Health incentives are rewards or benefits that employers offer to employees who participate in healthy behaviors, such as exercising, eating healthy, and quitting smoking.
These incentives can be financial, such as cash rewards or discounts on health insurance premiums, or non-financial, such as gift cards or gym memberships.
So if you’re an employer exploring the possibility of offering a corporate health incentive to your employees or someone just curious to know more about it, this blog is for you! Make sure to stick until the end.
Benefits of Offering Corporate Health Incentives
If you are an employer in the UAE, it is important that you consider offering health incentives to your employees. It is a win-win for everyone involved. Here are some of the benefits of offering corporate incentives to employees.
Reduced healthcare costs
Healthcare prices in the UAE are going up really fast. In 2020, the normal yearly cost for a health plan that companies offer was AED 34,000 for one person and AED 68,000 for a whole family.
Giving out health rewards can help make these costs lower. This happens when workers start doing healthy stuff, like working out, eating good food, and stopping smoking.
Increased productivity
The UAE is a competitive business environment. Employers need their employees to be productive and engaged in order to succeed. Health incentives can help to improve productivity by reducing absenteeism, increasing energy levels, and improving focus and concentration.
Improved employee morale and engagement
Employees who feel valued and supported by their employer are more likely to be happy and engaged at work. Health incentives can help to improve employee morale and engagement by showing employees that their employer cares about their health and well-being.
Lower absenteeism rates
Absenteeism is a major problem in the UAE. According to a survey conducted by Bayt.com “Absenteeism in the Middle East Workplace 2018”, the estimated average length of employee absence per year in the UAE is 11.5 days, which is higher than the global average of 8.8 days Health incentives can help to reduce absenteeism rates by encouraging employees to stay healthy and avoid getting sick.
Reduced risk of chronic diseases
Chronic diseases, such as heart disease, stroke, and diabetes, are the leading causes of death and disability in the UAE. Health incentives can help to reduce the risk of these diseases by encouraging employees to adopt healthy behaviors.
Longer lifespans
People in the UAE are now living for more years than before. In 2020, the average time a person lives was around 78.7 years. Health incentives are like rewards that can make people live even longer and better by motivating them to do healthy things.
Not only that, these rewards for health can also make workers in companies feel better overall. This can make the workplace a happier and nicer place, make people like their jobs more, and make them feel less stressed.
Different Types of Health Incentives that Employers Can Offer
- Reimbursement for gym memberships or fitness classes: This is a popular incentive because it allows employees to get the exercise they need without having to pay for it out of pocket. It can also be a good way to encourage employees to participate in group fitness classes, which can be more motivating than working out alone.
- Financial rewards for meeting health goals: This one is also liked because it gives employees a real prize for making healthy changes. The goals could be things like losing weight or stopping smoking. The key is to set goals that are possible and actually doable. And, the prizes you give should matter to the workers.
- On-site health screenings and wellness programs: This is a cool way to teach employees about their health and give them stuff to help them make healthy choices. The regular checkups can find out if there are any health problems, and the wellness programs can tell them about eating healthy, doing exercise, and dealing with stress.
- Access to healthy snacks and drinks: This is a simple way to make healthy choices easier for employees. It can be as simple as providing fruit and vegetables in the break room or offering discounts on healthy snacks at the vending machines.
- Flexible work arrangements: This can be a great way to help employees get more exercise and sleep. For example, allowing employees to work from home one day a week can give them more time to go for a walk or run during the day.
- Subsidized health insurance premiums: This health insurance can help employees afford health insurance, which can lead to better overall health.
The rewards that work best might be different for each company and its employees. But, trying to get people to be healthier is good for both the workers and the company.
Here are more tips to pick the right rewards for your company:
- Think about what your workers need. What health stuff is important to them? What do they like?
- Make sure the rewards don’t cost too much for your company. Be imaginative and open to new ideas. There are lots of ways to make people want to be healthy.
- Tell your workers about the rewards in a clear and short way.
- See how well the rewards are working by checking the results of the program.
Conclusion
In wrapping up, giving employees rewards for staying healthy at work has lots of good points. It can make the workers healthier and better at their jobs. This can save the company money on healthcare and make the workers happier. When companies do this, they can get better workers and keep the ones they have.
So, when businesses give these rewards, everyone wins – the workers and the company. It’s a smart choice that helps the workers feel good, misses fewer work days, and keeps the company doing well.
