The 10% Solution: Tying Managerial Salary Increases to Workplace Wellness Actions (and Not Results)

Abstract

Although manager support is critical for workplace health and wellness efforts, little is known about how to best encourage managers to make creative or bold steps toward employee wellness. We posit that the right interactions between managers and employees could have lasting impact on workplace wellness. To consider how managers might be motivated to take an active role in promoting everyday employee health and wellness, we used a website survey of worksite managers (N = 270) to investigate how tying at least 10% of managerial annual salary increases and promotion would incentivize manager actions in workplace wellness. Overall, regression analyses reveal favorable attitudes from managers and high intentions to implement changes if salary increases and advancement were partially linked to workplace wellness efforts. Managers also expressed a preference for working for a company with this policy, and this was strongest among female managers and managers with a fewer number of subordinates.