Benefits of workplace wellness programs

With rates of obesity and chronic illness rising and associated health-care costs soaring, organizations are feeling the impact on their bottom line. Poor population health leads to increased absenteeism, decreased productivity, and reduced ROI.  

The good news? Organizations can easily implement a workplace wellness program to improve the quality of life and clinical outcomes for your people, lower costs, and have a positive impact on your culture and bottom line. 

What is a workplace wellness program? 

Workplace wellness programs are organized activities designed to support and improve the health of employees. A robust wellness program should address the physical and emotional health needs of your populations, and may include: 

• Weight loss combined with behavior-change programs 

• Preventive care and health screenings 

• Nutritional counseling and support 

• Stress management education 

• Exercise programs 

• Wellness assessments 

How can organizations measure wellness program ROI? 

In measuring the benefits of workplace wellness programs, the three key areas organizations need to examine are: 

1. Clinical: 
   The impact on the physical health of your population. How has the program affected the long-term health of your employees? 
    

2. Financial 
   The impact on your company’s bottom line. How are your solutions saving money for your organization and your people? 
    

3. Cultural 
   The impact on your population’s overall engagement, cohesion, job satisfaction, and mental, physical, and social well-being. How has the program improved morale, connection, and engagement among your population? 

A behavior-change program can check all the boxes: 

The benefits of a workplace wellness program can be evident through: 

Engaging employees 
The question of how to increase employee participation in wellness programs is one organizations continue to face. The key is: weight loss isn’t one-size fits all. A personalized program meets your people where they are, making behavior change easy and accessible for your diverse population. 

Improving physical and mental health 
Proven behavior- change solutions enhance quality of life and clinical outcomes, 
backed by robust peer-reviewed data. 

Increasing productivity 
Healthier employees are more productive. They perform better, manage their stress and time more efficiently, have more energy, and are less likely to call in sick. 

Lowering costs 
A healthier population equals a healthier bottom line, but wellness ROI has been historically difficult to measure. Look for solutions with third-party validated ROI and data that improves clinical, financial, and cultural outcomes for your organization.  

Easing implementation 

Look for a turnkey solution that does the heavy lifting for you. Do they offer customized materials, a personalized communication strategy, or the ability to bill as a medical claim? 

Measuring your wellness program ROI and how Wondr stacks up 
The benefits of workplace wellness programs go beyond dollars and cents. The clinical, cultural, and financial health of your organization matters. Here’s how Wondr, our whole-person, digital behavior-change program, helps employers improve health outcomes and quality of life, and reduce costs.  
 
Clinical impact: 50% reversal of metabolic syndrome, hypertension, and diabetes risk 
Organizations can expect proven clinical outcomes and long-term results. Seven peer-reviewed studies show Wondr solutions improve health and prevent costly chronic conditions. 

Cultural impact: 81% engagement in the first year 
Healthier populations lead to happier workplaces. Wondr is personalized to the individual, with diverse expertise and inclusive content. 
 
Financial impact: 2.1 x ROI in the plan year (validated by third-party).  

Improved outcomes lower future claims costs and Wondr delivers 2.1x ROI in the plan year.  

Drawing on more than 15 years of experience in the employee benefits space, Wondr Health also handles everything from implementation to program adoption and integration with other points of care for stress-free administration and scalability that adapts to each client’s evolving benefit structure.