How To Implement Employee Wellness Programs

Employee wellness programs are company-sponsored initiatives that support the holistic health of employees. They focus on multiple dimensions of employee well-being, including mental health, physical health, nutrition, occupational health, social connections, and financial well-being. They may also include some programs for family members. Other names for employee wellness programs are corporate wellness programs, workplace wellness programs, and employee well-being programs. 

Employee wellness strategies should be embedded in every stage of the employee life cycle. It is an essential part of your company culture and benefits package.

Why Employee Wellness Matters

The health of your company depends significantly on the health of your workforce. When employees are happy and healthy, it is a win-win for both employees and employers. However, Gallup reports that in 2025, only “one-third of global workers are thriving in life.” This is based on employee life evaluations and has been declining since 2022. Clearly, employers need to do more to help their employees thrive, which will increase productivity and boost retention.  

When employees experience chronic stress, it can lead to many physical health problems and mental issues, such as burnout, depression, and anxiety. This results in higher rates of absences and decreased productivity. A toxic company culture with low employee morale harms employees and increases turnover. A positive company culture boosts employee morale, supports employee wellness, and boosts employee retention.

The Benefits of Employee Wellness Programs

Both employers and employees benefit from employee wellness programs. These benefits are experienced in many areas. 

• Better employee health: As employees adopt a healthier lifestyle and take full advantage of your employee wellness offerings, they will experience better health outcomes. 
• Increased productivity: Gallup explains that employee well-being is the key to productivity. When employee well-being is high, the company benefits from increased performance. When employee well-being is poor, the bottom line suffers. 
• Improved job satisfaction: Employees feel happier with their job when they feel happy, healthy, and supported in their lives.
• Positive company culture: Employee wellness programs foster a healthy positive culture where employees are happier, healthier, and more engaged. 

• Enhanced workplace safety: Workplace injuries are more likely to happen when employees are distracted, tired, isolated, or not feeling well. When employees are flourishing as a result of employee wellness programs, the risks of injuries decrease.

• Stronger stress management: When employees are provided with the tools to effectively manage stress, they are better equipped to handle daily stressors.

• Greater employee retention: Employees stay longer at companies that support them and have a positive company culture. 

• Reduced absences: When health outcomes improve for employees, they are less likely to take sick days. 

• Strengthened employee engagement and morale: When properly supported, employees experience more morale, motivation, and team connections. 

Components of a Comprehensive Wellness Program

A holistic approach to employee wellness includes many different dimensions. According to a journal article in the National Library of Medicine (NLM), “Wellness encompasses eight mutually interdependent dimensions: physical, intellectual, emotional, social, spiritual, vocational, financial, and environmental.” If one area is neglected, eventually it will impact the other areas. 

Some dimensions of employee wellness will be addressed by your benefits package, rewards and recognition programs, professional development initiatives, ergonomic office equipment, and other human resources strategies. Other dimensions require specific strategies to be developed. 

Surveys will help you tailor the programs to what employees want and obtain feedback to monitor the success of your initiatives. It requires ongoing internal communication strategies for employees to fully participate in employee wellness programs. 

Employee Wellness Programs and Strategies

Focus on creating a comprehensive employee wellness program that targets many dimensions. From fitness activities and mindfulness classes to healthy snacks and financial planning resources, employers need effective strategies to address the many areas of well-being. 

Physical Wellness Programs 

Employers can offer many activities to help employees manage their physical health and fitness, including targeting preventable health conditions and offering health education. Options to encourage exercising include on-site fitness centers, discounted or free gym memberships, workout classes, wearable fitness trackers, and office fitness challenges. If you are unable to create an on-site fitness center, designate a room or area that employees can use for stretching or exercising. 

For employees with desk jobs who spend prolonged periods sitting, encourage them to take frequent walking and stretching breaks. Pliability suggests 15 stretches to help prevent stiffness and pain, while increasing energy. Educate employees about the dangers of prolonged sitting, which is linked with an increased risk of health conditions and diseases. 

Employers may offer standing desks and exercise ball chairs as options for employees. Consider providing discounts or incentives for remote employees who would like to purchase standing desks, treadmill desks, or home workout equipment. For deskless employees who spend their day standing, encourage breaks to sit and stretch. Educate deskless workers on safe ways to perform their physical tasks and seek their feedback on how you can best support their unique needs.

