Lisa Korotkin Rothberger
Jan. 19, 2012
With the looming changes in health care reform and rising costs of health insurance, “wellness” is a common human resources topic that has descended upon HR professionals nationally. Not only is employee wellness important for productivity, but it’s key in managing health insurance costs. Healthier employees make fewer claims, and fewer claims help manage premium increases. Many large companies are implementing Wellness Programs with financial incentives or putting workout facilities right on site. For those ‘smaller’ organizations that don’t have the abundance of resources to utilize, what else can be done?
A fun and energizing way to focus on employee wellness with little or no overhead costs is a Wellness Fair. This brings professionals and retailers face to face with your employees and will help motivate those that may need a little extra push. To increase attendance, you may want to advertise a raffle. People always perk up their ears when you’re talking about free stuff!
Start by talking with your benefits agent and ask them to become involved. They have undoubtedly participated in other wellness fairs, or helped other clients plan similar events in the past. Make sure you utilize them for their knowledge and resources. They will be able to secure the presence of your health insurance carriers at the wellness fair, as well as any other contacts they may have. Often times health insurance carriers will provide diagnostic services, have a representative there to answer questions or at the very least submit a prize for your raffle. When your claims are lower, their costs are lower, so wellness initiatives are in their best interest too.