For my systems project I chose to focus on IT Based Wellness Programs. At first I didn't if I wanted to focus on the different types of programs offered, or the financial benefits companies see when implementing these programs. My goal was to show that wellness programs helped improve the health and well-being of a specific population which was supported by taking a look into multiple factors surrounding this topic. Some of the factors included the definition of wellness programs, they're inclusion in the Affordable Care Act in 2010, resistance from the Equal Employer Opportunity Commission and the American with Disabilities Act, and finally into some statistics on number of companies that have some kind of wellness program offered. I also interviewed a family friend of mine who's company offers a great wellness program just to get some real life feedback on the effectiveness of wellness programs.
The beginning of my research brought a lot of shocking news to me regarding the negative viewpoints of wellness programs. It was the EEOC and ADA that showed resistance to specific wellness programs shortly after their inclusion in the Affordable Care Act in 2010. They argued that some of the programs (outcome-based programs specifically) invaded employee's privacy and discriminated others based on their health. This was alarming to me. How could something that improves an employer's overall health and well-being be a bad thing? Yet, those employees that are considered 'overweight' probably feel targeted as an individual of low health, and sometimes penalized for not reaching health standards on a health risk assessment. Same goes for smokers who feel they are being penalized for their addiction. In order to better understand this dilemma I had to put myself in the shoes of someone with a preexisting condition or an addiction, and it was then that I could see the problem. Wellness programs aren't about rewarding the super healthy employees and penalizing the unhealthy ones, they're about promoting a healthier lifestyle all together. I believe some of the incentive based programs in the beginning were poorly formatted and ended up penalizing those who didn't reach the right measures on the risk assessments instead of rewarding everyone for simply taking the assessment. Since then I think they have improved tremendously and now are including more activity from wearable devices like Apple Watches and Fitbits.
With 98-99% of companies with 100+ employees offering health benefits and 86-96% of companies with 50-99 employees offering health benefits, I can say with confidence that wellness programs are here to stay. The companies not only have the motive of a decreased healthcare premium but also of a potential to increase employee retention. Healthy employees are happy employees. And if companies start taking care of their employees then they are going to see results. I know that a lot of young college grads look for a company that takes care of the employee just as much as the customer, and providing additional health benefits beyond the normal healthcare is one way to do just that. Over the next couple of years I'm sure we'll see improvements to the different types of wellness programs offered in companies, and a lot less issues with discrimination against employees. Like I said before, it's all about improving the overall lifestyle individual, not forcing someone to run 5ks and eat kale. Everyone does healthy just a little bit different and that's what makes the world go round.
Hey Addison! Thanks for your post, I have been increasingly interested in your topic since you presented in in class. I also think it is shocking that people have been discriminated against for not being "up to par" when it comes to fitness when they enter these programs. The way you wrote this almost reminds me of standardized tests, which may discriminate against people who are naturally not great test takers. In the end, though, I think you are correct that companies have a lot more at stake when it comes to providing wellness programs. Sure, they may have lower health premiums, but they will also have happier, more engaged employees if they implement their programs effectively. One more question I would beg to ask is what are the most effective forms of wellness programs that companies now offer? I know I have done some reading about Safeway and how they encourage their people to participate in 5k's and other outside fitness programs, but I would be interested to hear which ones have been most effective and which companies have the best feedback about their programs. Thanks again for this great topic, it is clear through your research that we can all be a little healthier by taking small steps every day!
ReplyDeleteThis was a very interesting topic to present, I did not realize the degree to which people can be discriminated against for a lack of fitness. I can understand the initial resistance to wellness-based programs, but all new ideas just need a little ironing out. As someone going to work for a company that doesn't offer any wellness programs, I'm a fairly disappointed that I won't be able to eat kale and run 5k's for some quick cash.
ReplyDeleteI really like the virtual cat on your blog! I enjoyed your presentation because my job over the past summer had a wellness program and I didn't know much about it, but wished I did. I liked your use of graphs in your presentation, I can tell you put of effort in to get that and fit into your presentation.
ReplyDeleteI particularly liked your slide where you show that spending money on wellness programs decreases absenteeism costs, as well as medical costs. This reminds me of the Productivity Paradox in MIS, where companies are reluctant to spend money on something "extra". But in this case, there are more tangible benefits that show that a wellness program is worth it.
I like the user story you included at the end; in the future I'd definitely want to look for a company that offered some type of wellness program. Having medical services and a gym in a workplace is great benefit.
Nicely done. I've been following your blog and was thrilled when you found the KHN site with the survey data. (I bet you were, too.) I knew these programs existed, but didn't know the role of insurance, and whether they created win-win scenarios as it was portrayed in the Safeway example on Escape Fire. I was mostly interested in the incentives these programs offered companies. It it were too expensive, would companies support the healthy initiatives that they were touting? The U of A, and other state agencies made it illegal to smoke on campus, though I still see some people grabbing a cig outside Eller (thinking out of the building is not "campus"), but there is no group of people hanging out by the seating area downstairs anymore. My point is that there are "smart" initiatives and policies that make it healthier for everyone. UA built an amazing Rec Center to encourage students, staff and faculty to go there. Students pay for it out of their tuition, so there is an incentive to use it. Similarly, employees pay for their healthy lifestyles, too, in a way. I mean, the employer pays for their health insurance, so they either help reduce that cost, or it will be noticed if they don't. The carrot before the stick, I suppose. Is that a good way to think about it? Again, great work!
ReplyDeleteI look forward to seeing how corporate wellness programs improve in the years to come! I agree that employers have a limited reach when it comes to encouraging their employees to lead healthier lives, but it will be interesting to see how they work to promote employee wellness. For instance, as the wearable technology industry continues to evolve, we could see more and more employee wellness programs including wearable data as markers of employee progress. We're already seeing movement in this direction:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.forbes.com/sites/parmyolson/2016/01/08/fitbit-wearables-corporate-wellness/#24870b9f5ff6
http://www.benefitspro.com/2017/04/27/wearable-tech-in-wellness-programs-increasing
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