CORPORATE WELLNESS CHALLENGE FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How far in advance do we need to book a talk with Ben?

Ben is typically booked out 8-10 months in advance. If you are interested in a live or virtual talk with Ben, we can start coordinating immediately in order to agree on a date and time that works well for everyone.

 

What is the minimum participation for the programs?

At this time, we are considering groups of all sizes! However, the greatest participation typically comes from groups of 8-10 or more.

 

Can we use our insurance benefits?

Yes! If your company offers HSA benefits to employees, your employees can use their benefits to pay for the program. For companies that offer this benefit, we typically recommend subsidizing part of the program as an incentive and encouraging employees to use their HSA for the remaining portion.

 

Can we get tax breaks for implementing a wellness program?

Yes! Programs that offer a reward based on achievable metrics can apply for a tax credit through the affordable care act. Those companies seeking a tax incentive are encouraged to incur the cost of the program for employees as part of their reward in order to be eligible for the tax benefit.

 

How do wellness programs decrease my health care premiums?

For companies with greater than 50 employees, health insurance companies use a variety of metrics to determine premium costs, including claims history and tobacco use. By implementing a wellness program, health risks are decreased and the incidence of high-cost claims from employees decreases. Over time, that decrease can reduce the cost of premiums. Oftentimes, employers do not know the health status of their employees, and our intake forms can identify areas that can be improved that may directly lead to a decrease in claims. Additionally, if a company chooses to participate in the biometric screening add-on, many insurance companies offer direct discounts to those who submit to such testing and take actions to decrease their risk. 

 

How long will it take to see the effects of the wellness program?

Employees will immediately see the results of their participation in our programs. This will increase morale and immediately help them to feel better, improve their health, and decrease strain on the company through sick days and presenteeism. Although much more research is still needed, it typically takes 2-3 years for a company to see a direct return on their investment in wellness programs. That being said, over a 3 year period, a company can expect to see a 3.6 to 1 savings/costs.

 

How can a wellness program really improve the health of my employees?

The “standard American diet” and a sedentary lifestyle are two of the biggest contributing factors to chronic illness in our society. By improving the nutritional habits and activity levels of individuals, so many measurable factors can be improved. For every 1% drop in total cholesterol, the risk of heart attack decreases by 2-3% and for every 1% drop in blood pressure, the risk of heart disease decreases by 2-3%. Our programs are also designed to decrease stress, depression, and increase life satisfaction which also contributes to the physical health of employees.

 

How does your wellness program influence my bottom line?

For every dollar spent on proper wellness programming, like the programs offered by Ben Greenfield Corporate Wellness, companies can expect a $3.27 return on their investment. Healthcare costs for employers that implement wellness programs rise 15% slower, saving an average of $332/employee. Costs incurred by employers for wellness programs can be submitted for tax breaks and insurance incentives. All of these things decrease costs and increase rewards that can be reallocated to different areas of need in a company or returned to enhance wellness spending for employees. 

 

Why do I need a wellness program like yours? Why not someone else? Why not something cheaper?

In order for a wellness program to be truly effective in influencing health and saving money in health care costs, it needs to be comprehensive and include a variety of elements. By choosing Ben Greenfield Corporate Wellness programs, you are delegating the task of wellness to people who have been working tirelessly to help people thrive in their health for over 20 years. We take all of the guesswork from you by asking your employees what they want and need and then creating an exceptional program that challenges them but celebrates their success and rewards them both intrinsically and extrinsically. Although our programs run for 6 weeks, our goal is to give them skills that last a lifetime and contribute to long-term change and success. 

 

Why is it so expensive? Can I get a discount?

The average corporate wellness program can range anywhere from $36-300+/participant. Many of the programs on the bottom end of the range offer only access to an app where participation is at the full discretion of the employee. Our program offers a “high touch” model where we run our modules out of an app, but we offer live zoom calls, interactive tasks, a community board, and so much more to keep employees engaged in their health both digitally and physically. Discounts are offered for greater enrollment, but the Ben Greenfield Corporate wellness programs are the most cost-effective way to get wellness coaching from folks with over 20 years of experience. 

 

Can you teach group exercise classes?

Yes! Our coaches can teach group exercises classes for your company participants either virtually or in-person in a variety of different formats. Classes are $200-300 depending on format and location. If a coach is traveling to your location, travel, and incidentals will also need to be provided by the company.

 

How exactly can I get a discount for our company health insurance?

Each insurance company is different, so I always recommend speaking to your insurance provider about how implementing a corporate wellness program can decrease your health insurance premiums. In general, when a health insurance provider is determining premiums for a company, they take into consideration things like smoking status and previous claims from employees. Over time, by improving the health of your individual employees, high-cost claims are reduced which can trickle down to lower health insurance premiums. Additionally, some insurance providers offer direct discounts for companies that implement wellness initiatives or have employees complete biometric testing, which we offer as an add-on service! 

