80+ Employee Wellness Statistics Every Employer Should Know

Explore crucial employee wellness statistics to enhance workplace well-being and productivity.

Every company hopes to maximize its employee productivity. In recent years, much research has been done on how employee mental and physical health play into that. Overall, the working world has seen that happy employees are more productive.

Employee Wellness Trends

66% of employers desire a mobile-first app for their employees. (Shortlister, 2019)
Half of the employers (49%) would implement a wellness program through a third-party vendor. (Shortlister, 2019)
More than half of employers are adding more niche “point solutions” such as diabetes management, mental well-being, financial wellness, etc. (Shortlister, 2019)
Companies are less interested in implementing outcome-based wellness programs, from 72% in 2017 to 39% in 2019. (Shortlister, 2019)
There is a growing demand for mental well-being programs, financial wellness, as well as behavioral health. (Shortlister, 2019)
The demand for all-in-one vendors or piecing together point solutions is the same. (Shortlister, 2019)
The top three issues that clients encounter when implementing multiple point solutions are communication, integration, and confusion. (Shortlister, 2019)
Currently, 60% of organizations provide wellness initiatives. (SHRM, 2017)
Over the last five years, the number of employees using standing desks has become more than three times larger, rising from 13% in 2013 to 44% in 2017. (SHRM, 2017)
Wellness trends that encourage employees to get up from their desks and move more throughout the day include providing fitness tracking bands (8%) and arranging fitness competitions/challenges (28%). (SHRM, 2017)
80% of employees at pet-friendly businesses report that having pets close while working makes them feel “happy, calm, and social.” (Purina,2017)
Financial security services, such as access to budgeting resources, debt management tools, or student loan counseling, are now included in 84% of companies’ wellbeing plans. (EBN, 2017)

69% of employers prioritize wellbeing support to improve their benefits. (WTW, 2022)
Workers born after 1995 want their employer to provide more support in managing their emotional health. (WTW, 2022)
66% of organizations plan to prioritize health and wellbeing programs supporting remote workers in the next two years. (WTW, 2022)
62% plan to have their wellness programs and activities focus on family members’ health issues. (WTW, 2022)
61% of large organizations included digital content in one or more of their wellness programs. (KFF, 2022)
In 2023, most organizations will invest in the following benefits: mental health (91%), financial wellness (65), stress management and resilience (77%), and mindfulness and meditation (74%). (Wellable, 2022)
64% of companies are planning to invest more in wellness benefits. (Wellable, 2022)

Employee Wellness Program Availability

More than three-quarters of employers indicated that their company offered some type of wellness program, resource, or service to their employees. (SHRM, 2014)
More than 9 in 10 organizations offer at least one wellness incentive. (IFEBP, 2017)
The most popular wellness programs are smoking cessation (91%), physical activities (86%), and weight management (79%). (EBN, 2017)
In a year, one-third of organizations increased their overall benefits, mainly health (22%) and wellness (24%) benefits. (SHRM, 2017)
About 87% of employees said they consider health and wellness offerings when choosing an employer. (Forbes, 2013)
More than 68% of employers prioritize well-being as a business objective. (Myshortlister, 2019)
85% of large and 54% of small companies offer one or more wellness programs. (KFF, 2022)

How Employees Benefit From Wellness Programs

70% of employees enrolled in wellness programs have reported higher job satisfaction than those not enrolled in the companies’ program. (Aflac, 2019)
Employees are more likely to recommend a company that supports well-being efforts as a good place to work. (APA, 2016)
Employee well-being is a vital part of business plans for 78% of employers. (Virgin Pulse, 2017)
56% of employees had fewer sick days because of wellness programs. (EBN, 2018)
Employee morale is cited as the most improved (54%) metric from implementing wellness plans. (Hub International, 2017)
62% of participants in a wellness plan said that it helped them lower healthcare costs. (PR Newswire, 2016)
Wellness plans improve overall employee health behaviors. (NCBI, 2012)
77% of workers would exercise more if their workplace had a gym that they could use during work hours. (Treadmill Reviews, 2021)
38% of participants in a wellness program said that it helps them take fewer sick days. (Springworks.in, 2021)
21% of large companies offer a maximum of $150 in wellness-related incentives, whereas 20% offer more than $1,000. (KFF, 2022)

