Benefits of Investing in Employee Wellness

What’s the ROI on healthy buildings? Or the returns on workplace wellness? When I was at the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), this question came up all the time. Sustainability had a ROI—energy savings, lower emissions, cost reductions. Clear metrics- which meant clear value. But workplace well-being? That was harder to quantify. We knew what strategies worked and what metrics could be measured, but we didn’t have short-term data to prove it moved the bottom line. Now, we do. A new report from the World Economic Forum and McKinsey Health Institute puts real numbers behind employee well-being—and the results are massive. Here are the key takeaways: - Healthier employees stay longer, cutting the high cost of turnover. - Employee well-being generates financial returns equal to 17–55% of annual salary. For someone earning $100K, that’s $17K–$55K in value through better performance, fewer sick days, and lower turnover. - The biggest gains (54–77%) come from higher productivity and fewer employees working while unwell. - Fixing presenteeism and investing in well-being could add up to $9 trillion to the global economy. The diagram shows a sample list of metrics and KPIs that can be used to measure the ROI. The bottom line? Employee health isn’t just an HR issue. It’s a business strategy. No matter what the latest executive order says, companies that invest in people win. It’s that simple. What well-being programs have you seen improve business outcomes? #Leadership #WorkplaceWellbeing #FutureOfWork #ESG #ThrivingWorkplaces

Your business runs on people, not numbers. In business, we obsess over metrics like ROI, KPIs, and quarterly performance. But none of it matters if the people driving those numbers are burned out. Employee well-being should always come first. Before the numbers, before the bottom line, and before deadlines. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦'𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨: prioritizing taking care of your people doesn't just benefit your employees, it also helps strengthen your business. Here’s how happier employees help your company grow: 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗔𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝘀 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗕𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗝𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 Stress can fog judgment and lead to hasty choices. When mental well-being is prioritized, leaders and teams can approach challenges with focus and clarity, making smarter, more strategic decisions. 𝗕𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗞𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿 Burnout stifles creativity, while a healthy, balanced mind is an environment for innovation. Teams with support bring fresh ideas, bold strategies, and unique solutions to the table. 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗙𝗼𝗿 Employees who feel supported are not just happier—they’re more productive. When people feel valued and cared for, they’re more motivated to deliver their best work. 𝗔 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵𝘆 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗥𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 A culture that prioritizes mental health reduces turnover. Employees are more likely to stay with organizations that care about their well-being and offer them a healthy work environment. Investing in well-being isn’t just the right thing to do. It's what's best for your employees, your business, and you. --- Follow Michael Cleary 🏳️🌈 for more tips like this. ♻️ Share with someone who want to prioritize mental health #mentalhealth #leadership #growth

🔍 A lightbulb moment that's transforming C-suites across America: Employers discovering that optimizing their health benefits strategy delivered the same bottom-line impact as a 30% increase in top-line revenue. In a slow-growth industry, that's game-changing. In inflationary times, it can save jobs and the bottom-line. Here's the wake-up call from CFO Magazine: Most companies spend more on healthcare than their core materials (think Starbucks → healthcare > coffee beans). Yet they manage other major expenses down to 0.01% while accepting 5-20% annual healthcare cost increases. The shift that's creating competitive advantage? - Treating healthcare as a strategic business unit, not an HR expense - Hiring healthcare administrators with financial + supply chain expertise - Demanding transparency in pricing and outcomes - Investing in prevention and primary care The results? Companies have achieved: • 40-55% lower per-capita health costs across a wide array of industries & size of orgs • Improved workforce performance • Enhanced recruitment/retention • Stronger bottom line The best part? These advantages compound over time, widening the gap between forward-thinking companies and those stuck in the status quo. What's your experience? Has your organization treated healthcare spending as a strategic opportunity or a necessary evil? #HealthcareSolutions #CFOStrategy #BusinessTransformation Jeffrey Hogan Chris Deacon Patrick Moore

