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Employees don’t always do what’s good for them. They may work at a health-care treatment facility that handles, among other cases, cancer patients, yet some will still head outdoors to take a quick break to smoke a cancer-causing cigarette.

Unhealthy employees will ultimately cause your company a hefty and ‘unhealthy’ health care bill. Wondering how to force your employees to live healthier (and ultimately happier) lives? Here are a few tips:

1. Make it mandatory for each to get an annual on-site assessment that takes a look at a number of critical indicators – blood pressure, weight, cholesterol levels etc. Assign a score to each assessment and apply awards (cash or otherwise) in those situations where the employee’s score has improved or remained the same.
2. Make it difficult for them to smoke – have nicotine levels included in the assessment above, and for those with nicotine levels above a certain limit, make it a rule that they then have to pay their own insurance premiums.
3. Fire all employees who smoke – a bit drastic and possibly some legal implications depending on state/country, but some companies have implemented this with success. Note, quite a few U.S. states have laws against firing or demoting smokers. A less drastic alternative in this case would be to offer counseling and nicotine patches in order to help employees quick smoking.
4. Host regular health seminars that cover topics such as maintaining a healthy diet and lowering cholesterol levels. Invite speakers to give quick talks on matters of health.
5. Offer gym or other work out facilities on property. Hand in hand with this, you could also offer incentives for employees who spend a minimum of X hours per week in the gym (have them sign in and out).

There is no doubt that health care costs are now talking a bigger bite from the bottom line of many companies. The goal now for company owners / managers has got to be to find ways to force/make the employees live healthier lives – ultimately being good for them, and for the company. Be careful though, it’s often a tangled legal web when you try to implement some of these tips. As mentioned above for example, many U.S. states have laws against firing or demoting smokers. Similarly, for example also, granting perks for one set of employees vs. another can often lead to a variety of grounds for a discriminatory lawsuit. Trying to force wellness can also backfire in a number of other ways – demotivating some employees, creating employee/employer antagonism etc. It will work for some, but be warned that it may very well breed resentment in others.

Good luck.