Incentivizing Health: How a Dealer’s Wellness Program Can Reduce Benefits Costs

Friendship Family of Dealerships has implemented a wellness program in 2021 to help reduce their benefits costs for employees. The program focuses on four areas of employee health: physical, financial, environmental and emotional. The program encourages healthier lifestyle choices and is delivering improvements in team morale and increased productivity. Challenges are implemented to motivate employees to practice healthier habits such as drinking water, exercising and spending time outside. For example, a monthlong hydration challenge provides employees with reusable water bottles and encourages them to drink more water, with prizes such as gift cards given out at the end of the challenge. The program has already seen success, with one of the group’s health insurance plans dropping in cost for employees by 26 percent and the amount that Friendship’s medical plan paid out per employee dropping by 23 percent. The commitment to employee health extends to dealership activities as well, with healthier food options being offered at team meetings. 84 percent of the 490 full-time employees at the dealerships have participated in the wellness program, with the only costs being the prizes. The insurance savings, lifestyle improvements and cultural impact have made the program “worth every dollar”.

The importance of employee health and wellbeing has been highlighted in recent years, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Companies such as Friendship Family of Dealerships are leading the way in creating wellness programs to benefit their employees. Such programs can provide numerous benefits, from reducing health insurance costs to promoting healthier lifestyle choices. It is important for companies to recognize the importance of employee health and wellbeing and to ensure they are taking steps to ensure their employees are taken care of. With the right program in place, companies can boost morale and productivity, while also providing their employees with the resources they need to lead healthier lives.