“The whole idea behind it was to encourage healthier employees and also as a way to control insurance costs,” Susan Helterbran, wellness coordinator for Champaign County, told the news source. “If you’ve got healthier employees that are more proactive about their health then it lowers insurance costs.”

She added this is the first year that county has offered an incentive program. It was created by the County Employee Benefits Consortium of Ohio, which is also the county’s insurance provider.

“This was something that CEBCO really encouraged counties to do with the grant funds to include some kind of incentive program to encourage employees to get their preventive screenings and exams and tests,” Helterbran added, telling the news source that the preventive health screenings will vary by age, gender and other factors.

Not all incentive programs offered by government employers prove successful. The federal General Services Administration recently suspended an employee awards program due in part to allegations that those who started the program were the ones benefiting the most from it. The Hats Off program was designed to reward workers with points that could be redeemed for gifts and other prizes, but investigators for the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee shut it down after managers were determined to be skimming from the top.

“The Hats Off award program degenerated into a taxpayer funded giveaway where employees handed out iPods to their office buddies for almost any reason,” said Representative John Mica, a Florida Republican and chairman of the House Transportation Panel. “Not surprisingly, the inspector general’s report identified the supervisors who ran the Hats Off store as the biggest winners of taxpayer swag.”

The survey polled chief financial officers at a variety of companies and found 41 percent of them said there is a lack of communication between the staff and upper levels of management, which is the most frequent misstep that businesses make when it comes to managing their respective teams.

In addition, 28 percent of CFO respondents cited a lack of recognition and praise as the most common misstep in team management. Employee recognition programs can go a long way in rewarding and recognizing the good work done by employees. Awards can be issued in a cash-based manner or through a trophy or plaque or with a free meal.

“Employees want to be kept in the loop and feel appreciated,” said Max Messmer, chairman of Accountemps and author of Human Resources Kit For Dummies second edition. “An organization can only be successful if its employees have the information and support they need to do their jobs well and a forum for two-way communication.”

Through Accountemps, the survey was conducted by an independent research firm and was based off interviews with more than 1,400 CFOs based off a stratified random sample of companies in the United States with at least 20 employees.

In conclusion, the survey found that managers can say or express five things on a regular basis to get more out of their employees including letting them know what is happening, asking if they have everything they need to accomplish certain tasks, thanking them for a job well done, inquiring about any challenges they may be experiencing, and getting their insight and opinion on what can be done to improve the company.

CFOs were recently polled on the value offered by providing medical coverage to employees. From the Integrated Benefits Institute, a nonprofit organization, the study found that despite healthcare reform, employers still see value in offering health benefits.

“While there is widespread speculation among employers, insurers, benefits professionals and corporate leadership as to how organizations will respond as this historic legislation is rolled out, it’s apparent that the C-suite sees the importance of medical coverage not only as a means to maintain a skilled workforce but also as a tool to be leveraged in improving employee health and productivity,” said Thomas Parry, president of IBI.

“Physical activity and employee wellness are important priorities at Apex,” said Sarah King, a human resources representative with the company. “We are honored and excited to be recognized by the American Heart Association as a Platinum-Level Fit-Friendly Company. We’re committed to providing the best workplace environment possible. This will benefit our employees’ health and produce even more positive results for our company overall.”

Founded in 1995, Apex Capital is a traditional long and short equity hedge fund manager operating in the United States, which manages offshore as well as domestic investment funds and separate accounts. The company is located in the San Francisco Bay Area and is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The platinum-level award is offered to companies that give their employees physical activity options as well as increase healthy eating options and promote a wellness culture all within in the work environment. Platinum-level employers also demonstrate measurable outcomes associated with workplace wellness and implement at least nine criteria outlined by the American Heart Association in the realms of nutrition, culture and physical activity.

Employees in companies everywhere are honored and recognized for more than just participating in corporate health and wellness initiatives. Highmark, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, recently had 12 of its employees selected as Jefferson Awards winners for their public service.

The Jefferson Awards were co-founded in 1972 by Jacqueline Kennedy, Sam Beard and U.S. Senator Robert Taft and are known as the “Nobel Prize’ for public service. The awards are named after Thomas Jefferson and are a prestigious recognition for any individual to receive.

