Get Up & Go! Employer Challenge
Choosing an Incentive Program
According to WELCOA, incentives, when used effectively, can create a buzz, increase
participation and, ultimately, promote behavior change. Incentive strategies can be set up in
many different ways. The strategy chosen should be based directly on the measures of success
laid out within the program’s objectives. Listed below is a step by step guide to assist you in
maximizing the incentives offered.
Step 1. Determine a budget limit.
Step 2. Create objectives for this employer challenge by answering the following question:
What are the outcomes needed to label this program a success?
Example objectives may include:
1. 50% participation from eligible employees
2. 95% satisfaction rate from participants
3. 80% reporting that the Get Up & Go! program motivated them to increase their level of
physical activity
4. 40% of participants earning more than 150 points per week (More than 150 minutes of
cardiovascular exercise, resistance training and/or stretching per week)
Step 3. Create an incentive structure that supports meeting your specific objectives
Listed below are examples of different structures that support potential objectives.
1. Incentive program with a focus on PARTICIPATION.
Participant’s word of mouth is a valuable tool to gain participation. One way of using this to
your advantage is to have a set number of employees or points participants must reach
before a prize is given. The goal is to have participants encourage their fellow co-workers to
join and participate so the incentive will be given.
Example: If 35% of our employees participate in this program, the company will provide a
free lunch, jeans day, PTO, prizes…. Or…. the company must reach at least__?__points
before a prize will be given out.
Another method would be to have participants individually reach a set number of points to
win a prize. The bonus with this idea is that participants know that by completing the
expectations, they’ll get the prize. This method will give employees more of an incentive to
participate since they know they’ll win something.
Example: If you reach 900 points, you will get to choose a prize from these options…..
2. Incentive program with a focus on SATISFACTION.
With this objective, your goal is for participants to have fun. What would make participating
in an exercise challenge fun?
Example: If 25% of employees participate in the exercise challenge and 15% of participants
reach 1000 points, participants will get to throw a pie in the face of their CEO (or some
upper management).
3. Incentive program for ACHIEVING BENCHMARKS.
With this approach, you can set up your incentive program using a point’s bracket system.
When participants reach the first bracket, they’ll get their name in a drawing. As
participants increase their physical activity, they’ll reach more brackets which put their
name in the raffle drawing more times. The prize will have to be big enough to grab their
attention since it’s not guaranteed they’d win. (TV, bike, iPod….)
Maintaining an increase in physical activity
In order for participants to continue exercising, it would be a good idea to have consistent
motivation built. For this to work, provide more opportunities to win for participants who
continue to exercise.
Example: For every 50 points after 900 points, participants will receive their name in a
drawing for a new bike, ipad, etc…..
Step 4. Use incentives with a high perceived value that fit within your price range. See
Absolute Advantage article below for ideas.
*Work with your accounting team to determine tax implications for providing items chosen
above.
*Note: Depending on the structure of your incentive program, an alternative standard may
need to be offered.
For the whole article, go to: http://www.welcoa.org/freeresources/pdf/aa_apr08_uitmp.pdf