tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2846014851450816942.post2705936256760977252..comments2023-06-16T06:57:31.480-04:00Comments on inside workplace wellness: Incentives and Stigmasjmcnicholhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06706705873076005288noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2846014851450816942.post-88329858005966460532011-04-03T16:11:13.974-04:002011-04-03T16:11:13.974-04:00Your story about your son is a classic, Janet -- a...Your story about your son is a classic, Janet -- a fine example of how rewards are extremely effective... at getting people to learn how to earn rewards.Bob Merberghttp://www.employeewellnessnetwork.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2846014851450816942.post-89890585535608210682011-04-03T09:24:21.764-04:002011-04-03T09:24:21.764-04:00@Bob Thanks for your comments. I'm looking for...@Bob Thanks for your comments. I'm looking forward to reading your post. <br /><br />@Paul I truly believe that you get what you pay for. The problem with incentive design is that most of us aren't very good at thinking through all the repercussions. My son taught me the best lesson in this respect. His 4th grade teacher had an incentive plan set up to encourage good behavior. Each child started with a certain number of points and if the child still had a positive balance at the end of a month, the student was able to participate in a little party. My son, viewed the points as he would basketball fouls. He intended to use them in certain situations and save just enough that he could attend the party. I'm certain this is not what his teacher had in mind, but it was a perfectly reasonable interpretation.jmcnicholhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06706705873076005288noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2846014851450816942.post-54499429491774380412011-04-03T09:00:31.923-04:002011-04-03T09:00:31.923-04:00Great connection Janet. However, I think we may b...Great connection Janet. However, I think we may be combining two things - One - Changing behavior and two maintaining it. <br /><br />Breaking the inertia of bad health behaviors is best supported with a good incentive plan. When I look at incentives - they should only really be used to install or break a behavior. In the case of wellness I can see incentives being used to get the person moving in a specific direction. Those incentives should stand outside the normal "transactional" part of the compensation discussion for best impact.<br /><br />However, maintaining that behavior may be best handled by imposing a penalty on those that don't meet specific requirements. ie: smokers pay more...<br /><br />Be careful though... as a childcare facility that started using fees as a penalty for picking up kids after 6 found out - the minute they imposed the penalty they created a situation where they had an increase of late pickups because people now saw that as a transactional behavior - ie: "late=$" - and had less embarrassment and less social stigma attached to the behavior. When it was just a "rule we live by" they had less people coming in late because it was a social contract. <br /><br />Slippery, slippery slope this wellness stuff...Paul Heberthttp://www.i2i-align.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2846014851450816942.post-60416253009901617392011-04-02T23:16:11.513-04:002011-04-02T23:16:11.513-04:00Nice insights, Janet. I just came from a conferenc...Nice insights, Janet. I just came from a conference where I had several revelations regarding the trends related to outcome-based wellness programs. Planning on blogging about it myself, but I need to gain some distance first. <br /><br />It's true, as you say, that employers think it's logical to charge more to people who are likely to have higher claims, based on biometric test results. I'll refrain from judgement on that POV. But I do wish they'd stop calling it wellness. LIfe insurance companies don't call it wellness. When employers test your cholesterol to determine your medical coverage rates, it's not wellness; it's surveillance.Bob Merberghttp://www.employeewellnessnetwork.comnoreply@blogger.com