Are you well? This has become a tougher question to answer over the last few years. But luckily, more and more organizations are frequently asking their employees this. HR leaders and managers recognize the importance of doing mental health check-ins. Keep this in mind: 84% of Americans said that workplace conditions have contributed to at least one of their mental health challenges, with 70% of employers more concerned now than ever about the mental health state of their workers.
To help combat this, many organizations have invested in wellness programs in the last few years. In fact, according to SHRM’s 2022 Employee Benefits Survey, 41% of employers provide wellness resources. These traditionally include preventive health measures, like gym memberships and smoking cessation incentives, but now tend to also offer mental health resources like mindfulness practices and access to therapy.
And these programs are certainly showing their value. Gympass’ new Return on Well-being report surveyed 2,000 HR executives to get an understanding of what business goals they achieve from their wellness programs. The results speak for themselves.
- 90% of companies that invest in wellness programs see a positive return.
- 85% said wellness programs decreased the cost of talent recruitment, retention, and/or engagement.
- 85% of respondents cited decreased utilization of sick days as a result of comprehensive well-being benefits.
- 78% reported their wellness program saved them money on healthcare expenses.
Associate Editor Zee Johnson takes a closer look at the survey and explores strategies that help shape a successful program in The Value of Wellness.
Executive Coach Irina Cozma and CHRO of Atlas HXM Lulu Rufael argue that U.S. wellness programs lack progress and could take the lead from some of their global counterparts. In Taking Mental Notes, Cozma and Rufael share that Ireland published a code of practice that covers an employee’s right not to routinely perform work outside their regular working hours, the right not to be penalized for disconnecting, and the duty to respect another person’s right to disconnect. France was a pioneer on this approach, and now more European countries are following suit. Will the U.S. be next?
HRO Today’s 2022 Reader Survey revealed that employee wellness is the number four area of interest for our readers in terms of stories. With this in mind, we will be expanding our coverage of wellness this year with an upcoming Trend Watch in our July/August issue and new bi-monthly newsletter. Be well!
Debbie
SVP/Editorial Director
