Craig Schmidt, a senior wellness consultant at EPIC, who has seen a strong focus on three main areas: mindfulness, stress, and financial wellness. Craig also said that this is a different trend compared to what has been done in the past about traditional wellness programs where the industry will identify a chronic disease risk and mind their efforts only on nutrition, activity and avoiding a chronic condition.
Financial wellness and college debt are a growing concern and employers want to assist and help employees be better, but in these times it is uncharted territory that it's unknown to us what the results of the programs get, Schmidt added.
As cited on CBIZ, Emily Noll, a national director of wellness solutions at CBIZ, told more employers are seeking mindfulness and resiliency programs on a regular basis to minimize stress and upgrade employee engagement.
Noll said that CEOs and CFOs paid much attention to the data of benefits of meditation practice, yoga and other techniques that make their employee equipped to solve problems and avoid conflict.
A workplace possibilities practice consultant at The Standard, Jeff Smith, shared that when his company partners with clients to assist with wellness programs, they seek to work with them to inform the employees the available mental wellness programs.
When Schmidt looked ahead to the coming year, he predicted a more focus on mental, emotional and mindfulness employees in the workplace.
Schmidt declared that Millennials are known to be the job hoppers and now make up a significant portion of the workforce. Retention of these employees is gotta have an outstanding eye in the battle for talent. Also according to Cort Olsen, Noll agrees with Schmidt's prediction of an emphasis on corporate culture.
Ahead of Lawley's wellness team, Julie Ciura shared that she is kept track of the new EEOC rules going into 2017 which will be put more explicit language on how employers can incentivize their employees as cited on Lawley Insurance.
Ciura cited As of Jan. 1, based on the EEOC new rules; the group can no longer do benefit differentials for incentives. They have to include, some disclosure standpoints, and there's impact to the amount of participation-based programs. In addition to what is currently in existence for outcome-based programs as well as what spouses can earn, if they are included. Helping clients navigate through these new rules coming next year is likely to be a top priority for consultants says the Cort Olsen.
