2012 Employee Survey on Corporate Wellness Programs · say Yes No Exercise I am not very active I...

Copyright © 2012 ShapeUp, Inc. The content in this document is property of ShapeUp.

2012 Employee Survey on

Corporate Wellness Programs

What Do Employees Want In Their

Corporate Wellness Program?

Published September 2012

2 Copyright © 2012 ShapeUp, Inc. The content is this document is property of ShapeUp.

• Section One

Survey Background

• Section Two

Why Do Employees Participate in Wellness Programs?

• Section Three

What Wellness Programs Do Employees Want?

• Section Four

Are Employees Satisfied With Their Corporate Wellness Program?

• Section Five

How Can Employers Help Their Employees Succeed?

• Section Six

Recommendations for Employers

Survey Report Table of Contents


Survey Background


• Goals of the survey:

• Understand how employees view their company’s wellness program

• Learn what drives employees to participate in various wellness offerings

• Find out what barriers prevent employees from engaging in wellness

• Discover how to improve the wellness experience for employees

• Working with The Parthenon Group, ShapeUp conducted an online survey of

1,000 employees working at companies of all sizes across the U.S.

• The results are published in this report and will be discussed in a free webinar

which can be accessed at www.shapeup.com/employee-wellness-survey.

Overview of Our 2012 Employee Survey on Corporate Wellness Programs

http://www.shapeup.com/employeesurvey






0

20

40

60

80

100%

Computeraccessat work

Yes

Age

60+

50-59

40-49

30-39

23-29

18-22

Gender

Female

Male

Smoker

No

Yes

Source

Toluna

ShapeUp

Survey participants represented a diverse cross-section of the population

18-22


0

20

40

60

80

100%

Healthcondition

I prefer not tosay

Yes

No

Exercise

I am notvery active

I have anactive

lifestyle but Idon’t work

out regularly

1-2times aweek

3-6times aweek

Everyday

Fitnesslevel

I definitelyneed toimprove

my healthstatus

Room forquite a lot of

improvement

Room for alittle

improvement

BMI

ExtremeObesity

Obese

Overweight

Normal

Survey participants reported widely varying health and fitness profiles

No room for

improvement


Why Do Employees Participate

in Wellness Programs?

8 Copyright © 2012 ShapeUp, Inc. The content is this document is property of ShapeUp. 8 8 Copyright © 2012 ShapeUp, Inc. The content is this document is property of ShapeUp.

0

20

40

60

80%

Improvegeneralfitness

55%

Eatmore

healthily

43%

Loseweight

39%

Reducestress

31%

Sleepbetter

21%

Stopsmoking

3%

0

20

40

60

80%

Loseweight

67%

Improvegeneralfitness

55%

Eatmore

healthily

42%

Reducestress

17%

Sleepbetter

11%

Stopsmoking

6%

Fit / Healthy Respondents Unfit / Unhealthy Respondents

Q: What are your top two personal wellness goals?

Wellness goals are remarkably similar for both fit and unfit employees;

fitness, weight loss, and healthy eating are the top three reported goals

9 Copyright © 2012 ShapeUp, Inc. The content is this document is property of ShapeUp. 9

0

20

40

60

80

100%

Nutritionprogram

n=386

Exercisecompetition

n=502

Fitnessdevices

n=517

Exerciseprogram

n=386

Weightloss

program

n=283

HRA

n=518

Personalhealth

dashboard

n=221

Onsitefitness

n=305

Healthcontent

n=345

Emotionalsuport

n=146

Biometricscreening

n=360

Lifestylecoaching

n=193

On sitephysician

visits

n=391

Smokingcessation

n=98

Conditionmanagement

n=89

Signed up withcoworkers

Free

Incentives

Improve health

Convenience

Good program

Mandatory

Q: What is the top reason that you enrolled in your company’s wellness program?

Improving health is the major reason for enrollment; free programs drive

participation; co-workers are a draw for exercise & weight programs


0

20

40

60

80

100%

Incen

tive

Sam

eS

om

ew

hatm

ore

likely

More

like

ly

n=988

No

n-m

on

eta

rya

wa

rds

n=957

Pa

rtic

ipa

tew

ith

fam

ily

n=937

Fun

activitie

sw

ith

co

wo

rke

rs

n=942

Be

st

frie

nd

was

part

icip

atin

g

n=831

Str

on

gm

an

ag

em

en

tsup

port

n=945

Inte

nsiv

epro

gra

mo

fto

ug

hw

ork

outs

n=937

Co

mpa

ny-w

ide

co

mp

etitio

n

n=901

Part

icip

ate

with

frie

nds

ou

tsid

ew

ork

n=933

Employees say monetary incentives would make them more likely to

participate, but non-monetary rewards and social events are also motivating

Q: To what extent

would you be more or

less likely to participate

in a corporate health-

related program in the

following cases?


