The Society for Human Resource Management's (SHRM) yearly Employee Benefits Survey recently found that more businesses are investing in worker wellness programs, which includes health coaches, smoking cessation programs and insurance premium discounts for employees that perform health-risk assessments. Evren Esen, the director of surveying programs at SHRM, explained that many employers believe they will see a return on investment by giving employees more benefits related to wellness programs, according to the Daily Journal.
"It may take three to five years before they see a difference," said Esen, according to the source. "But it shows a return."
However, other benefits are seeing a dip with companies such as long-term health care insurance, which only 24 percent of surveyors said they will offer in 2014, according to SHRM. The drop in long-term care insurance is down from 31 percent just four years ago.
"Companies had to do this anyway because of the recession," Esen added, according to the Daily Journal. "They've been looking at their benefits and, rather than offering everything for everyone, they're being more strategic."
Wellness programs are increasing especially since the U.S. Center of Disease Control released a study that showed overall obesity in workers had reached nearly 25 percent.