OPINION S
pas thinking of getting into cor- porate wellness should start by
PETER SMITH
looking at their own work- force. When Mel and Enid Zuckerman set up Canyon Ranch in 1979, they believed success would be down to employees connecting with guests. So, they encouraged staff to use the gym, attend the lectures on health and lifestyle and, when invited, have meals with guests. It was really the beginning of a corporate wellness programme – it just wasn’t called that. In 2008, we formalised our Life
Enhancement Program. We encouraged staff to participate in onsite wellness and fi tness classes with giſt , book and movie certifi cates. Around 30-40 per cent got involved, but it seemed like it was only those already engaging in healthy lifestyle. So, in 2009, we required all employ-
ees in our health insurance plan – where Canyon Ranch pays towards medical insurance and covers medical costs – to
COO, Canyon Ranch
complete a health risk assessment. T is amounted to roughly 1,200 eligible employees out of a 2,200-strong workforce. In return, we provided a monetary ‘well credit’ as a healthy discount towards their monthly health insurance. T en in 2010, we required them to also
complete onsite biometric tests which included measuring blood pressure, glu- cose levels, cholesterol/triglyceride levels, body composition percentage and BMI as well as screening for breast, cervical, colon and prostate cancer. Alternatively, they could opt for an annual physical at their doctors. In return, we doubled the value of their well credit and 98 per cent of eli- gible employees took part. Last year, we opened it out to family members aged 18
The average amount we spend on healthcare for [programme] participants is 14 per cent a month less than the national average, saving us thousands a year
S
p as ha ve a unique opportu- nity in employee wellness to posi-
CORPORATE WELLNESS
and above and 92 per cent participated (while the number of doctors visits rose by 7.3 per cent). T e annual screen-
ings are supplemented by 14-18 monthly fi tness ses-
sions, classes on health and lifestyle topics and weight management and eating pro- grammes. Uniquely, they can also spend a week at our Tucson resort at far less than cost. During their stay they learn take- home healthy lifestyle strategies. While this obviously comes at [an undis-
closed] expense, the results from 2010 to 2011 speak for themselves. Our high risk population dropped by 6.8 per cent in the blood pressure category and by 6.4 per cent per cent in cholesterol ratios. And since 2008, our healthcare costs have only risen by 4.9 per cent compared to the industry average of 8.9 per cent and the US average of 11.5 per cent. T e average amount we spend on healthcare for par- ticipants is also 14 per cent less a month than the national average which saves us thousands a year.
Canyon Ranch, a respected destination resort spa operator, has three properties in the US in Tucson, Lenox and Miami. Details:
www.canyonranch.com.
tion themselves as pivotal to addressing ongoing health maintenance. T ey already have much of what’s needed – not least the ability to manage stress – so it’s just a case of appropriately positioning themselves and engaging stakeholder attention. T e biggest obstacle, however, is to moti-
BETTY WEINKLE VP Worklife Wellness, SpaFinder Wellness
But what makes a good incentive? Classic
vate employees to participate in wellness programmes – it’s not enough just to have the off ering and that’s where incentives come in. A study released by the National Busi- ness Group on Health in June found that 57 per cent of employees agreed that incen- tive-based health and wellness programmes had a better than expected success rate at increasing employee participation and that 73 per cent of employers use fi nancial incen- tives to do this. It also found that incentive spending per employee is up again – us$460 (€375, £293) in 2011, compared to us$430 (€351, £274) in 2010 and us$260 (€212, £166) back in 2009.
attributes are that incentives are aspirational; that they’re achievable, so employees have a reasonable opportunity to earn them; and that they leave a lasting impression and cre- ate some kind of feeling of goodwill. It’s important that each incentive is tai-
lored to meet an individual’s needs and to stretch them to move the needle – whether in wellness, sales or any other behaviour. A blanket approach could have the opposite eff ect, with some employees reaching targets and being rewarded and others missing out and feeling discouraged. As a caution, however, I would not advise
operators to survey their participants/ employees and ask them what incentives they’d like. Because what they want, might not be what’s best for them –like giving candy to a baby. Similarly, beware of rewards
26 Read Spa Business online
spabusiness.com / digital
that could backfi re such as giſt cards for a supermarket which could just as easily be redeemed on cigarettes and alcohol as on healthy food. In this respect, I think spas could position themselves in
a very positive way: as a reward and incen- tive for employee wellness programmes. T is is certainly what we’re focusing on with our new Worklife Wellness giſt card off ering. Indeed, giſt cards are a popular incentive
and they’re rapidly becoming a key driver of wellness programme success stories. In a Compdata Survey, of those companies off er- ing incentives, 38.7 per cent use giſt cards. But there are other types to consider too – in the survey, 25.4 per cent of employers also provide medical insurance discounts; 29.6 per cent off er contributions to health savings accounts and another 28.8 per cent off er free health and fi tness memberships.
Weinkle has 25 year’s experience in the incen- tives industry. She recently joined SpaFinder to help develop its Worklife Wellness off ering. Details www.spafi
nder.com
SPA BUSINESS 3 2012 ©Cybertrek 2012
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