Survey Shows Employers May Be Cutting Back on Wellness Programs

Wellness

A new survey shows fewer employers are offering certain wellness benefits, including premium discounts for participating in health risk assessments and weight loss programs or for not using tobacco products.  The comprehensive survey of benefits by the Society for Human Resource Management also indicates fewer employers are offering wellness resources and information, on-site flu shots, 24-hour nurse hotlines, health and lifestyle coaching, and company-provided fitness bands.  According to the report, the step-back in wellness benefits "may reflect changes in strategy rather than an overall decrease in wellness benefits.  Programs with low employee participation or those proving to be relatively ineffective may be dropped or replaced with other programs."