18 Nov 7 reasons some employees don’t want to participate in your corporate health program

So, you’ve got yourself an awesome corporate health platform or program. Employees and management are loving it. But there’s a group of employees who are dragging their heels and lowering your participation rates. Why don’t they want to take part? Here’s 7 reasons to consider:

1. They don’t want to be preached at

“Stop smoking, eat more vegetables, exercise more. “

No one wants to be told what to do, especially when it comes to personal health habits.

But that’s exactly what some employees think a corporate health platform or program will be like. They think your new wellness platform will be full of finger wagging and nagging. They imagine the health check will be run by some skinny young so-called expert who will tell them to lose weight.

Now, you and I know that’s not the case. But if an employee hasn’t done a good corporate health program before, you can understand their concern.

The thing is, almost everyone knows they should eat more vegetables and get more sleep and exercise more. And there’s usually a reason why they’re stuck in their unhealthy habits.

A good corporate health program will help employees understand their barriers to change, and give them the tools to make the change.

The solution:

First, make sure your health initiatives are compassionate, helpful and engaging. Choose a platform with content that gives proactive, positive advice in a tone that is understanding and not preachy.

Make it clear that this program isn’t about lecturing or badgering. Rather, it’s about giving them tools, skills and support they need to make the changes they want.

2. They’re worried about privacy

Through online health assessments or onsite health checks, employees share information about their alcohol use, stress levels, anxiety and depression. They’re concerned about the privacy of this information.

They’re also concerned about the data generated by their wearable devices.

They want to know: just how confidential is the online heath risk appraisal? Is any information identifiable? And what data if any will the employer see from their activity tracker or wearable device? Can their employer somehow get access to their weight?

The solution:

First, clearly explain what data is recorded and reported. We’ve got some indepth advice on this in our Healthworks blog, “It’s none of your friggin’ business”.

Second, make it crystal clear that no health check results contain identifiable information. Tell them (or show them) the reports their employer see, and show that you can’t see any names or other identifiable data. For example, we generally won’t do a report on a group of less than 15 people, because otherwise someone could piece together the results of that 35 year old female in the Wollongong office.

3. They’re already doing something else

Some motivated employees may already be following a different health program. They might have a personal trainer, for example, or be doing one of those commercial online programs.

The solution:

• Make your corporate wellness offering as good as any of those commercial subscription programs. Choose a platform or program provider that can give you engaging, expert and effective activities.
• Focus on the added benefits of taking part in a workplace program, such as the rewards and incentives, and the team bonding and social benefits.
• Give the already-healthy and already-motivated employees a role to play. They could be a wellness champion or mentor to their colleagues. Find out how to make the most of your wellness champions in this Healthworks blog.

4. They’re worried it’ll look like they’ve got too much spare time

“If I’ve got enough time to attend wellness activities, people will think I’m not working hard enough”, is a worry shared by many employees. They’re worried people will question their commitment to the job, or their value to the business.

The solution:

This requires education about the scientific links between wellness and productivity. Research consistently shows that employees who are fit and healthy are more productive; AND employees who take breaks (eg a short lunchtime walk in fresh air) are more productive.

Send out the message that if you don’t have time to be sick, you have to make time for wellness. Share this research with your managers and employees. Some good ones are:

• Workplace health programs can increase productivity
• Obesity Increases Workers’ Compensation Costs
• Meta-Evaluation of Worksite Health Promotion Economic Return Studies: 2012 Update

Also see our blog, Handy statistics for building your business case for corporate wellness

5. They’re worried their manager won’t approve

This is similar to number 3, but more entrenched in your culture.

Wellness activities require time away from pressing deadlines. It’s often not much – 10 minutes to fill in an online assessment, or a 30 minute mindfulness class, for example.

Are your  team leaders and managers OK about employees taking time out? While many managers understand the importance of wellness, others may initially view wellness as yet another distraction they have to deal with.

The solution:

Before you launch your program, take time to convince management of the benefits. Show them the links between wellness and productivity. Show them the stats on stress-related absenteeism and presenteeism.

If a particular manager is still negative, have a one-on-one chat to understand and address their concerns.

Then, get the managers to lead by example. Encourage them to take part in activities – ideally, make it part of their KPIs. Get them to walk the talk, and then talk to talk. That is, talk about their involvement. See our blog How to light the wellness fire in your team leaders.

6. They’re worried about showing their wobbly bits

Don’t laugh – it’s a real concern. You’ve probably thought about it yourself.

If you’re putting on fitness classes, for example, some people will hate the thought of jiggling around a park or fitness centre in workout gear in front of their colleagues. Likewise, the going for a walk at lunchtime to get your steps up for a Step Challenge might seem simple to you, but might fill others with dread. They mightn’t want people to realise how unfit they are.

Others might dread the thought of revealing their true state of health. For example, having a waist measurement in an onsite heart check, even in a private confidential setting, can be very offputting.

The solution:

For the health checks issues, emphasise the private, confidential nature of the checks, and remind them that no data is identifiable.

For the physical activity, it really comes down to creating an environment of fun and acceptance. Depending on your existing culture, this could be easy or might take a while.

The best way is to lead by example: get your senior managers out there getting puffed and sweaty and loving it. Encourage your team leaders to laugh and talk about their involvement – “Gosh I was puffing like a steam train up that hill, but I felt great afterwards!”

7. They don’t understand the benefits

It all comes back to the “why”. Employees need to understand that the workplace wellness program is there to help them feel great.

The solution:

Whenever you’re talking about the program – at launch, introducing the next activity, or reporting back on how it went – emphasise the personal benefits.

Focus on how mental health seminars can help them feel stronger and more resilient, how that Step Challenge can help increase their energy levels.

You can get more ideas about this in two blogs:

• The must-know secret to a successful corporate health program and
• The simply titled, Why?

Our Activate platform is designed for maximum participation and engagement. To find out more, or to get a free trial, email us at ask@healthworks.com.au or call 1300 90 10 90.