Wellness Program Incentive

Am I Eligible to Participate?

To be eligible for the annual Wellness Program Incentive, you must be a Wellness Participant. 

Program Incentive = Up to $200/Yr

Each year, a variety of health and wellness programs are available for faculty and staff. These programs facilitate adoption and maintenance of healthy behaviors.

To be eligible for the annual Wellness Program Incentive, you must be a wellness participant—defined as a CWRU faculty or staff member with Benelect medical plan coverage who met the participation requirements, which are typically:

1. Completing the health risk assessment,

2. And two of these three activities:

Participating in one program during the calendar year (January 1 through November 30) and attesting to completion in HCM will lead to a $100 program incentive delivered via your paycheck at the end of the calendar year. Participation in any number of wellness programs is encouraged; however, the maximum financial reward available is $200 (for two different programs).

Wellness Participants must be employed by the university through December of each year to receive the Wellness Program Incentive(s).

(Please Note: Wellness earnings are taxable.)

To obtain a Wellness Program Incentive, you must complete an attestation form by November 30. The attestation forms can be found on the Wellness Tile in HCM at case.edu/hcm. There are nine program tabs: Career Well-beingCommunity Well-beingFinancial Well-being, General WellnessNutrition or Weight ManagementPhysical ActivitySleepStress Management, and Tobacco Cessation.

Attestation forms become available annually on April 1.

View this slide show to learn how to complete attestations on the HCM home page.

Vegetables being cut.

Participation Guidelines

The 2024 Wellness Program Incentive is available to any Wellness Participant who successfully completes the program requirements in up to two of the following categories between January 1 and November 30, 2024.


Career Well-being

Participating in professional development programs and activities, offered within or external to the university, will meet the participation guidelines for this incentive. Regular participation over a multi-week period (attending at least 85% of sessions over a minimum of 7-8 weeks), is necessary to be eligible for this incentive.

Career Well-being options may include: 

  • The Work Happiness Method
  • Career development pathways with the Professional Development Center
  • Learn about more options on the Career Well-being page

Community Well-being

Participating in a university-based community effort will meet the participation guidelines (multi-week program, attending at least 85% of sessions over a minimum of 8-12 weeks) is necessary to be eligible for this incentive. 

Community Well-being programs may include:

  • Reflection Point
  • Crafters@Case
  • Sustained Dialogue

Financial Well-being 

Participating in a program to learn more about financial management (multi-week program, attending at least 85% of sessions over a minimum of 8 weeks) is necessary to be eligible for this incentive. 

Financial Well-being programs may include:

  • Financial Wellness 101 or 201
  • Fiscally Fit

General Wellness

Participating in a university-based general wellness program over a multi-week period (attending at least 85% of sessions over a minimum of 8 weeks) is necessary to be eligible for this incentive. 

General Wellness programs may include: 

  • Eldercare
  • Environmental Health
  • Women’s Health
  • Men’s Health

Nutrition & Weight Management 

Participants must attest and certify to participation in an on- or off-site organized weight management or nutrition program activity that maintains participation records available for review upon request; a comparable program with a health care provider and with personal records documenting participation available for review; or a program that meets the Reasonable Alternative Standard, as confirmed by written pre-approval of the CWRU Medical Director.

Participation possibilities include attending an on-site or off-site weight management program such as Weight Watchers (multi-week program, attending 85% of available sessions), and/or working with your health care provider on a documented weight management program over a multi-week time period. Nutrition participation possibilities include attending an on-site or off-site nutrition program (multi-week program, attending at least 85% of available sessions; over a minimum of 8 weeks) and/or working with your health provider on an official nutrition program (e.g.,Impact Solutions Nutrition Counseling) over a multi-week time period.

Nutrition and Weight Management programs may include:

  • Forever Fit
  • A Users Guide to Functional Nutrition
  • Nutrition 101
  • Sugar Fix

Physical Activity 

Engaging in regular physical activity for 12 consecutive weeks (minimum of three moderate-intensity activity sessions per week, each lasting at least 30 minutes) is necessary to be eligible for this incentive. 

Activities may include any planned exercise including but not limited to the following:

  • exercise sessions at university fitness centers (121 FitnessWyant CenterVeale Center)
  • participating in university-sponsored, multi-week individual and team physical activity challenges
  • yoga/pilates
  • walking 
  • training for a 5K, 10K, or other race
  • bicycling to work

Documentation of activity required only upon audit.  Types of documentation may include:  use of activity tracking devices such as FitBit, Jawbone, an accelerometer or pedometer; paper log; print out of visits from fitness or yoga center; etc.

Sleep

Participating in an on-site or off-site sleep hygiene/management program (multi-week program, attending at least 85% of sessions over a minimum of 8 weeks) is necessary to be eligible for this incentive. 

Sleep programs may include:

  • Sleep Well
  • Living Well Rested by Avidon Health (previously known as SelfHelpWorks)

Stress Management 

Participating in an on-site or off-site stress management, meditation, or other relaxation program (multi-week program, attending at least 85% of sessions over a minimum of 8 weeks) is necessary to be eligible for this incentive. 

Stress Management programs may include:

  • Meditation or Mindfulness classes
  • Building Communication and Connection in the Midst of Stress
  • Mental Health Matters
  • Positively Powerful

Tobacco Cessation 

Participating in an online, on-site, or off-site tobacco cessation program (multi-week program, attending at least 85% of available sessions) is necessary to be eligible for the incentive in this category. Non-tobacco users are not eligible for this incentive. Browse program options on our Tobacco Cessation page.


    Programs must be successfully completed and attestation submitted by November 30, 2024, to receive the financial incentive in their final December pay.

    Participants who are unable to achieve standards for this incentive can learn about alternatives by emailing Elizabeth Click at erc10@case.edu.

    HCM Documentation

    Participants will need to complete a form within HCM to attest and certify to participation in on-site or off-site programs that met the university’s participation guidelines and must have documentation of their participation available should we ever need to audit incentive recipients. Completion of a program that meets the Reasonable Alternative Standard as confirmed by written pre-approval of the CWRU Medical Director is also available. The attestation forms can be found on the Wellness Tile at case.edu/hcm beginning April 1 annually. Click on the "Wellness Program Participation" box on the left side of the page.