Strategies for Employers to Support Employee Health and Reduce Costs

CFO: Our turnover costs jumped 40% this quarter. CEO: What's driving it? HR: Burnout. 56% of our departing employees cited exhaustion and lack of support. CFO: Can't we just hire replacements? HR: Each burned-out employee who leaves costs us 1.5x their salary. That's $2M this quarter alone. CEO: What about productivity before they leave? HR: Burned-out employees show: -37% higher absenteeism -48% lower productivity -18% decreased customer satisfaction CFO: Those numbers are concerning. What's causing the burnout? HR: Our data shows: -Extreme workloads -Lack of recovery time -Poor boundaries CEO: What's the solution? CHRO: We implemented burnout prevention strategies in our tech division: -Strategic boundaries -Wellbeing support -Leadership training CFO: And the results? CHRO: In 6 months: -Turnover dropped 32% -Productivity increased 27% -Saved $1.2M in replacement costs CEO: So investing in prevention costs less than managing turnover? CFO: The numbers support it. HR: Preventing burnout isn't an expense. It's a profit-protection strategy. The lesson? You can't cost-cut your way to success. Invest in your people's wellbeing. Your bottom line will thank you. _______ 👋 Hi, I’m Sharon Grossman. I help organizations reduce turnover. ♻️ Repost to support your network. 🔔 Follow me for leadership, burnout, and retention strategies

Yoga, meditation, pizza parties, and smoothie bars often get a bad rap—or become easy scapegoats—for ineffective wellness strategies. But these activities can support well-being when used alongside deeper organizational efforts. Real change only happens when organizations tackle the core drivers of burnout and embed well-being into their core values and culture. This includes: • Fair workloads and staffing levels to prevent chronic overwork • Clear roles and expectations to reduce confusion and stress • Psychological safety so employees feel comfortable speaking up • Supportive leadership that models healthy boundaries • Flexible schedules and work options where possible • Opportunities for career growth, learning, and personal development • Effective communication and alignment to reduce unnecessary stress • Access to mental health resources and peer support networks Sustainable and holistic well-being isn’t served by isolated activities or “wellness programs.” It requires building a culture of joy, purpose, and connection where people feel valued and empowered to thrive in their work and life. Have you seen organizational cultures that get this balance right? #JustOneHeart #Wellness #Leadership #Culture

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

This article in HBR might seem to be critical of workplace well-being programs due to the title, but a closer read aligns with what we know from decades of research. Bottom line: we won't make progress on addressing burnout and mental health trends if we don't complement individual programs with organizational and leadership support for well-being. The authors offer the following guidance to support a more holistic approach to well-being. 1. Complement individual well-being programs with organizational changes that address the root causes of burnout and mental health. The authors cite several specific examples of how organizations like Microsoft, Best Buy, and Slack are doing so. 2. Establish clear goals and measure progress associated with organizational changes to promote transparency and build employee trust. The authors offer suggestions around recommended metrics. 3. Involve employees by implementing well-being champion networks. When executed well, they provide a feedback loop to inform programs; provide peer support within work groups; and complement systems-level changes in policies and managerial support. 4. Enhance managerial training with people management and mental health skills. Here the authors point to research conducted in the UK to illustrate the effectiveness of providing mental health training for managers. 5. Implement human capital metrics that align with global standards and ESG. Forward thinking organizations are looking to standards like ISO 45003 for guidance on how to systematically assess and implement measurement strategies that emphasize employee mental health and promote transparency externally. For more information, take a few minutes and read the full article: https://lnkd.in/g557u9kD

73% of your employee benefits budget? Wasted. Not because the offerings aren’t good. But, employees are too overwhelmed to use them. Here’s what I’ve learned after working with mid-size companies: 🚨 Burnt-out employees don’t read benefits guides. 🚨 Stressed teams don’t search for EAP support. 🚨 Overloaded managers don’t talk about well-being. So, we flipped the script. Instead of expecting employees to engage, we made it easy: ✅ 3-click benefits activation ✅ “Life event” triggers for real-time awareness ✅ Manager & champion training to spark conversations The results? → Increase in benefits engagement → Drop in chronic health claims → Boost in performance → Average savings in healthcare costs HR leaders, it's time to stop playing defense on benefits engagement. The strategy is simple: make well-being effortless. Just have to have a personalized strategy in place.

When it comes to supporting employee wellbeing, I think too many orgs approach what is a structural/organizational problem with individual-level solutions. For example: - Burnout → wellness and meditation apps - Stress → resources on stress management and building resilience - Mental health → therapy stipends It’s a little bit of money and apps, tools, and tech (oh my! 😩 ) for employees to use so that they can try to tackle the challenge individually. While these solutions can be helpful, they put the burden of change on individual employees rather than addressing systemic causes. They suggest that if employees just managed themselves better, meditated more, or used the right apps, their challenges would disappear. And it pushes the responsibility for change from the org to the individual. But here's the reality - when we're seeing widespread challenges across our organizations, it's usually a signal that we need structural change, not just individual support. What if instead of just giving people meditation apps to deal with burnout, we examined our workload distribution? What if rather than stress management resources, we implemented true flexible work policies? Or meeting-free days? What if alongside therapy stipends, we built psychologically safe environments and trained managers in supporting wellbeing? The individual solutions aren't wrong - they're just insufficient on their own. As HR leaders, we have the opportunity to guide our organizations toward systemic changes that create sustainably healthy workplaces. What are you implementing in your org to tackle this challenge at both an individual and organizational level? What’s working and what isn’t?

