4 painless ways to make unhealthy workers healthy

Convincing certain staffers to change their heart-attack-waiting-to-happen lifestyles is a daunting task. But before you go cramming a wellness program down employees’ throats, try these subtle approaches.

Here are four cost-effective measures to help get your staff on track for a healthier and more productive lifestyle (hopefully with fewer insurance claims!):

1. Healthy vending machines. Don’t make unhealthy living easily accessible. Instead of offering Snickers and Doritos, stock your vending machines with granola bars or baked chips.
2. Pedometers pay. These little step monitors barely cost anything (some insurance companies actually give them out for free). Just urge your staff to keep track of their steps-per-day, and you’ll be pleasantly surprised by how quickly the trend catches. Want to up the ante? Create walking competitions and offer small prizes for the winners.
3. Health-risk assessments. For somewhere between $5-15 per person, you can get employees to complete health-risk assessments. These can be done through your insurance company or by a third party.
   The payoff: Being able to get your staff to prevent a major health problem before it occurs … before you’re stuck with an expensive claim. Remember to make sure your staff knows the assessments are both voluntary and confidential.
4. Claim reviews. Look at all of your company’s claims when it’s time to renew health insurance. If a majority of your employees have astronomically high cholesterol, it may pay to have an expert come in to the office and offer advice on cholesterol management.