“Highmark’s employees are truly in touch with the needs of the community and offer their selfless commitment to important organizations and programs each year,” said Dan Onorato, executive vice president, chief external affairs and communications officer of Highmark. “We are proud to honor them today with this distinguished award.”

With the Affordable Care Act altering how healthcare is administered, the report found that CFOs still place a high level of importance on providing employee medical coverage as it can have a positive impact on employee satisfaction, productivity and morale.

The ACA, signed into law by President Barack Obama after he took office and planned to go into effect by 2014, was the topic of arguments over its constitutionality and heard by the U.S. Supreme Court, which has yet to rule on it. However, employers across the country will have a decision to make regarding whether or not to drop coverage and push their employees, in bulk, toward individual insurance providers.

“These concerns indicate that CFOs see medical coverage as a competitive necessity in managing human capital, rather than simply a cost to be minimized,” said Thomas Parry, president of IBI. “While there is widespread speculation among employers, insurers, benefits professionals and corporate leadership as to how organizations will respond as this historic legislation is rolled out, it’s apparent that the C-suite sees the importance of medical coverage not only as a means to maintain a skilled workforce but also as a tool to be leveraged in improving employee health and productivity.”

As part of research into the mindset of CFOs everywhere regarding healthcare, IBI found that many still place a high value on providing medical coverage as a result of the satisfaction it offers employees as well as the opportunity to promote healthy behavior in the workplace and manage medical treatment to improve productivity in the workplace.

Companies that offer healthcare options to their employees can also use their plans to integrate employee incentive programs and initiatives to foster participation. Because obese and cigarette-smoking employees can raise overall healthcare costs, providing incentives and benefits to those who adopt healthy lifestyle choices can work to lower the bottom line of healthcare costs in the company.

“As noble as it is to celebrate employee health and fitness in the month of May, it makes better fiscal sense to implement a sustainable, long-term wellness program that can, over the long run, reduce company health costs, and increase employee productivity and morale,” said Healthyroads CEO and chairman George DeVries.

The web-based marketing community for restaurants provides nearby eateries with an affordable and effective customer loyalty program due in part to its online marketing strategy. Not just any coupon portal, the company’s website offers a platform that functions to attract new consumers to successful establishments and those offerings are now available in the southern part of the Sunshine State.

“We understand that private restaurant owners often don’t have the time, budget or experience to create a restaurant marketing strategy and use today’s Internet technology effectively,” said Tinka Hooper, company president. “That’s where FeedingFrenzee comes in. We help them get the word out about their establishment at a fraction of the cost to do it on their own. It levels the playing field. When these smaller, independent restaurants become part of our fast-growing community, they have the same marketing power as the big guys. They’re no longer David going up against Goliath.”

Restaurants that sign up receive a profile on FeedingFrenzee’s website that will be browsed by hungry nearby citizens. The companies also have the ability to decide the amount of discount they offer new customers, anywhere from 5 to 25 percent, or other offers, including a free appetizer or dessert with any purchase.

“FeedingFrenzee is a simple, inexpensive way for restaurants to explode their sales and profits,” Hooper added. “It helps them attract a steady stream of new customers while encouraging regular patrons to keep coming back. These restaurants no longer have to place costly print ads or track coupons. They get exposure to the entire FeedingFrenzee community, and the results are immediate.”

Loyalty and reward programs are also prevalent in the credit card industry. Loyalty initiatives through these companies can lead to easy ways to redeem points for attractive offerings including gifts and other products in addition to cash. Some customer loyalty programs through credit cards offer travel incentives as well, including airline miles and other deals and discounts from some of the world’s leading airline companies.

Since its launch, Prop has achieved numerous milestones, including attracting dozens of new clients to the company and distributing as many as 500,000 prepaid cards from Visa totaling $20 million in loaded or issued funds.

An acronym for Parago Reward Ordering Portal, Prop is a unique take on the employee recognition program as well as other loyalty initiatives between employee and customer. It provides large businesses and organizations with one hub for loading, customizing and activating prepaid cards from Visa for a variety of rewards and other incentives.