New Year reminder: your employees' and co-workers' nutrition, exercise, and sleep habits are none of your concern. Please don't do a health-related challenge in 2025. No Steps Competitions. No eating healthy seminars. No weight-loss challenge (truly the worst of them all). Should you want your employees to be healthy and happy? Absolutely! Here are some actual things within the scope of HR/leadership that can move the needle on employees' health: - Medical plans that cover nutritionists, weight-loss medications, sleep studies, specialists, and therapy appointments - Plenty of sick time and a culture where it's expected you won't come to the office sick - On-site flu and COVID vaccines - Wages that keep up with the cost-of-living so families can afford healthy groceries - Stipends for wellness activities and a broad policy on how those can be used (i.e. on more than just a gym membership) - Generous paid leave policies for medical needs, including mental health treatment - Flexible scheduling and WFH arrangements; it's really hard to go for a jog after work when it's dark by 5 p.m. What would you add to this list?

How did you get the budget to grow your employee well-being program? I’m often asked how we got approval and support for our employee well-being presence at Johns Hopkins Medicine.  After all, we went from zero FTEs in 2012 to 12 today, plus a budget to provide resources and execute our plans. It is remarkable growth 📈. I’ve never met an executive who is against employees being well. However, making the case to get a budget? It’s just not concrete enough for many decision makers. With so many competing demands to assess for the survival and thriving of organizations, we need to help them understand the benefit that a well workforce can have on the bottom line. 💵 One way to get a budget for your employee well-being strategy is to tie your well-being plan to chronic disease. Almost every chronic disease (possibly all, but I’m giving myself some wiggle room 😉) is impacted by some part of well-being. Let me give you an example. We discovered long ago, as you will too, that hypertension impacts a huge portion of our workforce. If you look at your health insurance claims and provide blood pressure screening, you’ll find up to half of your population has hypertension and another quarter has pre-hypertension. Of course, this depends on the demographics of your population. American Heart Association. This is huge 🐘. Hypertension contributes to some of the most expensive clinical outcomes such as stroke, heart attack and kidney failure. And… most Americans with hypertension don’t have it under control. It’s asymptomatic and good chunk of people remain undiagnosed! So where is the tie to well-being? Most employees have work-related stress, and this increases blood pressure. Many employees don’t sleep well, which also contributes to increased blood pressure. It’s not only about better nutrition and more exercise. Lower stress and better sleep will lower blood pressure and decrease costs. In addition to a global strategy to build a well-being culture at work, we also have a lifestyle medicine program to help our employees 'Keep Your Pressure Down.' You can learn more about what we're doing at Hopkins by reading the attached paper and more about lifestyle medicine through the American College of Lifestyle Medicine. Like this post? Hit 👊my face 🤕 above and touch the 🔔 on the right side of my profile page. 😉 #HumanResources

Your manager pushes the team to hit KPIs and goals - They reach them, but employees burn out, and some leave. Is the team successful? I would argue: No I’ve seen this scenario far too many times: Companies celebrating "wins" at a steep human cost. - Late nights - Missed family moments - Stress that lingers long after goals complete Here’s the reality ↓ Unsustainable success isn’t real success. It’s a ticking time bomb. Healthy businesses start with healthy people. If your employees are sacrificing their mental and physical well-being to hit company goals, it’s time to rethink your approach. Here are 3 ways companies can shift the focus: 1. Set realistic workload expectations. Don’t treat overwork as a badge of honor. Adjust timelines and redistribute tasks when needed to avoid burnout. 2. Model and encourage balance. Leaders, take time off yourself and encourage employees to do the same without guilt. Show that rest is valued. 3. Invest in employee well-being. Offer mental health support, wellness programs, and flexible work options that let people thrive inside and outside of work. The best leaders don’t just chase KPIs—they create environments where teams can thrive sustainably. They right-size goals to match the resources available; not what they WISH was available. Long-term success comes from people who feel valued, supported, and energized—not drained. ♻️ Repost if you agree!

The pandemic and cost-of-living crisis have left their mark on our mental well-being, with a reported 25% increase in anxiety and depression globally. 😟 (Source: World Health Organization) The workplace is feeling the effects, too, with lost productivity costing the UK economy an estimated £117.9 billion annually. 💸 (Source: The Mental Health Foundation) But it's not just about numbers. It's about real people struggling with stress, burnout, and the challenges of adapting to new work arrangements. As leaders, what can we do? It's time to move beyond reactive measures and focus on prevention. Here are a few ideas to get started: - Foster Open Communication: Create a safe space where employees feel comfortable discussing mental health openly. - Offer Flexible Wellness Perks: Think beyond the traditional gym membership. Consider contributions to fitness apps, mental health platforms, or even therapy sessions. - Reconnect Teams: Prioritize opportunities for social connection and team-building, especially for remote or hybrid teams. - Listen to Your People: Conduct surveys, hold focus groups, and gather feedback on what support they need most. Remember, supporting mental health isn't just a moral imperative; it's a business strategy. When employees feel supported, they're more engaged, productive, and loyal. Let's make mental well-being a priority in our workplaces! 💚 #mentalhealth #leadership #workplacewellbeing #employeeengagement #productivity