Workplace Wellness: Ready, Set, Game!

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Whether on the playground or in the workplace, playful competition can be an effective driver of performance.  Our unconscious fear of failure jumpstarts and continuously energizes our will to win.  It’s a fact, no one wants to be on the losing kickball team or be the one coming in last in a competition against their coworkers. Employers often wonder how they could increase and sustain employee participation in their worksite wellness programs.  I say gamification!  [...] Read more »

Changing Consumer Behavior: Once Just a Gleam in the Eye

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Some might say I can read the future. In 2004, faced with an unrelenting healthcare trend, we decided to buy Onsite Wellness, a company devoted to workplace wellness and behavior change.  Something had to be done and I was intent to be the one to do it. Nearly 10 years later, middle-market employers are starting to catch on. The power of consumerism is the only force that can check trend. Price controls, limited access, medical [...] Read more »

How Many Steps? I’ll Never Be Able to Do That!

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Kenneth WrightFrenkel Benefits LLC

Most workplace exercise programs ask employees to “walk 10,000 steps” or engage in at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise at least 3 times per week. Uh-huh. Tell that to someone whose walking consists of parking lot to elevator to desk. Oh, and then to coffee pot. Exercise should not be intimidating. That’s what often keeps people from beginning to exercise or derails them once they start. When participation in a program is limited or [...] Read more »

Could Losing Cash and Face Spur Wellness Participants?

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Having trouble accomplishing a goal? Can’t quite stick to your workout regimen? Well, there’s something relatively new on the scene that may help you activate yourself. You may have already heard about it: It’s called an online commitment contract and you can draw one up on a website aptly called StickK. It’s basically free to participate in, easy to understand, simple to set up, and surprisingly effective for many. The concept is simple: You determine [...] Read more »

Are Employees Who “Feel Fine” Actually Healthy?

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My buddy, Jim, hasn’t been to the doctor in years. He doesn’t go to health screenings offered in his workplace either. “Why should I?” he says, “I’m healthy. I feel fine.” Everyone has a buddy or two or even three like Jim. You may even be a Jim. You feel fine and believe you are healthy. But feeling fine doesn’t mean you are healthy or will necessarily feel fine tomorrow. A recent headline in CFO [...] Read more »