RBC Insurance launched on July 17 a new digital solution that aims to improve employee wellness by motivating them to create healthier habits through personalized experiences.

The program is offered free for RBC Insurance Group Benefit Solutions clients with health coverage.

Customized content

"We understand the importance of employee wellbeing and how an effective wellness program can shape the workplace culture and increase productivity," says Julie Gaudry, senior director of group insurance for RBC Insurance. "But there are real obstacles for employers to implement and run a wellness program. Our digital wellness program makes it easy for employers to support their employees' wellbeing by providing users with customized content they're interested in, challenging them, informing them and rewarding them for making healthier choices."

Currently, RBC Insurance says it is the only insurer “to integrate multiple data sources such as claims data, reported preferences and health risks to deliver a tailored experience to the user.”

The insurer says its approach encourages employees to change unhealthy habits, such as getting too little sleep or making poor food choices, into healthier ones such as participating in daily physical activity or mindfulness exercises. “Through a personalized content feed, personal and corporate challenges, peer-to-peer recognition and progress-based incentives, employees will be supported to engage in healthier behaviours, and are rewarded to keep up with these habits through a tiered points system that offers cashback and discounts,” says the company.

The power of discounts and perks

"Through the power of discounts and perks, we are able to attract all types of users, not just those who are already healthy and using health and wellness apps," added Gaudry. "Users are incented to return regularly through rewards and are provided with information that is meaningful for them personally, which can help them create new healthier habits and change their attitude towards wellness for the long-run."

The RBC Insurance Wellness Program is accessible through the RBC Insurance My Benefits app or through the online group benefits portal.

Health Risk Assessment

The program includes a Health Risk Assessment in 60 seconds to help employees identify their key health risks and a tailored newsfeed of content with recommendations to provide customized support to users.

Wearable fitness technology

Participants can also use wearable fitness technology to track their progress through the platform. This allows colleagues to interact through personal or corporate challenges. Program users can also earn rewards such as discounts and cashback offers from 100s of their favourite retailers. “As employees take action and achieve goals, they can level up to new tiers, unlocking rewards and increased discounts,” says RBC Insurance.

Data sources integrated through the platform also allow employers to evaluate the programs impact via reporting and measurement tools.