While most employees are interested in wellness programs, a majority underestimate the potential financial incentives they could earn by participating, according to a recent nationwide survey of employees by UnitedHealthcare.
The UnitedHealthcare Consumer Sentiment Survey, "Wellness Check Up," was conducted last month by ORC International, an independent research firm, among more than 600 employees.
Here are five survey findings.
1. Seventy-three percent of employees said they are interested in wellness programs.
2. More than half of employees (59 percent) with access to wellness programs said such programs have improved their health, and 85 percent of these employees said they are "somewhat aware" or "very aware" of the program details, the survey found.
3. However, 64 percent of employees underestimated the total value of financial incentives companies offer for participating in wellness programs, which average $742 per employee annually, according to the survey, which cites a recent study by the National Business Group on Health.
4. Researchers said 70 percent of employees want to take steps to improve their health, but 63 percent said they won't commit more than an hour per day to health-related activities, such as exercise or researching healthy food or recipes.
5. Twenty-five percent of employees own activity trackers, up from 13 percent in 2016, according to a previous UnitedHealthcare survey.