The 2019 Incentivized Wellness Program (IWP) begins with our new fiscal year Oct. 1, 2018, and ends Sept. 30, 2019. Health & Employee Wellness (HEW) offers this voluntary program as a way to engage employees and encourage them to make healthy lifestyle choices. The program offers benefit-eligible employees an opportunity to earn wellness credits, or points, which are translated into financial incentives ($150 for every 20,000 points up to 80,000 or $600 maximum) and applied toward their 2020 Argonne medical plan premiums. All points are tracked through Virgin Pulse, Argonne’s online wellness platform.
This year, the program will focus on stress management. Employees will learn how changing their perception of, and responses to, life’s daily stresses can lead to better health and greater well-being. In line with our core values, learning to handle stress helps us all work more safely, respecting others and functioning well in our teams — ultimately allowing us to do our most impactful work.
While the overall program format is familiar, the point schedule is adjusted each year to best encourage those activities which align with the chosen focus and promote year-round engagement with Virgin Pulse. See Inside Argonne for more details on this year’s point structure.
Some highlights of the 2019 program are:
- The new Whil application, accessed through Virgin Pulse, offers a variety of mindfulness training that teachwa stress management skills. More than 130 different award-winning programs, with topics ranging from anxiety and grief to leadership and women in STEM, are available. The short audio or video sessions are worth up to 20 points daily, while completion of a whole program is worth up to 200 points per week. Together with other Whil rewards, employees can earn up to 21,120 points this year just by using the Whil program.
- The 4LIFE lecture: Handling Stress with Success, worth 20,000 points, will be offered live monthly and also online as an elective course in TMS.
- Monthly 20-minute seminars on topics such as mindful eating, gratitude and tips to strengthen resilience will be offered by Employee Assistance Program staff, including our new onsite counselor, Steven Uhrik, LCSW, CEAP, as well as HEW clinical staff. These seminars will be worth 1,000 points each, have associated monthly healthy habit challenges worth 500 points each and will also be available as online courses in TMS.
- The clinical health screening will not include bloodwork this year and can be scheduled anytime in the HEW clinic. Screenings earn employees 10,000 points.
- The health assessment will continue to be offered through Virgin Pulse, and employees will earn 10,000 points for completing this comprehensive survey and receiving personalized advice on health habits and risks.
- For a complete list of point-earning activities, select the Rewards Tab in Virgin Pulse and scroll to “How to Earn.”
Earning 80,000 points during the 12-month program year is easy if you start participating early in the year. Join us in learning how taking a positive, proactive approach to managing stress can make work, and all of life, more productive and rewarding.