A few years ago, company health fairs were all the rage.  Now they’re making a comeback, with a slight twist and good results.

In the past,  the fairs often better served the vendor(s) who came on-site than the needs of the hosting company or their employees. More recently, companies have refined the planning of the events to serve specifically to launch or promote a wellness program.

To be successful, the events need to serve two purposes: boosting employee education and building their enthusiasm to participate in the wellness program. To make sure your company’s investment of time is worthwhile, it helps to be aware of the plusses and minuses - and some little touches that can mean the difference between a so-so event and a hit.  

Double-edged sword
On the plus side, employees received easy-to-grasp information on key wellness topics such as illness detection, symptom control and smarter medication practices. They also receive important services like free blood-pressure screenings.

On the down side, some experts have said the newfangled events sometimes have the feel of “disease fairs” rather than “health fairs.”  In other words, the tone was little too somber and  employees weren’t particularly motivated to get involved in wellness.

Wellness program consultant Dr. Ron Goetzel believes that the savviest firms strike a balance in their health fairs. Stick with the screenings, but also feature exhibitors who offer “lighter,” more enjoyable services. Examples:

• a booth from a local health-food store
• a chair-massage station
• elder-care info from the AARP, or
• a “complimentary medicine” info booth (e.g.,a chiropractor or an  acupuncturist).

Offering incentives
In many cases, employees still need an incentive to attend the fair and get the desired screenings, in addition to doing the fun stuff. Some real-life programs that’ve worked:

• a contest offering prizes to employees who visit every station
• quizzes and prizes based on info from different vendors’ literature
• flex-scheduling or time-off incentives for getting screened (e.g., a comp day or an extra afternoon off), and
• cash incentives (as little as $20 and as much as $100) to people who voluntarily take part in various screenings.

The payoff: a bump in wellness participation and, hopefully, a long-term decrease in health costs.