Wellbeing as a Board and C-Suite Priority: A Strategic Imperative for Value Creation The pandemic reshaped the way organizations think about employee wellbeing—not as a perk, but as a strategic business priority. The last few years have reinforced that wellbeing is not just about physical health, but a holistic approach encompassing: 🔹 Physical Wellbeing – Access to healthcare, fitness programs, and preventative care 🔹 Mental & Emotional Wellbeing – Psychological safety, stress management, and access to mental health support 🔹 Financial Wellbeing – Fair wages, financial literacy resources, and long-term security 🔹 Social & Workplace Wellbeing – A culture of belonging, connection, and purpose at work 📊 The Business Case for Wellbeing Organizations that prioritize wellbeing outperform those that don’t: ✅ Employees who feel cared for are 3.2x more likely to be happy at work and 3.7x more likely to recommend their employer (Gallup, 2023). ✅ Companies with strong wellbeing initiatives see a 23% increase in employee productivity and a 28% reduction in absenteeism (McKinsey, 2023). ✅ For every $1 invested in mental health support, organizations see a $4 return in productivity and reduced healthcare costs (World Health Organization). 🔹 The C-Suite’s Role in Elevating Wellbeing For wellbeing to truly drive value, it must be embedded into leadership priorities. This requires a cross-functional approach: 🚀 CEO & CHRO – Integrating wellbeing into corporate strategy and culture 💰 CFO – Recognizing wellbeing as a business asset that reduces turnover and healthcare costs 📱 CIO – Leveraging technology to provide accessible wellbeing tools 🏢 COO – Designing work environments that support balance and productivity 🔹 Personal Story My first HR role was at Northern Trust in Chicago, long before I even knew the term corporate wellbeing. What stuck with me? Our financial advisor colleagues took the time to educate employees—offering sessions on money management and estate planning. As a 20-something with minimal savings, I had no idea what I should be doing, but I took those lessons and started thinking more strategically about my financial security. Even more meaningfully, knowing my colleagues cared enough to take time out of their busy schedules to share their expertise made a lasting impact. If your organization specializes in something valuable, why not extend that knowledge to your employees? A simple lunch-and-learn can leave a lasting impression. Believe me—they’ll remember and appreciate it.   📣 The Future of Work is Wellbeing-Centered Companies that proactively invest in wellbeing don’t just create a healthier workforce—they build a competitive advantage in talent retention, performance, and overall business sustainability. How is your organization prioritizing wellbeing? Let’s discuss. 👇 #Leadership #EmployeeWellbeing #FutureOfWork #CLevelStrategy #CorporateCulture

Proactive, Not Reactive: This Is Future of Workplace Wellbeing 📉 Most companies tackle health and well-being after problems arise (ie after reviewing annual claims). Trying to tackle to "symptoms" vs addressing the root cause. But what if you could prevent them altogether? A leading financial firm did just that with Navigate — leveraging the power of coaching, data-driven interventions, and early RISK detection to create a healthier workforce while stabilizing costs for eight years straight. Yes, 8 years. The Challenge: poor health metrics and high costs hitting the organization 📉 High-risk employee population with increased exposure to chronic conditions 🩺 Troubling biometric data in key health areas (cholesterol, glucose, blood pressure) 💰 Escalating healthcare costs with no clear path to stability The Solution: multifaceted and holistic approach to wellbeing centered on coaching. + Incentivized health screenings to encourage early risk detection + Clinical interventions for at-risk employees to prevent escalating conditions + One-on-one lifestyle coaching using personalized SMART goals + Health promotion initiatives including workshops & digital resources All of this leads to Game-Changing results for employees and the organization, short and long term - 70% reduction in high-risk employees - 5 out of 6 biometric categories improved - 0% increase in healthcare costs for 8 consecutive years - Higher employee engagement All of these while building a culture of wellbeing.    Employees not only felt healthier, but they also felt valued, motivated, and supported in their health journeys. (Productivity Rocketship) This is the new standard of workplace wellbeing. The takeaway? Wellbeing works when it’s strategic. With the right approach, companies can create healthier employees, lower costs, and stronger business outcomes. #EmployeeWellbeing #HealthCoaching #WorkplaceWellbeing #Wellness #HRStrategy #Productivity #HealthInnovation

