Wellness in the workplace is something all employers should focus on. Promoting employee wellness at work helps you maintain a productive workforce that’s engaged, loyal, satisfied, and healthy. Employees who feel physically, mentally, and emotionally supported will perform at their best and show up more consistently. The need for programs that can help is undeniable — an estimated 75% of employees in the United States have at least 1 chronic health condition, including mental health conditions like anxiety or depression.
Workplace wellness encompasses programs and initiatives that benefit physical and mental well-being. It can be as simple as encouraging movement breaks or as powerful as offering mental health resources. Wellness strategies in the workplace are essential for creating a happy, healthy, thriving workplace environment—and they work, too. Research shows that wellness initiatives have numerous benefits and are overwhelmingly successful.
We’re sharing 12 actionable strategies to promote well-being in the workplace. Each can be tailored to fit the exact needs of your organization and your employees. Read on to learn effective, easy ways to promote employee wellness in your workplace.
1. Foster a culture of open communication
Open communication is the cornerstone of any healthy workplace. Policies that promote it help prevent misunderstandings that can damage team dynamics.
In one study, employees who “felt heard” by their employers were 4.6 times more likely to feel empowered to do their best at work. Encourage employees to share feedback or concerns they have with management or leadership. Have an open-door policy so workers feel confident and willing to express their feelings in a supportive environment where issues can be addressed.
Here are some strategies to help promote open communication within your organization:
- Have regular check-ins
- Establish an inclusive environment
- Conduct anonymous surveys
- Create an open-door policy
- Train leadership to be compassionate and understanding
- Use active listening
- Respond empathetically
2. Incorporate diversity, equity, and inclusion in wellness initiatives
Diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives can cater to the diverse needs of your workforce — and studies suggest that now is the time for organizations to align company well-being and DEI strategies.
To start, you can make simple changes, like providing culturally sensitive, relevant, and inclusive resources. The goal should be to create employee wellness initiatives that ensure an equitable workplace environment.
Here are some ways you can begin integrating DEI into your employee well-being programs:
- Use multiple languages when providing health and fitness programs
- Partner with organizations that specialize in care for diverse populations
- Offer culturally and relevant programs
- Be religiously and culturally sensitive
- Tailor support by partnering with organizations that work with underrepresented groups
3. Provide mental health support
Mental health is critical to workplace wellness. The resources you provide can reduce workplace stigma and give crucial support when employees need it most. Research shows that employers that offer mental health benefits for employees have reduced employee stress levels, increased job satisfaction, and higher energy levels.
Effective strategies for providing mental health support in the workplace include
- Offer access to counseling services
- Start Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs)
- Host workshops and activities focused on mental health awareness
- Train managers and leadership to recognize employee stress and other mental health conditions
- Partner with platforms like Talkspace so access to licensed therapists is easy, affordable, and convenient
4. Encourage work-life balance
In many ways, promoting well-being in the workplace starts by prioritizing work-life balance for employees. It’s an effective way to prevent burnout and improve employee satisfaction. Have employees take breaks throughout their work days and set boundaries so they can disconnect after work. Remind leadership to set the tone and lead by example.
Employers can encourage and promote healthy work-life balance by:
- Encouraging employees to use vacation days
- Ensuring everyone takes regular breaks during work hours
- Having clear boundaries about after-hours communication
- Providing time management tools or apps
- Creating policies about disconnecting on weekends or during evenings
5. Offer flexible work arrangements
Flexible work arrangements are a growing priority for many workers today. Flexibility can improve job satisfaction and help you attract and retain top candidates.
Whether you allow employees to work remotely, use flexible hours, or maintain a hybrid schedule, giving them the autonomy to work in a way that meets their needs can boost morale and productivity — and studies show that remote work can also reduce stress and prevent burnout.
Some options for offering flexible work arrangements include:
- Offer remote or hybrid work options
- Allow flexible scheduling to help accommodate personal responsibilities and obligations outside of work
- Develop a results-oriented work environment as opposed to strict office hours
- Provide the technology needed for remote workers to stay engaged and productive
6. Establish clear policies on paid time off
Create clear, supportive PTO policies that mandate employees use their vacation days. Adequate rest and recovery are essential to staying physically and mentally healthy. Sick policies can remind employees to prioritize their health without worrying about repercussions.
When establishing policies about time off:
- Make sure employees have access to paid sick leave
- Promote the use of PTO
- Implement a mandatory vacation policy
- Don’t ask questions about additional time off for personal or family emergencies
- Communicate and reinforce the importance of rest and self care
7. Encourage regular movement breaks
Sedentary lifestyles are known contributors to health issues like obesity, cardiovascular disease, anxiety, and depression. To help get people moving, have them take short breaks throughout the workday. You can also provide standing desks, encourage walking meetings, or even organize stretch breaks. Implement fitness programs or reimburse gym memberships to encourage workers to stay active.
Ways to encourage regular movement breaks:
- Set reminders for employees to take short breaks
- Upgrade office furniture to ergonomic styles
- Provide standing desks for anyone who wants them
- Offer on-site fitness classes or discounts at local gyms
- Make fitness fun by creating step count challenges
8. Promote nutritious eating habits
Healthy eating fuels productivity at work. Make sure nutritious snacks are available and give resources on meal planning. You can also partner with local businesses to provide your employees with healthy meals at a discounted price.
