More Companies Resolve to Promote Wellness in ’08

Healthy Help: Fed up with the spiraling costs of health insurance, companies are shifting their attention to advocating that their employees pursue healthier lifestyles. Insurance company MetLife says in a study that nearly 30 percent of all companies presently offer some form of wellness program to employees, including roughly half of large companies (those with at least 500 full-time employees). Wellness credits are a popular mechanism to encourage employees to take part. Overall, 17 percent of employers (including 31 percent of larger firms) give credits to employees who follow wellness guidelines like health checkups, nutrition programs, dieting and exercise. Conversely, one in 10 companies impose financial penalties on employees who don’t toe the line, including 19 percent of larger firms.