0

20

40

60

80

100%

Op

po

rtu

nitie

sto

win

larg

epri

ze

sS

am

eS

om

ew

ha

tm

ore

like

lyM

ore

likely

n=987

Mon

eta

ryre

wa

rds

n=992

Pe

rks

n=988

Dis

co

unts

/re

imb

urs

em

ents

on

he

alth

costs

n=988

Me

rcha

ndis

e

n=974

Sm

all

prize

sfo

ra

llp

art

icip

ants

n=959

No

n-m

on

eta

rya

wa

rds

n=931

Large prizes, cash, and other financial perks are cited as the most desired

type of incentives for participation

Q: In terms of

incentives, to what

extent would the

following make you

more likely to participate

in your company’s

health-related program?


• Across all health and fitness levels, most employees share three common goals:

improving physical fitness, eating healthier, and losing weight.

• Health improvement is cited as the most common reason for participating in corporate

wellness programs, but employees also say that engaging with co-workers is a major

draw for exercise and weight loss programs.

• Employees appear to strongly value free wellness programs, citing that as a major

reason for participation.

• While monetary incentives are a strong driver of participation, employees also say

that they are more likely to engage in a corporate wellness program when they have

opportunities to participate with friends and family.

• When it comes to monetary incentives, cash is king. Employees also value large

prizes, discounts and reimbursements that save them money.

Key Takeaways – Why Do Employees Participate In Wellness Programs?


What Wellness Programs Do

Employees Want?


0

20

40

60

80

100%

HR

A

No

Yes

Fitn

ess

dev

ice

s

Wei

ght

loss

pro

gra

m

On

site

pre

ven

tativ

eph

ysic

ian

visi

ts

Exe

rcis

ep

rog

ram

Bio

met

ricsc

ree

nin

g

He

alth

con

tent

On

site

fitn

ess

faci

lity

Nu

triti

on

pro

gra

m

Wei

ght

loss

orex

erc

ise

com

pet

itio

n

Pe

rson

alh

ea

lthd

ash

boa

rd

Life

styl

eco

ach

ing

Em

otio

nal

&m

en

tal

we

llnes

ssu

pp

ort

Sm

okin

gce

ssat

ion

Co

ndi

tion

man

age

me

nt

Oth

er

38% 22% 22% 16% 24% 25% 14% 1%26% 27% 34% 30% 26% 29% 25% 28%TolunaParticipation

Q: Which of the following health-related products or services have you used in the past year through your company?

Health assessments, fitness devices, and weight loss programs are the most

widely used offerings; employees also use preventive care offerings


0

20

40

60

80

100%

On-s

ite

fitn

ess

facili

ty

7

6

5

4

3

1

Bio

me

tric

scre

en

ing

Exe

rcis

eP

rog

ram

Fitne

ss

devic

es

On-s

ite

physic

ian

scre

enin

gs

Nu

tritio

np

rog

ram

We

igh

tlo

ss

pro

gra

m

Exe

rcis

eco

mpe

titio

n

HR

A

Pers

on

al

da

shbo

ard

He

alth

co

nte

nt

Em

otio

nal

wellne

ss

su

ppo

rt

Co

nd

itio

nM

an

ag

em

en

t

Life

sty

leco

achin

g

Sm

okin

gC

essa

tio

n

37% 38% 32% 30% 23% 18% 7%70% 66% 60% 57% 55% 53% 45% 43%% sporadic userschose 6 or 7

49% 46% 42% 37% 28% 28% 8%68% 60% 62% 61% 55% 54% 53% 55%% regular userschose 6 or 7

58% 59% 50% 36% 35% 33% 10%65% 69% 69% 65% 56% 67% 58% 68%% power userschose 6 or 7

Q: What would be your level of interest in using the following products / services as part of a corporate health-

related program? (On a scale of 1 to 7 where 1 = not interested at all and 7 = very interested)

Employees are most interested in opportunities for physical activity and

preventive screenings; nutrition & weight programs are also highly desired

2

15


0

200

400

600

800

1,000

Incentives

Iw

ou

ldd

efin

itely

like

this

Iwouldlikethis

n=903

On-goingprograms

tailored to myneeds

n=812

Ability to trackprogress andachievements

n=792

Fitnesstrackingdevice

n=777

Healthcontent

n=733

Discounts ongym

memberships

n=713

Ability toparticipate ingames withcoworkers

n=665

Competitionsor

challenges

n=657

Friendsoutside work

canparticipate

n=634

Emailnewsletterwith health

tips

n=564

Onlinehealth

coaching

n=529

Email or textmessagereminders

n=435

Telephonichealth

coaching

n=279

The most desired program features include incentives, on-going tailored

programs, progress tracking, and fitness tracking devices

Q: Which of the following features of a corporate health-related program are important / would be important to you?

