Employee wellness is not just a feel-good issue, but an economic one. According to a 2023 ResumeLab survey, 68% of employees have taken time off work due to a mental health condition.
Plus, it affects employees at all levels; the higher on the organizational chart and the more experience an employee has, the more likely they have work-induced mental health problems. Thus, understanding employee wellness is an important part of employee management.
We’ve compiled 28 workplace wellness statistics, examining them and others for what they mean to your business and how you can use them to improve the morale and health of your employees.
Key Takeaways
- Employers are expected to invest more in mental health solutions (91%), stress management and resilience tools (66%), telemedicine (65%), mindfulness and meditation programs (55%), and lifestyle spending accounts (52%).
- Employees say that financial issues/low income and work/life balance are their greatest sources of workplace stress.
- Employees said they’d have higher happiness in their current job with a four-day workweek (44%) or remote work options (38%).
- 74% of employees have suffered from burnout and the associated symptoms in their current job.
- 71% of employees have taken advantage of mental health support offered by their employer.
Wellness Programs in the Workplace Statistics
Statistics on health and wellness programs in the workplace show that employers increasingly consider them important. In 2023, 87% of companies had implemented wellness programs of some type, with 92% projected to do so in 2024. Companies that provide such programs are also expecting increased investments.
- Employers are expected to invest more in mental health solutions (91%), stress management and resilience tools (66%), telemedicine (65%), mindfulness and meditation programs (55%), and lifestyle spending accounts (52%). (Wellable 2024)
- The corporate wellness market was valued at an estimated $61 billion in 2023, and this number is expected to rise to $85 billion by 2030. (Wellable 2024)
Looking into implementing your own program? Check out our top employee wellness program ideas that you can incorporate into your own company.
Wellness Program Statistics for Employee Response
Most employees admit to feeling stress at work for many reasons. As people become more aware of the mind/body connection and the importance of stress management, they are expecting companies to provide them with support. In fact, many employees favor more benefits over higher pay.
- Average cost of wellness program per employee: $36–$1,200 per year. (Questco 2024)
- 71% of employees have taken advantage of mental health support offered by their employer. (ResumeLab 2023)
- Only 27% of those who did not use company health support did not because they didn’t need it. Of the rest, they were afraid of discrimination or repercussions at work (45%), were ashamed (27%), or thought the company program would not work for them (34%). (ResumeLab 2023)
- 89% of employees believe their company sufficiently supports the mental health of its employees, but 75% worry that their company will cut these benefits if there’s a recession. (Headspace 2023)
Benefits of Corporate Wellness Programs Statistics
These are the most controversial workplace wellness statistics, because the most recent ROI study is from 2018, well before COVID changed the landscape of wellness programs at work. Further, a recent study suggests that the programs are not as effective as the industry has touted them to be.
- Employers with mental health programs see an ROI of $4 for every $1 invested. (NSC/NORC at University of Chicago 2022, but based on a survey of 2015-2018 data).
- For every dollar spent on wellness programs, medical costs fall by $3.27 and absenteeism costs by $2.73. (Health Affairs 2010, but still cited today)
- A 2020 study of the Virgin Pulse wellness app showed a 162% ROI. (Forrester 2020)
- A 2024 study by Oxford found that there were no significant differences between those who participated in wellness initiatives at work and those who did not. The one exception is company programs that encourage community service or volunteering. (New York Times 2024)
So, are wellness programs worth it? The Oxford study throws doubt on the effectiveness of workplace wellness programs, but despite its wide survey base and startling results, it has some important limitations. For example, it surveys employees at a single point in time rather than finding out how individual employees felt before and after taking a program. It also does not consider the types of programs or the level of an employee’s participation.
Employee Well-being Statistics
Employee well-being is vital to the health of your organization. In this age when employees change jobs every 4.2 years, losing an employee due to workplace stress is costly. Plus, stress leads to mistakes, absences, and illness.