“Prop’s overwhelming popularity right out of the gates confirms that it is a useful solution to the many large companies that struggled with the reward and incentives purchasing and procurement process, which historically required coordination of multiple contracts with a number of approved vendors, various pricing schedules, and internal brand and legal review,” said Juli Spottiswood, president and CEO of Parago.

Human resources departments across numerous organizations and businesses can take advantage of the offerings related to employee recognition and customer loyalty provided through Parago and its Prop initiative. The one-stop web-based destination helps to simplify the prepaid incentive procurement process.

“Prepaid cards have long been a reward in our toolbox at Silverleaf, for both customers and employees,” said Anton Pomakov, senior vice president of marketing at Silverleaf Resorts, a Prop client. “Now, with Prop from Parago, we are able to easily order cards from our custom catalog – across the organization – simply and hassle-free. The portal works for all of our applications – we can order one or many cards, reload and activate all in one site, any time of day. The flexibility PROP provides is great for our business.”

A recent report from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration reveals that employee recognition and incentive programs related to workplace safety could lead to an increase or encouragement of whistle blowing, which can actually lower morale and productivity instead of promote it, which is one of the core beliefs behind safety-related incentive and recognition initiatives.

A take on the employee incentive program, wellness programs work to improve a company’s overall bottom line while encouraging employee participation through incentives, benefits and other offers. A successful wellness program will also improve morale and productivity overall as workers become actively engaged with their environment.

“Wellness programs are employers’ ‘next best hope’ for containing healthcare expenses,” said Tim Clifford, president of benefits services for national accounts at ADP, a leading provider of human resource management, payroll and benefits administration services.  “These programs can also increase productivity without the negative impact on employee morale of layoffs or cutting plan options – yet few companies are measuring their return on investment from wellness initiatives.”

The survey found that 79 percent of large companies and 44 percent of their mid-sized counterparts offer a wellness program of some kind, with more than 60 percent of these companies not measuring the return on their investment. However, the majority of these businesses reported their programs met or exceeded the expectations of their senior executives regarding the reduction of healthcare costs overall.

Incentive programs are employed by companies spanning all industries. Independence Blue Cross recently awarded the cost-effective, patient-focused primary care with a new incentive program that will benefit high-performing physicians and allow them to earn up to $37 million in incentives.

“We believe that by building a strong partnership with the physicians and hospitals that care for our members, we can – together – transform the delivery of healthcare in our region,” said Daniel Hilferty, IBC president and CEO. “Through our path-finding, highly rewarding incentive program for primary care physicians we are setting a new standard among health insurers nationally for progressive payment programs that reward the medical community for delivering the best possible care to members in the most cost-effective way.”

According to the survey from the global professional services company, the percentage of younger American workers who say that an employer-sponsored program for retirement is important for either joining or remaining with that employer has risen significantly over the past two years.

In 2009, 28 percent of younger workers, age 40 and younger, whose employer offered a defined benefit pension plan identified it as an important factor in accepting that job. In 2011, that figure more than doubled to 63 percent and was especially prevalent for employers that still offer a pension plan. In addition, younger employees at companies that offer only a defined contribution plan went from 19 percent in 2009 to 28 percent in 2011.

“Two factors are likely causing this change: The combination of a slow economic recovery and more older employees delaying retirement is making it increasingly difficult for younger employees to find jobs or advance in their careers,” said David Speier, a senior retirement consultant at Towers Watson. “As a result, young workers are clearly giving much more weight toward both employer retirement and health care benefits when making career and employment decisions.”

Employee incentive programs can come in many shapes and forms with retirement programs being one popular way to not only foster worker morale and productivity, but also to reduce turnover rates and increase retention rates for new and incoming employees.

“In good and bad economic times, building and keeping a talented workforce can often mean the difference between success and failure,” said Laurie Bienstock, North America practice leader at Rewards at Towers Watson. “Employers with open DB plans appear to have a leg up on their competitors in keeping employees. Understanding worker preferences toward their reward programs is critical for employers that are looking to attract and retain the critical skill employees needed to drive business success.”

Employee incentive programs can also stem from corporate health and wellness initiatives. These programs work to reduce a company’s overall healthcare costs while urging employees to quit smoking and lose weight in some instances. Participating employees who are successful with their endeavors can rake in numerous incentives and benefits depending on the program.