📢 $11.7 TRILLION. That’s the untapped economic value organizations could unlock by investing in workforce health. 💰 Yet, the data tells a different story: only 57% of employees report good holistic health and burnout is at an all-time high. The cost of inaction? Lower productivity, rising attrition, and billions lost in absenteeism and presenteeism. 🔎 The McKinsey research reveals just how much is at stake: 📉 Lost productivity is the #1 hidden cost—Presenteeism (employees showing up but working at reduced capacity) costs businesses up to $9 TRILLION annually. 📊 High attrition = high cost—Companies that build a culture of health experience 11% lower turnover than those that don’t. ⏳ Leaders are overbooked—Executives now spend 12+ hours per day in meetings, leaving minimal time for strategic, high-impact work. 💬 Collaboration overload is real—Some teams respond to Slack messages in under 5 minutes, while others take 2+ hours, creating friction in async workflows. 🏥 The healthcare burden is growing—US companies alone spend $226B annually on absenteeism, primarily driven by chronic conditions that could be mitigated with proactive health strategies. 🔥 Burnout isn’t just an individual issue—it’s an industry-wide crisis—1 in 4 employees now report burnout symptoms, with younger employees at the highest risk. 🚀 How leading organizations are addressing this: ✅ Rethinking meeting structures—reducing excessive manager co-attendance, freeing up 3-5+ hours per week for strategic work. ✅ Tracking the right data—Measuring fragmented time, digital overload, and peer collaboration trends to prevent burnout before it happens. ✅ Rebalancing workloads—optimizing Slack, email, and async work to reduce constant context-switching and improve deep work capacity. ✅ Investing in mental health and well-being—Companies with comprehensive well-being programs outperform competitors on stock market indexes due to higher engagement and retention. 📌 The takeaway: Workforce health = workforce performance. Companies that embed well-being into their workforce strategy will not only see higher productivity and engagement but will directly impact their bottom line. 🔍 You can see the full piece from McKinsey in the comments below. How is your organization using data to measure and improve employee well-being? #PeopleAnalytics #HRAnalytics #EmployeeWellbeing #FutureOfWork #WorkplaceOptimization

Mental Health Crisis brewing in Organizations - Are traditional wellness programs enough? A survey called “People at Work 2023: A Global Workforce View” concluded that almost two-thirds (65%) of workers said stress adversely affects their work and almost half (47%) echo similar concerns regarding their mental well-being globally. This is where the question, of whether traditional wellness programs are enough, becomes all the more dominant. In view of the same, I’d like to share some action steps that you can initiate in your organization to tackle workplace stress, an area where the UK-based HR Tech organization, Ciphr leads by example ⬇ 1. Utilization of Advanced HR Tools: Implementing HR software can reduce administrative workload by 30%, enabling HR to dedicate more time to employee wellbeing initiatives. 2. Promoting Work-Life Balance: By promoting reasonable work hours, introducing flexible work arrangements, and encouraging the use of paid time off (PTO), HR can enable employees to disconnect and recharge, ultimately reducing burnout and stress 3. Prioritizing Physical Wellbeing: Participation in onsite fitness facilities and wellness workshops can contribute substantially to improved employee health. 4. Mental Health Support: Employees can be encouraged to utilize the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) as these provide employees with access to mental health professionals and resources to help manage personal and work-related stressors effectively. 5. Financial Literacy: Initiatives that offer employees financial advice services, especially free mortgage advice, ease financial concerns and offer mental peace. 6. Effective Communication Channels: Adoption of transparent communication practices can help in increasing employee satisfaction by pushing team meetings, suggestion boxes and anonymous surveys to encourage open dialogue. 7. Building a Positive Culture: Employee engagement scores are believed to rise after the successful implementation of regular team-building events and recognition programs like team lunches, themed dress-up days, and volunteering opportunities, encouraging bonding and alleviating work-related stress By putting these suggestions into play, HR can work towards enhancing employee satisfaction, eliminating burnout/stress, and eventually contributing to overall organizational success and productivity. #wellnessprograms #mentalhealthcrisis #employeesatisfaction

