The most effective way to improve health in the workplace is to prevent ill health at an early stage instead of focusing on rehabilitation. The wellness allowance is one way for employers to work preventively against ill health without having to pay tax. But is it really effective?
Wellness initiatives involve measures that encourage a person to take their own initiative to improve their health. The concept of health includes much more than just exercise; it can be about improving eating habits, sleep patterns, the ability to manage stress, or quitting smoking. Many employers feel they have done enough when they decide to offer a generous wellness allowance. But surveys indicate that almost 40 percent of Swedes who have access to the allowance choose not to use it. Twenty percent of them say they do not have the time, and 31 percent say they lack sufficient motivation.
Gym memberships are the main thing people who use the wellness allowance spend the money on. But as many as 35% of the gym memberships purchased are never used, and in Sweden we waste 3 billion SEK every year on unused gym cards. Costs that are largely borne by the employer.
Of course, the wellness allowance has value. It is about employer branding – being an attractive employer that offers an employee benefit. But if, as an employer, you actually want to improve your employees’ health and reduce future costs related to ill health, there is much to suggest that there are other, more effective measures.
Our promise to our customers is simple – staff with better health! A promise we have fulfilled so far.
On average, companies that use Wellr have increased their level of physical activity by 10.5%, 8% of employees have moved out of risk groups for sick leave, and the company’s overall health level has improved by 4.5%. The results are clear and show the potential of working in the right way with preventive and health-promoting measures at an early stage.
This is how we work at Wellr:
1. Digital health check The first step is to create awareness of employees’ health status. All employees therefore complete a digital health check consisting of evidence-based questions in the areas of health and work environment. The digital health check takes about 15 minutes, and once it is completed, a personal health profile is created.
2. Individualized measures As soon as the digital health check is completed, Wellr’s web robot generates specifically tailored action plans so that each individual can work on improving their own health. The web robot takes into account needs, previous experience, level of ambition, and the individual’s own preferences. The measures can include anything from smoking cessation, sleep courses, nutrition plans, training programs, stress management, and ergonomics, etc. If a person is in a risk zone or in need of a lifestyle change, Wellr will automatically steer the measures in the right direction. With Wellr, the individual gets all the conditions needed to improve their own health.
