoon, President and founder of Health Enhancement Systems. “The good intentions are there, but the execution is amiss. Instead of focusing on extrinsic rewards like cash and discounts, employers can have more impact by celebrating intrinsic rewards like more energy, less illness, and overall better quality of life.”

When employees feel threatened -- either by higher premiums, fewer health plan options, or missing out on bonuses -- they may comply. But the “because we said so” approach can backfire -- causing stress, anger, resentment, and shame or feelings of defeat if they fail.

Instead, when autonomy in controlling how to feel their best, social support, and learning are encouraged, participants become more engaged and successful. Employees must take responsibility for their own health and well-being… but they need the information, skills, and support to do so -- not threats and manipulation.

“When wellness program coordinators take a genuine interest in employees and offer them resources, support and encouragement, employees begin to envision how their lives can be better,” explains Witherspoon. “There’s a shift from getting healthy for the sake of a dollar -- that will be spent to no lasting effect -- to getting healthy because they see how positive daily changes affect their overall quality of life.”

To view this SlideShare, visit http://www.slideshare.net/deanwitherspoon/get-healthy-or-....



“Get Healthy… or Else” Is the Wrong Approach to Wellness is part of a family of Health Enhancement Systems employee wellness resources supporting a suite of online and mobile workplace wellness campaigns (http://www.hesonline.com/products), including HealthTrails, Wellness Cup 2014, Get Fit on Route 66, 10K-A-Day, Great American Fitness Adventure, Slam Dunk Wellness, NutriSum, Ola Ala, Fast Track to Fitness, Colorful Choices, Feel Like a Million, Le Tour de Fitness, Walktober, Passport, and Spring Into Motion… with 2-3 new programs every year! Check them out at HealthEnhancementSystems.com.