The Skinny on Workplace Wellness Programs
Data VizPublished Jul 31, 2013
The Skinny on Workplace Wellness Programs
About 51 percent of U.S. employers offer wellness programs. Larger employers are more likely to have more-complex programs.
Choose This, Not That
Some wellness programs provide lifestyle management services to help workers make positive changes in their health-related behaviors. How common are specific lifestyle initiatives among employers that offer a wellness program?
| 61 percent | Nutrition/weight |
|---|---|
| 59 percent | Smoking |
| 55 percent | Fitness |
| 40 percent | Alcohol/drug abuse |
| 40 percent | Stress management |
| 28 percent | Health education |
Micromanagement Can Be Good
Some wellness programs provide disease management services that give workers ongoing, individualized support for issues related to chronic illness, such as medication adherence. How common are specific disease management initiatives among among employers that offer a wellness program?
| 48 percent | Diabetes |
|---|---|
| 34 percent | Asthma |
| 33 percent | Coronary Artery Disease |
| 30 percent | Heart Failure |
| 30 percent | Depression |
| 29 percent | Cancer |
| 26 percent | COPD/Emphysema |
| 17 percent | Back Pain |
On average, only 16% of employees take advantage of disease management services.
Getting a Health Promotion
Many employers—even some that don't offer a formal wellness program—provide a variety of health promotion activities meant to encourage healthy lifestyles. How common are specific health promotion initiatives among employers that offer a wellness program?
| 76 percent | Onsite Immunizations |
|---|---|
| 55 percent | Fitness Benefits |
| 44 percent | Nurse Advice Lines |
| 21 percent | Healthy Foods |
Screening a Good Call
Screening activities identify health risks at an individual level, heightening employees' awareness and helping them find appropriate resources. They also reveal the overall burden of health risk—information useful for planning, program evaluation, and risk management. How common are specific clinical screening tests among employers that offer a wellness program?
| 47 percent | Blood pressure |
|---|---|
| 39 percent | Blood glucose |
| 38 percent | Cholesterol/lipids |
| 34 percent | BMI/body fat |
| 7 percent | Cancer |
| 6 percent | Tobacco use |
| 3 percent | Stress |
| 12 percent | Other (includes bone density, general exam, and vision/hearing tests) |
Employee Assessments and Rewards
Health risk questionnaires collect information about common risk factors related to behaviors and characteristics, such as nutrition, physical activity, and smoking. Two-thirds of employers with a wellness program invite workers to complete questionnaires, and about as many offer incentives for questionnaire completion or other forms of participation. How common are specific incentives among employers who offer them?
| 47 percent | Merchandise/Gift Cards |
|---|---|
| 37 percent | Health Plan Premium Discount |
| 42 percent | Gym Discount |
| 21 percent | Cash |
Infographic by Erin-Elizabeth Johnson and Dori Gordon Walker.
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Document Details
- Copyright: RAND Corporation
- Availability: Web-Only
- Year: 2013
- Pages: 1
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.7249/IG101
- Document Number: IG-101
Citation
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Mattke, Soeren, Harry H. Liu, John P. Caloyeras, Christina Y. Huang, Kristin R. Van Busum, Dmitry Khodyakov, and Victoria Shier, The Skinny on Workplace Wellness Programs, RAND Corporation, IG-101, 2013. As of October 9, 2024: https://www.rand.org/pubs/infographics/IG101.html
Mattke, Soeren, Harry H. Liu, John P. Caloyeras, Christina Y. Huang, Kristin R. Van Busum, Dmitry Khodyakov, and Victoria Shier, The Skinny on Workplace Wellness Programs. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 2013. https://www.rand.org/pubs/infographics/IG101.html.
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