# o

f M

entio

ns


0

20

40

60

80

100%

On

-site

ph

ysic

ian

scre

en

ing

s

7

6

5

4

3

21

391

Exe

rcis

ep

rog

ram

386

Bio

met

ricsc

ree

nin

g

360

On

-site

fitn

ess

faci

lity

305

He

alth

con

tent

345 89

We

igh

tlo

ssp

rog

ram

283

Fitn

ess

dev

ice

s

517

Nu

triti

on

pro

gra

m

285 221 502 146

Sm

okin

gce

ssat

ion

98

HR

A

518

Life

styl

eco

ach

ing

193

50% 48% 43% 58% 36% 32% 40%49% 41% 24% 28% 40% 39% 19% 26%

Con

diti

on

Man

agm

t

Pe

rso

nal

hea

lthd

ash

bo

ard

We

igh

tlo

sso

re

xerc

ise

com

petit

ion

Em

otio

na

lw

elln

ess

sup

por

t

58% 32% 48% 56% 16% 21% 38%31% 28% 15% 26% 53% 51% 18% 30%% of regularusers chosing 6/7

47% 28% 31% 55% 13% 16% 36%31% 23% 11% 13% 60% 40% 0% 23%% of sporadicusers chosing 6/7

% of powerusers chosing 6/7

Exercise opportunities and preventive screenings are the wellness offerings

employees would most be willing to pursue and pay for on their own

Q: If the following were no longer available through your workplace, how likely would you be to use it outside of

work with your own time, effort or money? (On a scale of 1 to 7 where 1 = not likely at all and 7 = very likely)

17


0

20

40

60%

At-homefitness

equipment

51%

Gymmember-

ship

37%

Workoutvideos

31%

Fitnessclasses

25%

Devices

20%

Partic-ipatedin an

organizedwalk or

run

20%

Comm-ercialweightloss

program

13%

Web-based

program

10%

PersonalTrainer

8%

Other

8%

None ofthe

above

12%

0

20

40

60

80

100%

Bike

Walk

Sports League

Run

Other

Swim

Wii

n=83

Q: What other health-related activities / products do

you do / use outside of work?

Outside of their company wellness program, employees mostly pursued a variety of

physical activity-related opportunities

Q: What other health-related activities / products do

you do / use outside of work? (open-ended)

Swim


• When it comes to what employees most want in their corporate wellness program, we

asked the question in multiple ways to truly understand what they most value.

• Existing wellness program participation is highest for health assessments, programs

that include fitness devices, and weight loss programs.

• Consistent with their top health and wellness goals, employees cited fitness, nutrition,

and weight loss programs as programs they strongly desired.

• Employees also consistently identified preventive care – through physician visits or

biometric screening – as very important to them.

• Employees covet financial incentives, but many also want ongoing programs

tailored to their needs and ones that provide the ability to track progress and

achievements.

• Outside of the office, employees mostly pursue various physical activity-related

endeavors, with walking and sports leagues both cited most frequently.

Key Takeaways – What Wellness Programs Do Employees Want?


Are Employees Satisfied With

Their Company’s Wellness

Program?


0

20

40

60

80

100%

All

No

Yes

n=949

0

20

40

60

80

100%

All

Very Likely

Likely

Undecided

n=949

Q: How likely are you to continue using your

employer’s wellness program in the future?

Most employees who participate in corporate wellness programs plan to

continue to do so; 2/3 say the programs have helped them reach their goals

Q: Has your wellness program helped you to meet

any personal health / wellness goals?

Not Likely


Yes, my wellness program helped me meet my personal goals:

• “It gives me an incentive to keep working on my health even when I don’t feel

like it.”

• “I am able to monitor my health conditions, and it is very convenient to

participate at work.”

• “I am in better shape and have lost weight due to the fitness competition among

colleagues. I work out any way, but have pushed myself with the competition.”

No, my wellness program did not help me meet my personal goals:

• “I’m not sure what our corporate wellness program even entails.”

• “Work is so busy. I don’t have time to exercise daily.”

• “It would be really nice to have an on-site gym.”