- Nearly 74% of employees have suffered from burnout and the associated symptoms in their current job. (Ringover 2023)
- The main causes of burnout were heavy workloads (43%), lack of resources (36.9%), micromanagement (36.6%), and toxic work environments (34.5%). (Ringover 2023)
- Another study (ResumeLab 2023) said the main causes of workplace stress were as follows:
- Work pressure (49%)
- Excessive workloads (42%)
- Job insecurity (40%)
- Long working hours or overtime (39%)
- Toxic environment (37%)
- Low salary (35%)
- Discrimination or bullying (29%)
- Unsafe or poor working conditions (24%)
- Managers play a key role in the mental wellness of their people—in that they can severely impact employees’ wellness negatively. (Headspace 2023) Ways they negatively affect mental and emotional health are:
- Disrespecting working hour boundaries (42%)
- Disrespecting that employees have a life outside work (40%)
- Treating team members unequally (39%)
- Setting unsustainable workloads (38%)
- Enabling a toxic work environment (37%)
- 94% of HR leaders feel an increasing responsibility to improve company culture by supporting employee mental health and serving as emotional caregivers for employees in addition to their traditional job roles. However, only 41% of HR leaders use mental health benefits regularly—the least of the surveyed groups. (Headspace 2023)
- 82% of employees say it’s important to be able to manage benefits online, but only 55% of employers offer online enrollment, making access that much harder. (AFLAC 2023)
- Employees say stress has affected them at work in the following ways (Resumelab 2023):
- Making mistakes (41%)
- Stress and anxiety (39%)
- Lower productivity and motivation (33%)
- Conflicts at work (32%)
- Increased absenteeism (31%)
- Quitting/being fired (30%)
- Decreased job satisfaction (29%)
- Burnout (25%)
Your managers play a huge role in watching out for your employees’ well-being—in fact, it’s a major part of employee management. Make sure your managers are properly trained and aware of how to deal with their direct reports.
Employee Financial Wellness Statistics
Inflation has cooled from 6.55% in 2022 to 3.4% in 2023, but finances are still a source of stress for many employees. Financially stressed employees are less productive at work, not only from the distraction but from feeling less a part of the team. Even so, businesses are making financial wellness programs a lower priority in 2024.
- 48% of employees say that high inflation and low wage growth is a source of stress at work. (Beekeeper 2024)
- 44% of full-time employees say money concerns have negatively impacted their work, while those who are financially stressed are five times more likely to admit distraction. (PwC 2023)
- Employee financial stress costs US employers about $200 billion annually in lost productivity. (BrightPlan 2023)
- Only 18% of employees have basic financial literacy. 85% are in debt. (BrightPlan 2023)
- Financially stressed employees are 37% less likely to feel like they belong at their company, 50% less likely to feel energized at work, 33% less proud of their company, and 41% less likely to recommend their company to friends as a great place to work. (PwC 2023)
- 25% of employees don’t know if their employer offers financial benefits, while only 48% believe their company offers them the financial guidance, support, and tools they need to achieve their life goals. (BrightPlan 2023)
Workplace Wellness Statistics for Employee Retention
Employees are more likely than ever to switch jobs if they are unhappy. Of primary concern are wages and work/life balance.
- In a survey, workers stated that they left previous jobs because of a toxic workplace caused by managers (23%) or employees (17%). (Beekeeper 2024)
- 34% of front-line employees left because of work/life balance issues, with 38% leaving because of pay. The reasons flip in the hospitality industry, where work/life imbalance is the No. 1 reason for leaving. (Beekeeper 2024)
- Employees with access to multiple wellness programs were 1.5 times more likely to stay with an employer and three times more likely to recommend their employer as a great place to work. (Optum 2019)
- Employees said they’d have higher happiness in their current job with a four-day workweek (44.6%) or remote work options (37.6%). (Ringover 2023)
- 69% of small businesses are working harder to keep their employees, with increased wages (24%), training (18%), remote work opportunities (16%), as well as better benefits (combined 38%). (Truist 2023)
Putting Employee Wellness Statistics Into Practice
The benefits of corporate wellness programs statistics come from using them to make sound decisions about how your company promotes employee wellness. While companies are continuing to invest in wellness initiatives, it’s vital to work on removing the sources of employee stress.
- Increase pay: Combined with insecurity about the economy, low pay is the No. 1 source of stress for employees. A financial wellness or budgeting program cannot solve insufficient wages.