 

How exactly can my company get a tax break?

Through the Affordable Care Act, companies can claim money spent on a corporate wellness program on their taxes for a tax break, if the program meets certain criteria. Primarily, this means that the wellness program offers a reward given regardless of health metrics and is attainable by all employees. There must also be an alternative reward given to those who can not participate for valid reasons. An example of meeting these criteria would be offering to pay for an employee’s participation in the wellness challenge, regardless of performance. For those who can not participate in the challenge for a valid reason, the company gives an HSA credit to that employee for other health expenses.

 

What is the benefit of having Ben speak in person? Do you have any sample speaking topics?

Ben is the founder and original creator of much of the content that we use for our Corporate Wellness Programs. He has been working in the industry for over 20 years and brings with him an enthusiasm and passion for holistic health in a way that is contagious. He is the expert in the field and no one can spark excitement for making a health transformation quite as Ben can. Bringing him to speak allows that company to benefit from his knowledge and passion in a way that puts a face to a name and truly inspires employees. It also allows for a deep dive into some creative and unconventional methods of health management. For companies that are mostly remote or spend a lot of time at their desks, it is a time to spend together having an interactive experience that contributes to better health and wellness. Some sample speaking topics include:

Longevity and anti-aging

Dietary supplements

Biohacking tactics and technologies

Biochemical individuality, self-quantification, and customizing exercise, nutrition, and lifestyle practices for all different body types

Genetic testing and eating according to your ancestry

Fixing the gut, optimizing digestion, and balancing the microbiome

The in’s and out’s of ketosis and low carb diets

Male and female hormones, sexual health, and vitality

Maximizing endurance performance

Finding purpose, passion, and meaning in life

Parenting and raising healthy, resilient children

Extreme productivity and time hacking

How to create the perfect healthy office, home, working, and living environments

 

Can you provide specific metrics and data that will be tracked during the challenge, especially related to program engagement and overall success markers?

Metrics tracked in relation to overall success markers include weight, stress levels, well-being, sleeping patterns, vitality (self quantified), exercise habits, mindfulness habits, and nutrition habits. Engagement is based on the completion of weekly modules including learning material, participation in weekly action items, and participation in the weekly calls. We can also monitor engagement in add-on activities such as exercise through the Ladder app.

 

Can we include a partnership agreement and offer my company’s products as prizes or get a podcast ad space/social media shoutout on Ben’s channels as part of the package?

We are always looking for new opportunities to partner with companies that align with our mission at Ben Greenfield Life. Please let your Corporate Coaching Coordinator know if you are interested in a partnership, and they will connect you with the appropriate resources. 

 

How new is this program? / What companies have you worked with in the past? / What type of results have you seen from running these programs?

Ben Greenfield Life has been offering coaching services to individuals for over 20 years. We have been offering Wellness and Transformation Challenges to private and public clients for about 2 years now. We are excited to embark on this new area of coaching and are excited to apply all that we have learned to expand our reach and touch the lives of so many who are in need in this space. We have worked with employees and executives from companies, but on an individual basis. You can find testimonials in your welcome packet or click here to see some examples of transformations through our coaching! 

 

Can I speak with a company that has done this before to get their perspective on the experience?

In order to allow our clients to remain anonymous, we cannot share their information publicly. However, please check out our testimonials for a better idea of our client’s experience in our programs!

 

How much additional workload on our HR dept. should we expect to get the program set up? What’s the time commitment?

The purpose of our programming is to take the burden off the company, and really allow them to delegate the task of wellness to us. There will be a time commitment of approximately 2-3 hours for introductory sessions and onboarding regarding the program created for the company. The company will also need to provide us with contact information for employees so that we can send marketing and registration materials. If a company is paying for the employees registration or they are using an HSA account as a company, there will be a time commitment related to that. Beyond that, we take responsibility for the education and wellness, although we always welcome participation from all members of the organization!

 

We are not ready to commit right now, can we reserve a space for next quarter and consider it then?

Commitment should only be made when you are sure this is the right solution for your company. Keep in mind that building a program takes about 1-2 months and scheduling with Ben for talks can take up to 8-10 months.

 

What types of prizes can you offer or what suggestions do you have?

Prizes that we typically offer include:

• Continued access to practice better for 2 months
• 3 month access to the Ladder app
• 60-minute consult with a BGL coach
• A Fitness of nutrition plan from BGL coach
• Discounts of BGL services
• A book from Ben’s collection

 Prizes that we suggest for companies:

• Monetary deposit into employees HSA account
• Additional PTO
• Team lunch
• Fitness tracker 
• Gift card to a local spa
• Gift card to a local health food store