Employees get specific about why their corporate wellness programs have or

have not helped them to reach their personal health goals


0

100

200

300

400

On-

site

fitne

ssfa

cilit

y

331

Exe

rcis

epr

ogra

m

262

Nut

ritio

npr

ogra

m

215

Wei

ghtl

oss

prog

ram

180

Fitn

ess

devi

ces

163

On

site

phys

icia

nvi

sits

157

Exe

rcis

eco

mpe

titio

n

149

Bio

met

ricsc

reen

ing

137

Per

sona

lhea

lthda

shbo

ard

126

Life

styl

eco

achi

ng

100

HR

A

74

Em

otio

nala

ndm

enta

lwel

lnes

ssu

ppor

t

71

Hea

lthco

nten

t

71

Con

ditio

nm

anag

emen

t

70

Sm

okin

gce

ssat

ion

46

25% 15% 7%16% 12%14%33% 18%22% 6% 2%5%14% 9% 6%% of ShapeUprespondents

29% 18% 8%16% 14%18%33% 18%19% 11% 10%11%13% 12% 10%% of Tolunarespondents

Q: Which aspects of your company’s health-related program do you think have the most room for

improvement? (Please select up to three areas for improvement)

Employees say the programs they want the most—exercise, nutrition, and

weight loss offerings—are the ones that need the most improvement


# o

f M

entio

ns


• Over 90% of employees who have utilized any aspect of their company’s wellness

program say they are likely or very likely to do so, indicating a high level of program

satisfaction.

• Two-thirds of participants say that their company’s wellness program has helped them to

reach one or more of their personal fitness goals, a surprisingly high success rate.

• For employees who say their program has helped them achieve success, factors

included the motivation provided by the program, the ease and convenience of

participating at work, and social engagement with colleagues.

• For employees who did not meet personal goals, some cited a lack of knowledge of

available programs, a shortage of time to engage while at work, and the lack of an

onsite fitness facility.

• Employees say onsite fitness facilities and programs for exercise, nutrition, and

weight loss all need improvement.

Key Takeaways – Are Employees Satisfied With Their Wellness Program?


How Can Employers Help Their

Employees Succeed?


0

20

40

60

80

100%

Respondents

I feel there is a lack ofinternal support for the

program

The program isdisorganized/overlycomplex

The program isinconvenient

The program is not fun orexciting

Other

The program does not meet any ofmy wellness needs/goals

I don't know enough aboutthe program offered

I am concerned aboutconfidentiality

n=1,743

I don't have enoughenergy / motivation

/ self-discipline

I have met my initial goal (s)and I'm not longer motivated

0

20

40

60

80

100%

Mentions

Cost

Website difficulties

Not enough incentives

Part Time/ineligible

Inconvenient

No time/busy

Not helpful

Unsure of offering/don'tlike selection

No one was motivated

Confusing

Privacy issues

Other

Don't know

Not enough information

Not enough options

Will do on my own

Question company motives

n=122

Barriers to participation include lack of time, low motivation, perception of

the program as unexciting, and inconvenient or confusing program design

Q: What are reasons you are not participating? Q: Why are you unlikely to use your employer’s

wellness program in the future?

Don’t know

Confusing

Privacy

issues

I have met my initial goal(s) and I’m

no longer motivated


0

100

200

300

400

500

I don't have enoughtime or motivation to

exercise

n=412

I don't know whatexercise I need to do

to lose weight

n=210

I don't have enoughsupport

n=204

I don't know what Ineed to do to eat

more healthily

n=161

I don't know what Ineed to do to lose

weight

n=119

22%29%38%75% 37%% ofrespondents

Q: When trying to lose weight, what are the two biggest challenges you face?

By far, the biggest challenge to achieving weight loss is not having enough

time or motivation to exercise


# o

f M

entio

ns


0

100

200

300

Moreexercise

n=253

n=193n=186

n=162n=156

n=139

Exerciseclasses at

work

n=105

Discountson gym

membership

n=105

Supportfrom

peoplearound me

n=103

Support toeat morehealthily

n=90

Trackingmy

exerciseand eating

n=77

Trackingmy weight

lossprogress

n=52

n=38

35% 19% 19%34% 28% 25% 19%46% 7%9%14%29% 16%% ofrespondents

Financialincentives

Incorporatingworking out

into my daily life

Makingweight lossmore fun

Overcomingthe motivation

barrier

Personalcoaching

Understandingmy health risks

better

Q: Of the following factors, which three would make the most difference in helping you to lose weight?

