Programs designed to create a workplace that enhances employee well-being are referred to as

1. Increase productivity
2. Improve employee health
3. Reduce healthcare costs
4. Attract new talent
5. Boost morale
6. Increase employee engagement
7. Improve healthy behavioral change
8. Reduce stress levels
9. Improve attendance
10. Improve teamwork and social connection

Work-life balance, good physical health, and fulfilling lives are all facets of individual well-being.

Even though work has a direct impact on employee well-being, team leaders are often skeptical about whether to take their employee wellness “personally.” It’s easier to picture Employee Wellness Programs within large organizations, but how about SMEs?

Below are ten reasons to invest in employee wellness programs.

1. Increase Productivity

Decreased productivity results from poor physical health, increased stress, and financial strains. Employee productivity is linked to presenteeism (showing up for work instead of taking time off) and absenteeism.

Research evidence shows that a wellness strategy promoting employees’ physical and mental health increases productivity and effectiveness. Sleep hygiene initiatives, healthier nutrition choices, and stress management all contribute to a workforce with an increased attention span and high performance.

2. Improve Employee Health

There is a clear-cut benefit from wellness programs: healthier employees. Wellness initiatives encourage better nutrition choices, educate how people’s choices affect their health, and promote physical activity even to employees that work from home. By adopting healthier life habits, employees minimize the probability of disease. They enjoy better health that makes them feel happier and more energized.

At the same time, wellness programs tackle mental health stigma, with stress being a significant contributor. By learning how a set of behaviors (drinking enough water, eating healthy snacks, applying sleep hygiene) can impact stress levels, employees experience less anxiety and avoid burnout in the long term.

3. Reduce Healthcare Costs

Investing in employee wellness programs can reduce healthcare costs (and insurance claims). Employees who are overweight, smokers, or suffer from diabetes increase the cost of healthcare expenditures for businesses.

Based on studies, effective workplace programs that educate their employees on a healthier lifestyle can lead to 25% savings on healthcare costs.

4. Attract New Talent

Promoting a culture of well-being and accommodating diversity in the wellness program makes the workplace an attractive place to be. On top of that, this can be a marketing tool for attracting new talent.

5. Boost Morale

Employees need to feel valued. Employee morale builds on pillars of emotional connection and satisfaction while on the job. 

Employee wellness programs that consider employees’ needs and interests boost their loyalty to the organization, resulting in increased productivity. It’s the best way for managers to show that they care for their teams.

6. Increase Employee Engagement

Disengagement hurts your employees and your company. Employee engagement is more than just showing up for work, taking a health screening, or participating in a group activity. Wellness programs create a sense of belonging for employees and promote social interaction. 

Wellness events (walking, gaming), services (health screening, coaching), and available resources (learning modules) create an environment of mutual belonging that increases employee retention.

7. Improve Healthy Behavioral Change

Not all people know how to lead a healthy lifestyle. A wellness program that educates, trains, and reinforces healthier choices can significantly improve employees’ overall well-being - even for those with disabilities. Since people spend at least one-third of their days at work, wellness programs can do a lot. 

From smoking cessation to mindful eating to stress management techniques, your employees learn what’s best for their physical and mental health — tools they can apply in and outside of work.

8. Reduce Stress Levels

Wellness programs that offer psychoeducation on stress management techniques and tools help employees reduce their stress levels and avoid long-term effects. 

Employees who experience stress exhibit impaired decision-making and reduced concentration and are more likely to experience burnout. These can lead to poor customer satisfaction, increased presenteeism, and low morale. By helping employees effectively manage stress, you are also helping enhance productivity and company morale. Happy teams make great teams.

9. Improve Attendance

Employee wellness programs help manage employees’ attendance. By taking care of your team’s physical health and tackling stress, employees are more likely to feel engaged and satisfied with their work. Feeling good about work and being physically fit makes work a positive experience, leading to reduced absenteeism.

10. Improve Teamwork and Social Connection

Wellness programs engage teams through various activities and challenges. Team-building fosters social connection (a significant construct of overall well-being) and builds trust. 

Employees who feel connected are more likely to feel safe, reducing stress levels and increasing engagement. Healthy competition makes employees feel good about themselves through achievement and enables the modeling and adaptation of healthy behaviors.

What create a workplace that enhances employee well being and satisfaction?

What type of program aims at satisfying the full range of employee needs?

Which type of motivational theory states that establishing performance goals for employees encourages employee performance?

What theory describes how a person's work efforts lead to a level of work performance?