--- title: "Wellness Incentives : Creating a Healthier Siouxland" description: What are local businesses doing to reduce their costs and increase employee health? 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With incentives ranging from a free pedometer all the way up to 30% off health insurance premiums, programs vary greatly across industries and company size. Many employees see it as a great way to save some money or get a free gym membership. But for employers, it is usually part of a long-term plan to reduce insurance costs. So what are local businesses doing to reduce their costs and increase employee health? **Iowa : One Company’s Unique Approach** Businessolver[\[1\]](https://blog.goosmannlaw.com/human-resources-on-your-side/wellness-incentives-creating-a-healthier-siouxland#_ftn1), an Iowa benefits technology company, took its wellness incentive program to the next level. The maximum benefit was 3 additional paid days of vacation per year. Employees could earn those vacation hours through a variety of health promotion programs. The most intense of those? Holding a plank for the entirety of “Thunderstruck,” with the added difficulty of dropping a push up each time the titular word was said—a total of 34 times! Businessolver's approach appears to work for its employees because the company's insurance premiums were able to remain comparatively steady over several years. **Nebraska : Statewide Survey Shows Promise** The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services first administered the Nebraska Worksite Wellness Survey in 2010. In 2016[\[2\]](https://blog.goosmannlaw.com/human-resources-on-your-side/wellness-incentives-creating-a-healthier-siouxland#_ftn2), a total of 881 small businesses (10-49 employees), 839 medium businesses (50-200 employees) and 200 large businesses (more than 200 employees) participated in the survey, yielding a total response of rate of 38.6%. Respondents of the survey represented a wide variety of sectors across the state. Twenty-three percent (23%) of worksites surveyed had policies supporting employee physical fitness and twenty-four percent (24%) of worksites provided incentives for employees engaging in physical activity. These statistics show improvement over past years, but the results of the 2016 survey show that emphasis should be placed on providing resources, education and programming that helps to reduce the burden of the top three negative impacts on businesses today: stress, obesity, and lack of physical activity. More than half of businesses stated that time constraints were a barrier to successful worksite wellness at their worksite. Having a coordinator or committee responsible for employee health promotion or wellness is one way to address time constraints as a barrier, for those businesses with the resources to employ one. **South Dakota State Employees Reap Benefits** The South Dakota state employee benefits program[\[3\]](https://blog.goosmannlaw.com/human-resources-on-your-side/wellness-incentives-creating-a-healthier-siouxland#_ftn3) follows the model a lot of big businesses have adopted—employee participation in the wellness program results in a discount on health insurance premiums. Earning 100 Wellness Points is one of three wellness qualifications employees must complete in order to qualify for the Low Deductible Health Plan or earn the maximum State contribution for their Health Savings Account. Employees can earn Wellness Points in a variety of ways, including going to the dentist, getting a flu shot, or completing counseling sessions. Does your business offer a wellness incentive program? How effective is it? Consider instituting such a program or making small changes to your existing plan to improve your employees’ health and your company’s bottom line. If you need an employment law attorney in Iowa, South Dakota, or Nebraska, call Goosmann Law Firm today at 1-855-843-4531. 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