Companies can hold health fairs, health risk assessments,  biometric screenings, and health clinics for preventable conditions. Health fairs can include a variety of experts to provide education, screenings, product recommendations, and seated massages. With early identification of chronic diseases, employees will have better outcomes and decreased health costs. 

Mental Wellness Programs 

Lyra’s 2025 State of Workforce Mental Health Report reveals that “44% of employees across six countries identified stress as their top mental health challenge over the past year.” They identified the top three sources of employee stress as finances, work-related stress and burnout, and family issues. 

Managers play an essential role in employee mental health, but they need more resources to effectively support employees. According to Lyra’s Trends Forecast, “95% say most managers would benefit from more training on how to support employee mental health.” In addition, all employees could benefit from a company culture with less pressure, more realistic goals, and lighter workloads.

The Surgeon General provides a downloadable 30-page framework for workplace mental health and well-being, which serves as a good starting point for employers. We recommend including the following items in your mental wellness offerings. 

• Employee Assistance Programs (EAP): By offering an EAP, your employees will have easy access to free and confidential assessments, referrals, and short-term counseling.
• Counseling: In addition to your health insurance plan, offer additional ways for employees to access virtual therapy and additional counseling services, especially if you do not offer an EAP.
• Reducing stigma: The U.S. Office of Personnel Management suggests that employers distribute messages to reduce the stigma associated with seeking mental health treatment.  
• Workshops: Hire consultants to provide well-being workshops on a variety of topics. Workshop topics could include stress management, meditation, yoga, mindfulness, journaling, self-compassion, and sleep management. 
• Tobacco cessation programs: Provide access to a program to help employees quit smoking. 
• Substance abuse education: Help employees identify the early signs of substance abuse and provide treatment options.
• Burnout signs: Teach employees and managers how to spot job burnout and take action with this helpful article from the Mayo Clinic.
• Mental health guides: Compile a digital collection of mental health guides and resources with trusted content, such as the National Institute of Mental Health.

Social Connections

By strengthening team building and social relationships, employees will experience a positive impact on mental health. Stronger connections help reduce stress, boost belonging, increase retention, and create a more supportive work environment with engaged employees. 

“Employees who develop strong connections are 11x more likely to stay with their organization for at least another year and 3x more likely to stay three more years.” – O.C. Tanner

The following ideas will help boost social connections.

• Team-building activities: Incorporate icebreakers and team-building activities as part of your meetings, outings, and events. Get inspiration from this list of 25 team-building activities, which includes virtual games, on-site events, and off-site events. 
• Groups: Create employee clubs around common interests and hobbies, such as book clubs, fitness, sports teams, cooking, healthy eating, games, art, photography, and music. Survey employees to find out what types of clubs they want.  
• Committees: Organize employee committees on a variety of topics, including sustainability, DEI, wellness, company culture, and charitable activities. 
• Outings: Provide opportunities for employees to connect outside of work with group outings held off-site. Ideas include volunteering, bowling, escape rooms, happy hours, and dinners.
• Events: In-person events can include celebrations, contests, family picnics, holiday parties, awards banquets, and retreats. Virtual events could include trivia, games, and scavenger hunts.
• Wellness challenges: Holding wellness and fitness challenges creates a fun way to tackle wellness goals. 

Kindness and Gratitude

There are many simple ways to display kindness and gratitude in the workplace, including thanking employees and celebrating small wins. Employers can create a culture of gratitude in the workplace that has positive outcomes for employee wellness. 

When the leadership team models gratitude, it encourages the rest of the team to do the same. O.C.Tanner provides a list of 20 acts of kindness in the workplace, which includes taking a new employee out to lunch and surprising co-workers with appreciation and treats. From saying thank you for small acts and implementing recognition programs to gratitude workshops and volunteering, everyone benefits from kindness and gratitude initiatives. 

In addition to treating co-workers with kindness, encourage employees to treat themselves with kindness by practicing self-compassion. When people are overly self-critical, it can drain their energy, strain relationships, and hinder work performance. As employees learn how to replace self-criticism with positive self-talk, they will become more resilient. 

