Will workplace wellness programs work?

In an effort to bring down health-care costs, employers are increasingly turning to workplace wellness programs that reward employees who engage in healthy behaviors — or, alternatively, penalize those who don’t.
Some wellness programs use carrots, decreasing a worker’s health insurance premiums if they enroll in a smoking cessation program or start hitting the gym. Some use sticks, setting higher deductibles or premiums for those who can’t meet a certain body-mass index or do not quit smoking. Both approaches are on the rise: Benefits consulting firm Towers Watson’s annual employer survey finds an increase in workplace wellness programs over the past year, with even more implementation plans in the works for 2013.

Click here to continue reading