So many companies already have successful wellness programs, but what if your company doesn’t and wants to? This week, I can help you solve that problem. Sadly, many companies start with the best of intentions. However funds, time, and lack of expertise get in the way of implementing a successful program. We know these programs are important, so how do you avoid the wellness flop? I’m covering the 5 most common mistakes companies make implementing their corporate wellness programs, along with practical advice for how to fix them. Already implemented one and it’s on the struggle bus? I can help with that, too. Let’s jump in!
The Big Picture
Data is always a good place to start, especially when trying to justify big expenditures that may not easily fit into the standard “ROI,” model. Painting a picture for the Executive team is crucial to ensure you have top-down support for wellness programs.
Did you know that according to the State of the Global Workplace: 2024 Report by Gallup:
- 44% of US employees report that their wellbeing is struggling
- 4% of employees describe their wellbeing as suffering
This means that almost half of the respondents are having a hard time and much of it can be attributed to what is happening at work. After all, we spend 1/3 of our life working, on average. That means employers can greatly influence wellbeing in a positive way, as well. Based on the 2023-2024 Aflac Workforce report, 74% of US workers are stressed, with Millenials being the most stressed generation in history.
There is good news, though. For companies avoiding the wellness flop, research and analysis has shown that companies with effective wellness programs see a whopping 71% decrease in absenteeism. They also recognize between 21-51% reduction in turnover, depending on the type of organization (high versus low turnover orgs) as evidenced in the Gallup study. This is determined by employee engagement, which is where employee wellness programs really shine. Ultimately, these numbers matter and ignoring employee wellbeing hurts the bottom line.
Why programs fail
So why do many wellness programs fail, after all? Let’s look at five common mistakes and how to fix them.
Mistake 1: The one-size-fits-all approach
What’s wrong: Your program works great for some folks, but most of your team doesn’t care about it. As a result, engagement is low and leadership believes programs aren’t worth the expense and energy. They are ready to kill the program entirely and save the money instead.
How to fix it: Make it personal. Do your research and for heaven sake, ask your team what they want. Give them options and let them choose what works for them. You don’t need to invest $10 million dollars to get your team’s opinion. Or even better, drive the decisions further down into the organization. Provide managers a budget and them them work with their teams to determine what wellbeing looks like in their department.
Mistake 2: Leaders don’t buy in
If there is one thing that I’ve seen torpedo every project, initiative, or effort that went sideways, it’s the lack of leadership buy-in. You HAVE to have an executive sponsor that believes in the program as much as you. Without these, you likely won’t avoid the wellness flop.
What’s wrong: Your top folks talk about wellness but don’t practice it themselves. This leads to dissonance in the organization and if the leaders don’t believe in the cause, then employees won’t either. There could be several reasons for that. When the leader doesn’t buy-in, employees may think there is something wrong. It may not feel valuable at best, or safe to participate, at worst. That’s why buy-in and leading by example is so important.
How to fix it: Get your leaders involved. Find a champion and agree on their role, to ensure adoption and engagement. When the CEO or senior leader share their stress management techniques, it makes wellness normal for everyone. They key is to normalize the programs so employees feel safe and empowered to take advantage of the benefits.
Mistake 3: Not enough resources
This is a classic flop that leaders organizations can avoid when implementing wellness programs. You know the scenario. One manager raises their hand to call out a problem and the senior leaders says “great – you can take that on.” The challenge is that the manager has to do it without funding, on top of their day job. It’s a recipe for burnout (oh the irony) and a clear lack of commitment from the organization to make real change.
What’s wrong: Besides what I mentioned, you’ve essentially started a wellness program with little support. The whole point of a wellness program is to offer support. This is already a disingenuous attempt at making real change. The worst part is that it won’t help anyone get healthier and you may even burnout a couple folks in the process.
How to fix it: Invest in your program like any other important part of your business. Consider bringing in a part-time wellness expert to help plan and run things. Even better, hire a fractional Chief Wellness Officer who can dedicate their time to the effort. (I know a good one if you’re looking 😉)
Mistake 4: Privacy worries
This isn’t just a wellness flop to avoid, this is sacrosanct for employees. Whether we like it or not, privacy concerns are real. There’s risk in sharing your most personal and private data with your employer. Especially if they have a history of not taking care of it or making unscrupulous decisions with the information. It’s easy for employees to be a bit apprehensive about sharing this data.
What’s wrong: Your team doesn’t want to share their health info. They’re worried about how it might be used. Unfortunately, there are bad actors out there that may use employee health data against them, so the fear isn’t unfounded.