Provide employees with training and workshops that focus on soft skills, including time management, communication, and adaptability. In 2024, LinkedIn named adaptability as the top skill of the moment. When employees learn how to be better listeners, it facilitates employee support and team-building. 

Wellness Platforms and Apps

There are many corporate wellness platforms designed to streamline employee wellness programs. By utilizing wellness platforms, employers provide easy access to a variety of features, including challenges, rewards, and training. Some platforms, like IncentFit, streamline reimbursing employees for wellness expenses and provide incentives. 

Additionally, employers have the option to purchase discounted subscriptions to wellness apps for their employees to use. For example, Calm Health provides mental health screenings, referrals, relaxation tools, and personalized clinical programs for specific conditions. The Pliability app provides guided yoga routines with a business platform specifically built for use by teams. 

Nutritious Food Options

Encourage healthy eating by providing healthy snacks and drinks at your office. It will be easier for employees to stick to their weight management and health goals when they can grab a nutritious snack instead of junk food. If you have an on-site cafeteria, ensure you offer well-balanced meals with diverse options. 

Remember to include food options for employees with special dietary needs. Aim to include a variety of snacks for many lifestyles, including vegan, gluten-free, Kosher, and low sugar. When planning special events around food, including birthday celebrations, ask employees to share their needs and do your best to accommodate them in a safe manner. 

Flexible Work and Time Off 

Flexible work hours and remote work options help employees to better manage stress, time, and family responsibilities. Providing ample paid time off or vacation days gives employees the much-needed time off to unwind, travel, and tend to personal needs. However, employees are often reluctant to use their PTO, so when creating a PTO policy, it is essential to include how you will encourage employees to use it. 

Promoting a work-life balance is essential for employee wellness. It is a good idea to recommend that employees fully unplug during vacations and days off. At the end of regular workdays, encourage employees to create boundaries, turn off notifications, and mentally leave work at work. This will give them time to relax, recharge, and be better prepared emotionally for the next work day. 

Continuous Feedback and Check-Ins

Employees perform best when they receive continuous, real-time feedback regularly. Managers should frequently check in with employees through one-on-one meetings and informal check-ins. This provides an opportunity to identify early signs of employee distress, provide regular feedback, and intervene with necessary resources.  

Traditional annual performance reviews focus on feedback from one primary source, the employee’s manager. Instead, implement 360-degree feedback to get a well-rounded picture with feedback from multiple sources: supervisors, direct reports, co-workers, self-assessments, and sometimes clients. Feedback, check-ins, praise, and one-on-one meeting tools can be streamlined with performance management software and 360-degree feedback tools.

Learning and Growth 

Performance management is an ongoing, collaborative process where employers and employees engage in meaningful conversations throughout the year, instead of waiting for an annual review. Based on feedback, employers and employees create individualized paths for growth, training, and professional development. Setting and tracking goals and objectives and key results (OKRs) facilitates learning, growth, and team alignment.

Deel reports, “70% of workers say learning improves their sense of connection to a workplace.” When employees feel that their growth is prioritized, they experience increased job satisfaction and team connections. Furthermore, employees need training to address skill gaps and develop soft skills. By integrating learning with wellness, you can create a resilient, engaged, and productive workforce. 

Financial Planning Resources

The Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) found that half of small employers already offer financial wellness initiatives, with another 28% implementing them,” explains Paychex. Employees can offer initiatives to help employees feel in control of their finances and reduce financial stress. These programs focus on four areas: financial planning, spending, saving, and borrowing. This is especially important since finances are one of the top sources of stress for employees. 

Manager Support

Managers play a critical role in employee wellness. Think of managers as the first line of defense against employee stress. When managers frequently check in with employees, they will be able to identify the personal and work issues that employees need extra support to handle effectively. “Manager engagement is the key to reversing declining productivity, improving employee wellbeing and unlocking trillions in economic potential,” states Gallup. Yet, more than half of managers have not received management training. 

Managers will encounter confidential information in leave requests and when employees need to use short-term and long-term disability. When employees return from bereavement leave, the level of support they receive from a manager will have a significant impact on how they readjust to work while grieving. However, in order to effectively support employee wellness, managers need support, training, and resources to equip them with the necessary skills and tools. With a company culture that supports employees and managers, everyone will be better equipped to manage employee wellness.