Some companies in the United States have developed "wellness” programs that give rewards or incentives to employees for achieving certain health-related goals, such as stopping smoking or losing weight. The rewards and incentives include csh prizes, extra insurance fees (in the United States, health insurance fees are usually shared between the employer and the employee).Several arguments have been put forward in favour of the incentive programs.
First, the awards and incentives arc an excellent motivational tool for people to adopt healthy lifestyles. Many people would like to quit smoking or lose weight, but have difficulty getting started. The incentives provide the extra motivation on they need. One study suggests that giving people a cash incentive of 750 significantly increase their chances of quitting smoking. And in another study, people who got cash incentives were more likely to lose weight than those who did not.
Second, the advocates of incentive programs argue that rewarding people who are willing to adopt healthier lifestyles is only being fair. People who exercise, eat healthy diets, and maintain a healthy weight, for example, are less likely to incur medical smaller health insurance fees or get more vacation days.
Third, although the wellness incentive cost a lot of money for companies, the incentives save companies money in the long term. Losses in employee productivity due to illness can be very expensive for employers; programs that help health problems are chaep by comparison. For example, incentive programs have been shown to reduce the risk of diabetes and heart disease. The cost of the incentives given by a company to its employees to maintain their health through prevention programs is much less than the financial losses to a company caused by employees missing work due to illness and hospitalization.
Narrator: Now, listen to part of a lecture on the topic you just read about.
Lecturer: The incentive programs the reading talks about are not such a good idea. Here’s why. First, it’s true that the incentives provide some immediate motivation. But does the motivation really last? The studies cited in the passage only talk about the immediate results. Someone quitting smoking or losing weight. But when similar studies follow the participants of the incentive programs, over a long period, two years for example, the found that a lot of people went back to their old habits again. They started smoking again, or, regained some or most of the weight they’d lost. So, while there maybe some benefits, they’re not as impressive in the long run as the reading implies. Second, is it really fair that people who manage to control their weight for example, should get greater results than those who don’t? The ability to maintain a healthy weight, depends on many factors. Some people cannot really find the time to exercise, because they have very busy family lives, taking care of their children, or parents. And, for some people, the ability to control their weight is very difficult, because the tendency to be overweight, is genetic. It runs in their family. Is it really fair that these people should pay higher health insurance fees, or get less vacation when they really don’t have the same control because of their family obligations or, genetically determined tendencies? Third, even if the incentive programs lead to some health benefits, it’s not clear that they help companies save money. You see, the benefits of adopting healthy lifestyles often take years to show up. But most employees don’t stay with a single company for that long. Often, a company spends money on the incentive program, but does not see any financial benefits, because employees leave for jobs in other companies.
