It's becoming more tempting for employees to take part inemployer-offered well-being programs, as bosses increasingly addor expand such programs and boost rewards offered to employees whoparticipate.

That's according to the ninth annual Health and Well-BeingSurvey from Fidelity Investments and the NationalBusiness Group on Health, which finds that not only arecompanies planning to expand existing programs—67 percent, in fact,plan to do so over the next three to five years—but they're uppingthe ante to entice workers to buy into such programs.

In fact, 86 percent of employers are already offering financialincentives to workers, and the size of those incentives has alreadygrown substantially; the average incentive amount increased to $784for 2018, up from $742 in 2017 and a 50 percent increase from theaverage of $521 in 2013. And it won't stop there, considering that29 percent of employers say they intend to boost the incentivedollars offered to employees over the next three to five years.

Employers are really putting a lot of muscle behind well-beingprograms, despite recent reports that downplay their effectivenessin helping employees. In fact, Robert Kennedy, senior vicepresident, Fidelity Benefits Consulting, is quoted in the reportsaying, “The fact that companies continue to dedicate an increasingamount of resources to their corporate well-being programsindicates they are having a positive impact on overall workforceperformance.”

Kennedy adds, “These programs have evolved beyond traditionalhealth and lifestyle activities to now include elements offinancial security, social/emotional well-being, and even jobsatisfaction. An employer's well-being programs are nowoverwhelmingly viewed as a platform to improve employee engagement,increase worker productivity, and reduce absenteeism.”

The survey indicates that such evolution is still under way,with 67 percent of companies planning to expand well-beinginitiatives over the next three to five years to include programsnot specifically focused on physical health. Not only do theyalready offer traditional health-focused programs, such as weightmanagement and smoking cessation, 92 percent of employers areadding emotional health programs. Ninety percent already offerfinancial wellness programs, such as debt management andbudgeting.

Other offerings gaining popularity include stress managementtraining (77 percent), community involvement/volunteerismactivities (72 percent), and social connectedness opportunities (60percent).

From: BenefitsPro