Financial stress is a common problem that affects many employees’ work and well-being. However, some employers may not realize the importance of employee financial wellness and may keep a professional distance from their employees’ personal issues. This can be harmful to both the employees and the employers. Employees who are worried about money may have difficulty concentrating on their work, resulting in lower productivity and more absences. They may also become disengaged and unmotivated, which can affect their performance and quality of work. Financial stress can also cause mental and physical health problems. That's why employers have a good reason to care about their employees’ financial wellness and to provide them with support and resources to improve their financial health. Here are 3 great places to start: * Employers can benefit from offering financial wellness benefits to their employees, such as education, counseling, and incentives. These benefits can help employees reduce their financial stress, increase their savings, and eliminate their debt. * Employers can also promote a culture of financial wellness in their workplace by encouraging open communication, providing feedback, and recognizing achievements. This can help employees feel more comfortable and confident about their financial situations and seek help when needed. * Employers can leverage their existing resources and partnerships to provide financial wellness support to their employees. For example, they can use their payroll system to facilitate automatic savings or debt payments, or they can partner with financial institutions or experts to offer financial advice or discounts. This can make it easier and more convenient for employees to access and use financial wellness services. The bottom line? Financial wellness is not just a personal issue, it's a business issue as well. Employers who invest in their employees’ financial health can reap the rewards of higher productivity, engagement, and loyalty. And it's a worthwhile and meaningful goal for any employer.

Workplace "wellness" is more than just standing desks and fancy snacks. The uncomfortable truth about workplace wellness: we need more than productivity and confidence classes. The pandemic showed us that superficial solutions don’t solve employees' real issues. While physical health initiatives like gym memberships or nutrition classes have long been a staple of workplace wellness programs, the pandemic highlighted the urgent need to address a second, deeper wave of factors impacting mental and emotional health. Often rooted in complex systemic issues, these factors are critical for understanding and improving employee well-being. The pandemic laid bare the interconnectedness of our personal and professional lives. Factors like: Housing Insecurity: ↳The stress of unstable housing significantly impacts mental health and productivity. The gender pay gap:  ↳Unequal pay disproportionately impacts women, leading to increased financial stress and burnout. Blurred work-life boundaries: ↳The rise of remote work blurred the lines between work and personal time, leading to increased burnout and anxiety. Caregiving responsibilities:  ↳The pandemic highlighted the challenges of balancing work with childcare and elder care, particularly impacting women. Environmental impact:  ↳Concerns about climate change and environmental degradation contribute to anxiety and stress for many employees. These factors, often overlooked, have a profound impact on employee well-being. Moving forward, a holistic approach to workplace wellness must address these systemic issues that work in tandem with government and healthcare policies. This means: Prioritizing mental health support: ↳Offering comprehensive mental health benefits:creating a stigma-free environment for discussing mental health, and providing resources for employees to promote mental well-being. Promoting work-life integration: ↳Offering flexible work arrangements, encouraging employees to take breaks, and setting clear boundaries between work and personal time. Addressing systemic inequalities: ↳Advocating for policies that address the gender pay gap, improve access to affordable housing, and support caregivers. Fostering a culture of empathy and understanding: ↳Creating a workplace where employees feel valued, respected, and supported. The pandemic has shown us that prioritizing employee well-being is not just the right thing to do; it's essential for business success. And we can't think in a vacuum- healthcare, government, and housing policies directly impact employee wellness. Companies that invest in their employee's whole person health will be better equipped to attract and retain top talent, foster innovation, and build a more resilient and productive workforce. ♻️ Repost & follow Dr. Romie for insights on how mental health & wellness impact workplace culture.

Burnout isn’t just a personal struggle—it’s a business crisis. A new report released this week estimates that burnout costs employers up to $21,000 per employee per year due to lost productivity, disengagement, and turnover. That’s a staggering number, but behind the dollars are real people—teams struggling under unsustainable workloads, leaders battling exhaustion, and cultures suffering from disconnection. This isn’t just an HR issue; it’s a leadership issue. Organizations thrive when people thrive, and that starts with a culture that prioritizes mental health and well-being. So, what can leaders do? ✔ Normalize conversations about mental health. Open dialogue reduces stigma and helps employees feel seen and supported. ✔ Model healthy behaviors. Leaders who set boundaries, take breaks, and prioritize well-being create permission for their teams to do the same. ✔ Reevaluate workload expectations. Burnout often stems from unrealistic demands. Are your teams resourced appropriately? ✔ Invest in workplace wellness. This isn’t just about gym discounts—it’s about creating systems that support people holistically. If we want innovation, engagement, and retention, we can’t ignore the human element of work. How is your organization addressing burnout? Let’s share strategies and learn from each other. #HeartLeader #HumanResources #Management #Careers #PersonalDevelopment #Leadership #WhatInspiresMe #BestAdvice #Motivation #WorkplaceWellness #OrganizationalCulture