I joined a challenge late — do I get points for past days?

Updated May 12, 2026 Employee

No. When you join a challenge after it has already started, your leaderboard score begins counting from the date you joined — not from the challenge start date. You will not receive credit for days or weeks that occurred before you joined.

How Late Joining Works

Here is what happens when you join a challenge that is already in progress:

  • Your score starts from your join date. Any tasks, steps, or activities from before you joined are not retroactively credited.
  • You are not penalized for missed time. You will not see negative scores or "missed" indicators for the weeks before you joined. Those weeks simply do not count for you.
  • The leaderboard reflects total accumulated score. Employees who joined on day one have had more time to earn points, so they will naturally have a head start.

Example:

A 4-week Custom Challenge started on May 1. You join on May 10 (beginning of Week 2).

Week Your Status
Week 1 (May 1-7) You were not enrolled — no score for this week
Week 2 (May 8-14) Your first week — score starts here
Week 3 (May 15-21) Full participation
Week 4 (May 22-28) Full participation

Your maximum possible score covers Weeks 2-4. An employee who joined on day one has a possible score covering all 4 weeks.

What If I Leave and Rejoin?

If you leave a challenge and then rejoin:

  • Your previous scores are not restored. When you leave, your participation data for that challenge is detached.
  • Your score starts fresh from the rejoin date. It works the same as joining late — you begin accumulating from the new enrollment point.

This means leaving and rejoining always puts you at a disadvantage on the leaderboard. If you are considering leaving, keep this in mind.

Making the Most of Late Joining

Even though you missed some time, there is still plenty to gain:

  • Complete all remaining tasks. Focus on hitting 100% on every task in the weeks available to you. You may not win the leaderboard, but you will maximize your personal score.
  • Earn wellness points. If your company has rewards enabled, you still earn points for every task you complete — regardless of when you joined.
  • Build healthy habits. The real benefit of challenges is the behavior change, not the ranking. Three weeks of consistent activity is still a great outcome.
  • Contribute to your team. If you are on a team, every point you earn raises the team's average score. Your late start still helps the team.

Tip: Do not let a late start discourage you. Many employees who join challenges mid-way still finish in the top half of the leaderboard — especially if they commit to completing every available task.

For HR Admins

If employees frequently complain about missing points due to late joining:

  • Enroll employees early. Add participants before the challenge start date so they are ready on day one.
  • Send pre-challenge reminders. Email employees a few days before the challenge begins, encouraging them to join the upcoming challenge.
  • Set a reasonable join window. Some challenges allow joining during the first week only. Consider keeping enrollment open for the full duration so latecomers can still participate.

Need more help? Contact support from Settings → Help in the app.

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