Employers should design wellbeing programmes around three core behavioural elements.
This is according to Gary Impett, head of corporate business at Vitality, (pictured) who told delegates at the Reward and Employee Benefits Association Employee Wellbeing Congress last week that companies need to understand that people tend to be overly optimistic about their health, that they seek instant gratification and they dislike losing something twice as much as gaining it.
Impett revealed Vitality found misplaced optimism about their health was rife among certain groups. When the firm asked members how they felt about their health, half of respondents with four or more health risks – people who will have conditions later on down the line – thought they were in good health.
Impett also revealed Vitality has discovered that its members craved instant gratification.
While some members were happy to take up a massive airline discount if they engaged in activity and healthy behaviour for a year, the firm found the offer of a weekly free coffee was more successful as a reward for increased physical activity among members.
And according to Impett, the idea that people dislike losing something twice as much as they like losing it was borne out in further Vitality research.
The provider gave members a free Apple watch which was free or heavily discounted if they just exercising and kept active. But as soon as they stopped, they started losing money and were charged for the watch. Impett revealed Vitality found people carried on taking on the activity to the tune of 35% more activity for those members with an Apple watch versus current members without an Apple watch.
“It’s not about education,” Impett said. “Humans just don’t do the right thing and we need that behavioural economic nudge to do the right thing.
“I would say the three elements – the instant gratification, the uncovering of optimism bias and loss aversion – if you can get any of those into your programme, you will start changing the dial.”