Trending: Employers Focus on Overall Employee Well-Being

As you evaluate your worksite wellness program this year, or start to make plans to implement one in 2016, read the Workplace Wellness Trends survey prepared by the International Foundation of Employee Benefits Plans. While traditional initiatives such as health risk assessments and wellness challenges continue to be popular, there is a growing trend to add newer, innovative benefits including mental health coverage, financial education, collaborative workspaces, free wearable tracking devices, standing/treadmill desks and encouraging vacation time use. Employers are looking beyond physical wellness and focusing on the overall well-being of their employees.

The survey found that the top traditional wellness initiatives include: 

• Flu shots (71 percent)
• Smoking-cessation (54 percent)
• Health risk assessments (51 percent)
• Health screenings (50 percent)
• Wellness/fitness challenges (42 percent)

The top non-traditional wellness initiatives include: 

• Vacation time/encouraging time off (66 percent)
• Mental health coverage (63 percent)
• Tuition reimbursement (63 percent)
• Community charity drives (57 percent)
• On-site events/celebrations (50 percent)

The survey notes that “organizations are offering wellness initiatives for different reasons—59 percent offer wellness primarily to invest in/increase worker health and engagement, while 41 percent primarily aim to control/reduce health-related costs.” The employers offering wellness programs are getting results. Ninety-three percent of companies that analyze their wellness ROI achieve a positive return on their investment. The survey reports that the average ROI per $1 spent is $3. The organizations that track more specific wellness efforts report improved engagement (54 percent), reduced absenteeism (45 percent), and a positive impact to their organization's bottom line (38 percent). 

If you are looking to implement a wellness program or need help enhancing an existing program, contact us. We take a comprehensive approach to wellness that is custom-tailored to your organization. We have worked with numerous companies to develop innovative programs that utilize cutting-edge wellness trends and research that positively impact the bottom line.

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Visit Wellness Workdays for more information about our worksite wellness programs.