- Improve work/life balance: Flexible hours, unlimited PTO, mental health days, and remote work opportunities have all been found to improve employee mental health.
- Sponsor community or charity works as a team: The single factor the Oxford study found that improved employee wellness was charitable works. It’s good for your company too.
- Create Strong Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) policies: Over half of employees (54%) say their employer’s DEIB policy has a positive impact on their mental health. This figure includes white males as well as marginalized groups.
- Take care of your HR team: Despite having the greatest pressure to ensure wellness, they are the least likely to take part in company programs.
- Prioritize ease of use: Programs will not help employees unless they are easy to sign up for and use.
- Opt for flexible programs: Instead of company workouts or an office gym, you might offer reimbursement on gym memberships, provide stipends for wellness-oriented expenses, or give out rewards for wellness initiatives and lifestyle changes.
- Make your benefits known: Employees may forget their orientation, and you shouldn’t wait until there’s a problem to recommend a program. Regular reminders of your offerings help them get used more.
- Make employees feel comfortable using the programs: Confidentiality is important, especially where mental or financial health is concerned. However, it also helps for employees to know they are not alone. 76% of employees said they appreciated when leaders were open about their own mental health challenges. (Headspace 2023)
- Look for simple solutions with a big impact: Standing desks, for example, have been shown to improve employee health, as does encouraging walk-and-talk breaks.
For more ideas on how to improve wellness in your business, check out our articles:
Methodology
COVID-19, the rise of remote work, and the recent high inflation have changed the landscape of the workplace. Therefore, we sought statistics from studies conducted in 2022 or later, selecting older stats only when nothing more current could be found. We favored small business over corporate wellness statistics but did not exclude large-company surveys where the information seemed relevant.
Interested to learn more trends that affect the HR industry and the workplace? Check our HR statistics article for more!
Employee Wellness Statistics Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Employee wellness is the overall mental and physical health of your employee—and financial health is tied to mental health. It includes everything from not being sick to feeling confident in one’s job. A “well” employee looks forward to the day, does their work with minimal stress, and generally enjoys being in the workplace.
Besides the obvious—health insurance and mental health access—the most popular employee wellness programs include:
- Financial: These include 401(k) and retirement planning, budgeting classes, financial counseling, or debit cards with budgeting and savings programs built-in, like those provided by Gusto.
- Flexible work schedules: This promotes work/life balance and can include flexible hours, remote work, or unlimited PTO.
- Work community spaces and activities: These can include workplace libraries, game rooms, or lunchtime activities.
- Personal growth: Subsidizing higher education or encouraging training can improve an employee’s abilities (and promotability) as well as their feelings of self-worth.
- Smoking cessation: This not only helps the employee but can prevent expensive healthcare costs in the future.
- Healthy food in the snack bar: Healthy food vending machines are popular, promote good eating habits, and give employees a cheaper alternative to going out to eat.
- Subscriptions to wellness apps: These might promote fitness challenges, remind people to meditate, or monitor vitals, calorie intake, or more.
No, but the statistics show that employees expect them, and many studies say that they improve employee morale by promoting financial and mental health and increasing their sense of belonging in the company. As a result, you get a more motivated employee who can focus better on the job.
Bottom Line
When it comes to wellness programs at work, statistics can give you a general idea of the impact of employee performance and where to place your efforts. In the end, however, you must look to your own employees, uncover their stressors, and tailor your wellness programs to help them.
References: AFLAC State of the Workplace Benefits and Enrollment 2023, Beekeeper Frontline Workforce Pulse Report 2024, BrightPlan Wellness Barometer Survey 2023, Forrester Report “The Total Economic Impact of Virgin Pulse”, Headspace, May 2023, Health Affairs “Workplace Wellness Programs Can Generate Savings” 2010, New York Times 2024, National Safety Council (NSC) and NORC at the University of Chicago, Optum 2019, PwC’s Employee Financial Wellness Survey, Questco Blog “What is the Actual ROI of Corporate Wellness Programs?” 2023, SHRM 2015, ResumeLab, 2023, Ringover 2023, Truist, 2023, and Wellable Employee Wellness Industry Trends Report 2024
