How to achieve employers' three wellness objectives

LONDON - March 10, 2014 - PRLog -- Employers know what they want from their wellness strategy, according to Working Well, A Global Survey of Health Promotion and Workplace Wellness Strategies Report, from Buck Consultants.  But, says the report, they don’t know how to get it, or how to measure their results.

That’s why employers across the UK are turning to the Stay Active Challenge to deliver exactly what they want in a way that’s measurable yet doesn’t require a degree in statistics.  The Stay Active Challenge not only makes employees healthier and happier: It delivers clear and concise metrics to help employers keep track of their achievements.

Competing in teams of five from across the company, participants are challenged to increase their daily activity levels as much as possible over the course of the Challenge. Any activity counts, big or small – doing the gardening, cycling to work, even going shopping. It’s simple: The team with the biggest increase in activity wins.

Participants wear the iAM, a revolutionary activity monitor developed by iGlobalWellness, which measures speed and intensity of movement, combined with calorie burn and metabolic data. The iAM automatically wirelessly uploads all this data to each participant’s private online profile, as well as turning it into easily digestible project metrics.

What do employers want from their wellness strategies?

So what is it exactly that employers want to get out of their wellness strategy, and how does the Stay Active Challenge deliver it? Well, the report outlined three targets that employers mentioned more than any others:

1.     Increasing employee morale and engagement (73%)

With success being based on a percentage increase in activity, the Challenge provides a completely level playing field for all participants irrespective of their starting activity levels. This enables colleagues to join together in their journey towards wellness and its no surprise that 63% of participants have said that going to work is more enjoyable since taking part in the Challenge.

2.     Improving staff productivity and reducing presenteeism (69%)

A study published last year in the U.S-based journal ‘Population Health Management’ showed that a lack of activity is linked with a 50 percent increased risk of low productivity. On average participants in the Stay Active Challenge increase their activity levels by 70%, drastically reducing the impact of poor health and low energy on productivity. In fact, 64% of previous participants have reported a significant increase in productivity as a result of the Challenge and 58% reported an improved ability to cope with stress.

3.     Reducing absenteeism (66%)

A comprehensive analysis of 42 published studies of worksite health promotion programs showed that companies that implemented an effective wellness program saw on average a 28% reduction in sick days. The Stay Active Challenge not only reduces absenteeism by improving employee health and engagement, it also sets up new lines of communication that facilitate vast improvements in company culture.

Why are employers failing to achieve their objectives?

Nine out of ten employers don’t measure the results of their wellness initiatives at all and 74% of employers Buck Consultants questioned said that this was due to a lack of funds. With the Stay Active Challenge employers get comprehensive data on employee performance at no extra cost, enabling them to analyse their company’s performance levels by gender, weight, and age group, isolating trends and potential strategies for improvement across the company. What’s more, employers don’t even have to do the analysis themselves. The good folks at iGlobalWellness will conduct bespoke company analysis of all data as part of the package.

Nowadays we all know that a company’s wellness strategy can have a profound impact on company performance but too often wellness initiatives are blind leaps of faith. In 2014 implement a wellness strategy with results you can see. The Stay Active Challenge is a unique opportunity to revolutionise company performance in a measurable way.

For more information visit www.stayactivechallenge.com

About iGlobalWellness

iGlobalWellness is a leading supplier of the next generation corporate wellness programmes.   Where other programmes may engage only a small group of people, iGlobalWellness' programmes have been specifically designed to get ALL employees involved.  They are inclusive, engaging, sustainable and most importantly fun. iGW uses advanced technology, interactive web resources and personalised support to encourage staff to become more active and develop healthier lifestyles.

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