Make no mistake, healthcare costs are rising. For business owners who are generous enough to offer their employees insurance, this is undoubtedly a cause for concern. And you may wonder, is there any way to protect your employees and not go bankrupt in the process? Wearable technologies may be the answer. Here’s what you need to know about utilizing them in the workplace.

Last year the retail giant Target offered both free and discounted versions of the activity tracker, Fitbit, to their staff of over 300,000. To incentivize employees to use the device, they grouped staff into teams and held a month long competition to see which team logged the most steps. The winning team was then given a million dollars to donate to their favorite charity. This is just one example of the growing number of businesses using wearable technologies to encourage employee fitness.

The CEO of Fitbit, James Park, is well aware of wearable technologies potential in the business sector. In an interview he said, “The cost of a Fitbit device and the associated services is very small compared to the savings from a healthier employee population.”

This practice of offering incentives to exercise is known as gamification, and retail providers are not the only type of businesses to get in on the action. Two US health insurance providers are now offering customers discounts on their premiums if they wear an activity tracker to monitor their progress on accomplishing health goals. So how does it work? If an employee takes 10,000 steps a day, for example, they could earn $1.25 towards their health insurance. If they perform even more activity or exercise, they could reduce their premiums to $1,400 a year.

Incentives to exercise aren’t the only way wearables can help employees improve their health. Depending on the type of wearable worn, everything from blood sugar levels, to heart rate and sleep patterns can be tracked. So if your employee visits a clinic because their symptoms are flaring up again, a doctor can use the info tracked on the wearable to explain why. This can make it easier for both doctor and patient to resolve the health problem.

Controversy

As more and more businesses discover the value of big data, it’s more likely that information tracked by wearables can be exploited. One technology consultant, Barbara Duck, notes that tracking health information can lead to insurers assigning a score to your physical activity and health, and selling that information. Insurers could then use this information to charge consumers outrageous fees.

While this is just the beginning of wearable technology being used in the workplace, it’s too early to tell how privacy will be affected in the long run. As of right now it looks like wearables will be a growing trend in the future. And they’re certainly worth considering as they can reduce the costs of employee insurance and create a healthier, more productive staff. If you’d like to learn more about wearable or other healthcare related technology, get in touch. We’re happy to share our expertise.

You probably love your Android tablet. It can be a handy tool that allows you to communicate and get work done on the go. But what if this same beneficial tool was actually hurting your business? Yes, it’s possible. Like all electronic devices, your Android tablet has the power to severely disrupt your sleep. And as a business owner, this can have a dramatic effect on the growth and success of your organization. Here’s what you can do to prevent this.

Don’t use it before bed

Silence distractions with Google Chrome’s Reader Mode

Google Chrome’s Reader Mode can eliminate unnecessary ads and images, placing an emphasis on the text. To activate Reader Mode, type chrome://flags into your navigation bar, scroll down till you find Reader Mode triggering and choose Always from the menu. The next time you launch a page on Chrome, click on the banner that appears at the bottom of the page that reads Make page mobile-friendly. And just like that your text will be highlighted and ads eliminated.

Prevent disturbances

To turn on Do Not Disturb, open Settings > Sound and Notification. Then click on Do Not Disturb. From here you can choose which contacts can get through to you while you’re in dreamland.

Dim your device

Monitor your sleeping habits

No matter your business, sleep is vital to your success. We hope these five tips will help you get the sound sleep you desire. If you’re curious to learn more about how the Android tablet can improve your life and business, give us a call.