Employees might not be digging fitness trackers as much as their bosses, but who can resist an Apple Watch?
The $350 devices have already very likely dealt a blow to other wearable fitness trackers, and some employers think that offering them to workers might be the best way to get employees engaged in their health.
Thus, Vitality, a major wellness vendor, is unveiling an initiative to three client companies in the U.S. where employees will be able to purchase Apple Watches for only $25. But there's a catch: The steep discount is contingent on the worker meeting exercise goals for two years. Those who get the watches have to pay back towards the full price for every month in which they fail to take the target number of steps.
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Apple, as you can imagine, is excited about such programs.
"We all live busy lives, but the truth is, if doctors could write one prescription for the world, it would be activity," Jeff Williams, Apple's chief operating officer, told CNBC. "The beauty of this program is members are going to get healthier."
In fact, most research indicates that physical activity is not nearly as important in combating obesity and related conditions as eating habits. But many corporate wellness programs continue to focus largely on encouraging exercise, a trend that critics of such programs say has failed to produce any measurable success in making employees healthier or lowering health costs for the company.
Vitality, however, has defended itself against such criticism by arguing that employers should seek to improve the health of employees even if it cannot be justified in terms of short-term dollar savings. Instead, helping workers embrace healthier habits will improve employee productivity in the long-term, said Adrian Gore, CEO of Discovery Group, which owns Vitality, in a CNBC interview.
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