Research

Six Employee Recognition Ideas for Your Wellness Program

Written by Amber

Employee recognition is all about acknowledging the hard work that your employees do every day, and the accomplishments they’ve made along the way. It’s one of the easiest but most effective tactics in the HR toolkit–and it doesn’t cost a lot to say “great job.”

Smart employee appreciation tactics mean your team feels valued, appreciated, and fulfilled. And an employee who feels valued is more likely to be engaged in their work, happier to be there, and less likely to leave.

That’s one of the top reasons companies hire us to build them a wellness program. Offering health and wellness benefits, wellness incentives, or corporate wellness benefits tells your employees that you care about them and their health, and you want them to succeed.

But you can (and should) still recognize them for their accomplishments there as well! It’s hard work to hit 10,000 steps a day.

Here are 6 thoughtful but affordable employee recognition ideas:

Social Media

Social media is very effective in encouraging employees to be more engaged in their wellness programs. Post a picture of your steps challenge winner on the company’s social media page!

Bulletin Board

Go analog. Displaying appreciation on a bulletin board is a tried and true method for employee recognition. Have a designated space in your office to recognize participants and winners in fitness challenges.

Internal Communications

Praise employees in your company newsletter, internal message board, or during a staff meeting. You’ll make them feel proud, while spreading your message of health to every department. However, you should be careful because content based wellness programs are not robust enough to be effective.

Congratulatory Letters

A sincere letter can go a long way. For staff members that walk the most steps or visit the gym the most, reward them with a letter congratulating them on their hard work! Make sure to mention how they are helping to promote a healthier environment in the office.

In Person Kudos

Have HR or management stop by to express their appreication in person. Even if it’s just for a moment, the face-time is valuable, especially in larger companies. And it helps higher management get to know employees better!

Gifts to Support Fitness

If there’s extra room in your budget, consider gifting employees with a fitness tracker, sport water bottle, or other small accessory to help support their healthy new habits.


IncentFit Rewards thanks your employees for exercise and other healthy activities– you set the rewards, they earn them. Want to learn more? Schedule a no-pressure demo call with us.

Corporate Wellness Benefit Managers having a discussion while looking at an electronic tablet.

Get the scoop on wellness

Running a wellness program is a big job! We're here to help.

Join the 19,000+ other readers who visit this blog every month!

Subscribe to our bi-weekly Tuesday newsletter for the latest wellness program tips, insights, and stories.

Subscribe to Our Newsletter