Employees say that more exercise opportunities, financial incentives, and

finding ways to make it fun would increase their chances of losing weight


# o

f M

entio

ns



0

10

20

30

40

50

On-

site

availa

bility

More

time

during

the

day

n=46

Bette

r facility

hours

n=27

More

conve

nient

n=22

Gym

mem

bers

hipdis

coun

ts

n=14

More

of myco

work

ersdid

it

n=13

Free

n=10

Incen

tives

n=7

Don't

know

n=37

Noth

ing

n=29

n=49

People who don’t participate in their company’s exercise programs cite

specific factors that would make them more likely to do so

Q: What, if anything, might make you participate in your wellness program’s exercise offerings?

# o

f M

entio

ns


Q: What, if anything, might make you participate in your wellness program’s weight loss offerings?

People who don’t participate in their company’s weight loss programs say

making the program free and finding more time at work would help

0

10

20

30

Free

More

time

during

the

day

n=17

Ince

ntives

n=14

More

conve

nient

n=13

Bet

ter fa

cility

hours

n=10

Mor

eva

riety

Bet

ter pu

blicity

n=9

Bette

rpr

ogra

m

n=8

Mycow

orker

sdi

dit

with

me

n=8

Mot

ivat

ion

n=8

n=25

n=10

# o

f M

entio

ns


• Lack of time was consistently named as a major barrier to engagement.

• Lack of motivation is highly cited as a reason for not participating or not

achieving fitness and weight loss goals.

• Fun and excitement are missing from corporate wellness programs,

according to many employees.

• People who don’t participate in their company’s exercise programs say that

on-site availability and more time during the day would make them more

likely to do so.

• People who don’t participate in their company’s weight loss programs say they

would be more likely to do so if their employer offered incentives and if they

had more time during the day.

Key Takeaways – How Can Employers Help Their Employees Succeed?


Recommendations

for Employers


Focus your corporate wellness program on your employees’ three main health

goals: exercise, nutrition, and weight loss.

Physical activity-related offerings reign supreme as the most popular wellness

programs, so be sure to make a variety of exercise options available.

Onsite exercise facilities are in high demand, and employees say existing

ones need improvement. Invest in office gyms, not just for large offices but

even smaller ones too.

Employees say they value preventive screenings, indicating a desire to “know

their numbers” and identify potential future health problems. Continue to

invest in biometric screenings and preventive care options.

Opportunities to engage with co-workers are cherished, so make sure to

promote programs that are group-facilitated or team-based.

Recommendations – What Wellness Programs To Offer to Employees


Employees say they most want to improve their health, so continue to use this

as the main call to action when marketing wellness programs to them.

Focus on making wellness program communications bolder and simpler, since

many employees say they don’t know what is offered and that programs

appear complicated.

Employees frequently cite fitness tracking devices as a popular program

feature, so consider investing in these tools as incentives for enrollment.

Help employees to increase their motivation to engage through the use of

financial incentives, competitions, and public recognition.

Balance monetary incentives with social incentives, as employees say both

are powerful drivers of engagement.

Keep monetary incentives simple, and focus on cash or large prizes.

Recommendations – How To Drive Higher Employee Engagement


Lack of time is a major barrier to health improvement, so promote exercise

breaks and help employees to prioritize healthy activities during the day.

Find ways to build in more exercise opportunities at work, such as organizing

walking groups, designing walking trails, and hosting sports tournaments.

Seek more effective and robust exercise, nutrition, and weight loss programs

– employees say those that are already available have room for improvement.

Try to offer as many programs as possible free-of-charge, especially weight

loss programs, and more employees will take advantage of the programming.

Find ways to add fun and excitement to your wellness program through

games, technology, competitions, prizes, edgier marketing, and humor.

Recommendations – How To Help Employees Reach Their Goals

About This Survey

This is the first edition of what will be an annual employee wellness survey conducted by ShapeUp. We

sincerely thank the employees who generously took the time to participate in this survey. It is our hope

that this report serves as an informative resource for the entire wellness industry.

About ShapeUp

ShapeUp is the first employee wellness company focused on leveraging the power of trusted social

networks to promote healthy living. Founded in 2006 by two medical doctors, ShapeUp has pioneered

an innovative approach to behavior change that uses social networking technology to reduce health

care costs and improve the health of large populations through peer motivation, support, and

accountability. ShapeUp’s evidence-based social engagement platform covers two million people and

is used by more than 200 employers and health plans around the world.

How to Contact Us

If you would like to discuss the results of ShapeUp’s 2012 Employee Wellness Survey or learn more

about ShapeUp, please visit our website at www.shapeup.com, email us at [email protected],

or call us at 401.274.1577.

Copyright © 2012 ShapeUp, Inc. The content in this document is property of ShapeUp. 36

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