Ways to promote nutritious eating habits:
- Organize lunch-and-learn sessions on nutrition and meal prepping
- Provide plenty of healthy snack options
- Offer resources or apps for tracking nutritional goals
- Publish weekly newsletters with healthy recipes and meal ideas
9. Create a dedicated wellness space
Dedicating a wellness space in your office gives employees a quiet place to relax, meditate, or recharge whenever they need. You don’t need a lot of space to do it — it can be a small room with a calming aesthetic.
Having a specific space reminds employees that you prioritize their mental and physical well-being. Try adding extra features like aromatherapy diffusers, yoga mats, or any other aspect that can make the space appealing.
Some ideas for making a wellness space effective include:
- Adding comfortable seating and relaxing decor to the space
- Offering wellness tools like yoga mats and meditation guides with therapy
- Having a private lactation room for new moms
- Providing lockers for employees to store fitness equipment
10. Host wellness challenges and events
Wellness challenges and events can be fun and engaging ways to bring people together. From step-count competitions to mindfulness workshops, a little friendly rivalry can foster camaraderie while promoting healthy habits. Increase participation in wellness activities by offering prizes or organizing team-based challenges to bring out the competitor in each employee.
Consider trying any of these employee wellness ideas:
- Have team-based step count competitions
- Start a virtual fitness challenge
- Organize mental health awareness days with guest speakers
- Create themed wellness-months and use each as an opportunity to focus on a specific aspect of health, like sleep or nutrition
- Do outdoor activities like group hikes or park cleanups
By incorporating these events, companies can also begin measuring their ROI on wellness programs, with increased employee engagement translating directly to improved productivity.
11. Incorporate financial wellness programs
Employee financial stress can be a huge source of anxiety for workers. Workshops on budgeting, retirement planning, and debt management are empowering ways to alleviate stress and enhance financial literacy. Encourage financial wellness in the workplace by providing employees with tools to help them achieve and understand financial stability.
Ways to incorporate financial wellness programs:
- Offer benefits like student loan repayment assistance
- Have budgeting workshops and retirement planning sessions
- Provide access to financial advisors
- Partner with financial institutions for discounted services
12. Incentivize participation in wellness initiatives
Use incentives to get employees engaged in wellness initiatives. Recognition, awards, and tiered rewards can be a fun way to ensure long-term, consistent participation in wellness activities. This approach is gaining popularity among workplace wellness trends.
You can incentivize participation by:
- Offering gift cards or wellness-related items for participation
- Creating tiered incentives that promote consistent engagement
- Publicly recognizing employee wellness achievements
- Doing fun raffles or giveaways
- Giving out free access to fitness trackers
Leverage professional support for wellness initiatives
Investing in mental health support in the workplace benefits employee wellness in more ways than one. Platforms like Talkspace offer online access to licensed therapists and counselors, so employees have resources to navigate any challenge. Integrating effective mental health support into your overall wellness strategies in the workplace means creating a comprehensive program that can address the diverse needs of every employee.
Combine mental health support with other employee wellness initiatives, like open communication, work-life balance, and flexible work arrangement options, to foster a culture where your employees feel valued and supported. Online therapy for employees is accessible, convenient, and confidential — and it demonstrates your commitment to employee well-being.
Request a demo from Talkspace today to learn more about how to promote wellness in the workplace.
Sources:
- Crist, Carolyn. 2023. “Workplace Wellness Programs Help Employees — and Their Companies.” Terry College of Business. December 8, 2023. https://www.terry.uga.edu/workplace-wellness-programs-help-employees-and-their-companies/. Accessed January 11, 2025.
- Mattke, Soeren, Hangsheng Liu, John Caloyeras, Christina Y Huang, Kristin R Van Busum, Dmitry Khodyakov, and Victoria Shier. 2013. “Workplace Wellness Programs Study: Final Report.” June 1, 2013. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4945172/. Accessed January 11, 2025.
- “The Impact of Equality and Values Driven Business.” 2017. Salesforce. January 2017. https://a.sfdcstatic.com/content/dam/www/ocms-backup/assets/pdf/misc/salesforce-research-2017-workplace-equality-and-values-report.pdf. Accessed January 11, 2025.
- Lloyd, By Ellyn Maese and Camille. 2023. “It’s Time to Synchronize Your DEI and Wellbeing Strategies.” Gallup.Com, October 18, 2023. https://www.gallup.com/workplace/389957/time-synchronize-dei-wellbeing-strategies.aspx. Accessed January 11, 2025.
- Wu, Ashley, Enid Chung Roemer, Karen B. Kent, David W. Ballard, and Ron Z. Goetzel. 2021. “Organizational Best Practices Supporting Mental Health in the Workplace.” Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 63 (12): e925–31. https://doi.org/10.1097/jom.0000000000002407. Accessed January 11, 2025.
- Ding, Yuye, and Mark (Shuai) Ma. n.d. “Mental Health Benefits of Workplace Flexibility.” University of Pittsburgh. https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/ew8sv6gkjybi3kwgl3pbx/Mental-Health0406.pptx?rlkey=c4mqu9lsdrxoafzqd51s0m7ux&e=4&dl=0. Accessed January 11, 2025.