Pepsi Co empowers their employees to be healthy

Employers today are looking for more and more ways to help their employees become healthier.The benefits of helping your employees to be healthier go a long way besides empowering your workforce.Study after study has shown that healthy workers mean less in health care costs which in turn can dramatically reduce the health insurance premiums you pay.In addition healthier workers have to take less sick time, file less disability claims and have a much higher level of productivity.Companies also report that when their employees are healthier there is an increased level of job satisfaction and higher overall company morale. This in turns leads to employees staying longer at their jobs and reducing the cost of the very expensive process of hiring and retraining new workers.The bottom line getting employees healthier is in everyone best interests.

PepsiCo has taken a unique approach to provide their employees with an online tool to help them get healthier. In September 2004, PepsiCo launched a new wellness benefit for all of their employees and their families. The program is called HealthRoads, and it partners with WedMD and other selected companies.HealthRoads provides information, resources and tools (as well as incentives) to encourage PepsiCo's employees (and their families) to live healthier lifestyles. While the program was initially launched only in the United States HealthRoads has now been rolled out to PepsiCo's global locations.

Employees can access to the program by registering online.They set up a username and password in order to use the services. They then complete a Personal Health Assessment.This Personal Health Assessment is a confidential questionnaire about current health, lifestyle and family history. Completing the PHA is an important first step because it gives the employee insights about your health and suggests ways they can manage any health risks and enables them to track their progress. There is employee assistance that is offered should there be any difficulties in completing the needed PHA online. Spouses and partners are also encouraged to complete the PHA since the program benefits are extended to them.

HealthRoads functions as a trusted, centralized source for health information in other words a health topics library which is a source for condition assessments, consumer information, newsletters, emails and advice. This program also provides access to resources to help employees live life well, including the QuitNet Stop Smoking Program. Included in this are tools to help employees manage their own and their family's health. Health Roads also provides easy and fun ways to take steps toward a healthier lifestyle through fitness and nutrition programs, including America on the Move (PepsiCo's fitness program) and online nutrition programs.

PepsiCo is committed to their employee's health and wellness. The development of HealthRoads includes valuable programs, tools and resources to help their employees live a healthy lifestyle and make better health care decisions. They also offer rewards that employees and their family can get.This amounts up to $400 in HealthRoads rewards each year. The rewards are automatically deposited into the employees' Medical Expense Account.
While participation in HealthRoads if free and voluntary the incentive for employees to participate is very good. The rewards are as follows-

• Employees can earn $50 when they complete their Personal Health Assessment outside of the fall incentive period. In addition, they can earn another $100 when they update their Personal Health Assessment during the fall incentive period.


• Upon completing an online fitness or nutrition program the employee can earn $25 per completed program, up to $100 per year.


• By participating in one-on-one, phone-based wellness coaching (if they have a specific health risk) they can earn $50 for completing the first three phone sessions and another $50 when they complete the entire 6-month or 12-month program - for a total of $100.