How Employers Benefit from Wellness Programs

For 25% of employers, the top goal of wellness benefits is increased productivity. (Aflac, 2018)
63% of employers offering wellness programs reported increased financial sustainability and growth. (IFEBP, 2017)
Companies with highly effective health and wellness plans are 40% more likely to report better financial performance than low-effectiveness companies. (Sun Life, 2012)
Sixty percent of respondents reported that workplace wellness programs reduced their organization’s health care costs. (US Chamber, 2016)
Well-designed wellness programs lead to a return on investment (ROI) of $1.50 to $3 per dollar spent over a timeframe of two-to-nine years. (US Chamber, 2016)
For every dollar spent on wellness programs, the company saves $5.82 in lower employee absenteeism costs. (ISDH)
About 77% of employees think that workplace wellness programs positively impact the company culture. (Forbes, 2013)
Companies with an employee engagement program enjoy 233% higher customer loyalty. (Aberdeen Group, 2015)
Six out of ten people agree that “their employer bears some responsibility for ensuring their overall health.” (Buffett National Wellness Survey)
91% of employees in organizations run by executives who support wellbeing initiatives believe they are motivated to achieve their best at work. (American Psychological Association, 2017)
Companies with highly successful health and productivity initiatives generate 11% more revenue per employee, 1.8 fewer days absent per employee per year, and 28% higher shareholder returns. (Drtracygapin.com, 2020)
74% of businesses consider employee wellbeing vital and beneficial for recruiting and maintaining employees. (Reba.global, 2019)
89% of employees who work in companies promoting well-being activities are more likely to recommend their company as an excellent workplace. (American Psychological Association, 2017)
48% of employees stayed with their current employer because of their healthcare plan. (WTW, 2022)
32% of large companies said their wellness programs were very or moderately effective at reducing their healthcare costs. (KFF, 2022)
31% reported that the programs were very or moderately effective at reducing the use of healthcare. (KFF, 2022)
22% say their programs were effective at reducing absenteeism. (KFF, 2022)
49% said the programs helped improve the overall health and wellbeing of the participants. (KFF, 2022)
54% found that their employees valued having wellness programs as a benefit. (KFF, 2022)

Stress in the Workplace

3 in 5 workers say they are burned out in their current job, and 31% of respondents report extremely elevated levels of stress at work. (Career Builder, 2017)
Due to stress-related absences, Canadian employers lose about $3.5 billion each year. (Alberta Centre for Active Living, 2011)
61% of employees feel stressed and burned out on the job. (CareerBuilder, 2017)
Persistent fatigue (29%), insomnia (26%), aches and pains (24%), excessive anxiety (23%), and weight gain (18%) are the top five stress symptoms that cause lost workdays. (CareerBuilder, 2017)
Employees are seven times more likely to have suffered anxiety, depression, and stress over the last two years. (WTW, 2022)
44% of workers report being under much stress each day. (Gallup, 2022)
Female employees (47%) are more likely to experience stress than male workers (42%). (Gallup, 2022)
55% of employees in East Asia experience daily stress, followed by 50% of workers in US and Canada. (Gallup, 2022)

Wellness Program Demographics & Participation

Women of all ages participate in wellness programs 38% more than men. (WellRight, 2020)
Millennials participated in social challenges 48% more on average than age groups 40-plus. (WellRight, 2020)
Baby boomers are 66% less likely to participate in challenges that require a fundamental change to their routine. (WellRight, 2020)
Gen Xers are the most interested age group in learning about weight control. (WellRight, 2020)

Additional Employee Wellness Statistics

Campus bike-sharing programs, walking paths and adding healthy cafeteria menus are just some of the ways that 70% of employers have started to implement to encourage healthier behaviors. (Willis Towers Watson)
More than 9 in 10 workers say they feel more motivated at their job if their leaders support well-being efforts. (APA, 2016)
61% of employees enrolled in their company’s wellness program have reported a healthier lifestyle change. (Alfac, 2017)
87% of employees are expecting supportive employers for achieving work-life balance. (PR Newswire, 2017)
63% of employees in pet-friendly workplaces have reported greater satisfaction with their work environment. (PR Newswire, 2017)
78% of employees said that they would use their company gym if their employer had one. (Treadmill Reviews)
53% of companies desire to foster a culture of health and wellbeing. (SHRM, 2017)
Only 24% of employees strongly agree that their employer cares about their wellness. (Gallup, 2022)
High-income employees are more likely to experience high overall wellness than other employees. (WTW, 2022)
Low-income, Black, and female employees are at high risk of experiencing low wellness compared with employees overall. (WTW, 2022)
40% of large and 13% of small companies offer incentives to participate in a wellness program. (KFF, 2022)

Workplace wellness programs have a positive impact on organizations. Companies will enjoy a sizable return on investment, and workers will have greater satisfaction in their job.

Written by shortlister editorial team

Wellness Companies

Browse our curated list of vendors to find the best solution for your needs.

Stay Informed

Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest trends, expert tips, and workplace insights!

Bravo Alternative Providers in the Wellness Space

Bravo may be a comprehensive provider, but the following wellness alternatives introduce features, tools, and focus areas that address a broad spectrum of employee needs and employer objectives.