Workplace wellness programs have two main goals: improve employees’ health and lower health care costs for their employers. But, as Bloomberg reports, a new study has found wellness programs aren’t good at achieving either of those goals.
The study tracked 3,300 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign employees who were given a year of access to iThrive, a workplace wellness program similar to what many companies offer. A control group of 1,534 workers did not get access to the program.
Those offered the program were randomly split into six groups. All were offered a biometric screening, a health assessment and various services and classes, such as chronic disease management and tai chi. Members of the six groups were offered varying financial incentives—between $50 and $350—for completing each step of the program.
And the conclusion? The study found wellness programs—even those with incentives—don’t change employees’ behavior much. The findings were published as a working paper at the National Bureau of Economic Research.