How to fix it: Be clear about data use and have a clear privacy policy. Discuss the role that HIPAA regulations play with the data, if any, along with storage and access policies, as well. Let people participate anonymously, as well. Make privacy a top priority in everything you do and allow flexibility and options for people to choose.
Mistake 5: Quick fixes instead of real change
Similar to mistake #3 with not offering enough resources, employee wellbeing is not something you can put a bandaid on and walk away. It’s more about the nap pods and catered lunch. Wellbeing needs to be part of the culture and when it isn’t, no amount of free kombucha or ping pong will fix it.
What’s wrong: You’ve added some standing desks and fruit in the break room and called it a day. You haven’t addressed the toxic work environment or that bad manager Chad that keeps abusing his team without repercussion.
How to fix it: Think long-term. Wellness isn’t just a program. It means entirely shifting the culture. Wellbeing needs to be woven into everything in the company, from how you run meetings, to how you review performance.
Who is doing a good job at wellbeing?
The reality is that no company is doing everything right, but even companies that aren’t entirely there, have examples worth following.
Zoom: During the pandemic, Zoom introduced “Zoom-Free Fridays” to combat video call fatigue. They also gave employees extra paid time off. These initiatives helped reduce burnout and boost morale. As part of their ongoing wellness program, they have a comprehensive Employee Assistance Program (EAP) offering coaching, therapists, paid parental leave, and additional wellness benefits.
Salesforce: A sense of belonging in the community is a big indicator of wellbeing. One thing that Salesforce does is giving employees 7 paid days a year for volunteer work. This is in their DNA and having experienced it, this particular perk gave back in multiple ways. It was a great addition to increase dopamine for employees, and create corporate goodwill. It’s a twofer I can happily get behind.
From personal experience, one of the most exhausting parts of corporate life was the incessant flood of meetings. Most of them had little to no value, but there is nothing more demoralizing than looking at your calendar and seeing 14 meetings on your schedule, within a 7 hour window.
Why it matters
If you aren’t convinced yet, what would it take? The reality is that whether your organization chooses to invest in wellbeing or not, it’s likely your competitors are investing. When you don’t have a good wellness program, it costs you. Big time.
Unhealthy employees cost more. They take more sick days, they’re less productive, and they’re more likely to leave. The cost of replacing an employee can be up to 200% of their annual salary, according to Gallup. Not to mention the non-tangible costs of onboarding a new person, which can be a tremendous time investment.
Getting wellbeing right
When you get employee wellbeing right, amazing things happen. People are more creative. They work together better. They come up with those innovative ideas keeping you ahead of the competition.
Let’s not forget about attracting top talent, either. 92% of workers would choose a job with a focus on employee mental health over one that doesn’t.
How to Get Started
If you’ve read to this point, you may be ready to start or improve your wellness program. If that’s the case, I’m so glad you’re here. Here are some first steps:
1. Talk to your team – What do they need? What’s stressing them out?
2. Look at what you’re already doing – What’s working? What’s not?
3. Determine what outcomes you would like to achieve – What do you want your wellbeing program to accomplish? Write it down and identify what success looks like.
4. Start small – Pick one or two areas to focus on first. (See #1 again.)
5. Measure what matters – Refer back to #3 and keep track of how things change.
6. Be patient – Real change takes time. Make it iterative and keep checking in with your team. Feedback is critical to make sure you’re focusing energy and resources on the right things.
7. Get help – A wellbeing expert can guide you through the process. I have over 20 years of experience implementing complex programs and I can help you. You can even schedule a free consult with me to learn more.
Remember, a good wellness program isn’t a luxury. It’s a key part of running a successful company. It’s an investment in your people and your future. If you’re ready to turn your wellness program into something that really works, let’s talk. I can help you avoid the wellness flop. We’ll start planning how to make your company healthier, happier, and more successful. Your team (and your business) will thank you. You can also follow the Wellspiration blog for more wellbeing insights for inside and outside the office. If you need some help with your own wellbeing, download my free guide to saving your energy today or follow my personal stories on Substack.
Resources
- Gallup. (2022). State of the Global Workplace Report. – https://www.gallup.com/workplace/349484/state-of-the-global-workplace-2022-report.aspx
- Gallup (2019) – https://www.gallup.com/workplace/247391/fixable-problem-costs-businesses-trillion.aspx
- American Psychological Association. (2023). Work and Well-being Survey. https://www.apa.org/pubs/reports/work-in-america/2023-workplace-health-well-being
- Aflac – Workforces Report – https://www.aflac.com/business/resources/aflac-workforces-report/default.aspx
- Zoom – Mental Health Day – 2022