5 ways to help your employees reach their wellness goals

Today’s employees want support that spans mental, physical, and social wellbeing, delivered in ways that feel human and easy to engage with. In fact, more than a third of workers now consider those offerings when choosing an employer.⁵

Forward-looking organizations recognize that wellness isn’t just a perk—it’s a foundational infrastructure for building a healthier, more resilient workforce. Here’s how employers can meet rising expectations.

Information alone doesn’t change behavior. Research shows that people are more likely to stick with health goals when they experience timely nudges, peer encouragement, and low-friction systems.⁶

Unfortunately, health care is frequently fragmented and often fails to connect intentions to action. Employers can support sustainable behavior change through digital tools that are:

• Personalized by design. Quality platforms can adapt over time, learning from user behavior to prompt the right content at the right moment—like surfacing stress management tips when sleep tracking shows disruptions.
• Embedded into routines. Apps that integrate with the flow of the day — a mindful breathing moment after meetings or wind-down exercises before bed — provide smart engagement points.
• Coordinated, not siloed. Instead of juggling multiple platforms for fitness, mental health, and nutrition, employees benefit from hubs that support whole-person health journeys in one place.

When digital tools combine real-time feedback, rewards, and coordinated care paths, they become not just scalable but also enduring.

Depression, anxiety, and burnout are now top drivers of absenteeism and presenteeism.⁷ Yet access to care remains a major challenge: Nearly half of U.S. adults with a mental illness never receive the care they need.⁸

To make mental health a true foundation of workplace wellness, employers can use wellness programs to:

• Embed support into core tools. Screenings, mindfulness content, and stress coaching should be part of everyday wellness platforms.
• Ensure culturally responsive care. Language-accessible services and diverse provider networks improve trust and outcomes, especially in underserved populations.⁹
• Provide flexible options. More than 53% of all Americans — and 60% of Gen Z — now prefer telehealth appointments versus traditional in-person ones. And therapy/mental health tops the list (42%) of reasons why people use telehealth.¹⁰ Tools like evidence-based cognitive-behavioral therapy and on-demand coaching offer additional, private means of support.

Best yet, integrated and inclusive mental health resources can boost employee access to care before a situation becomes a crisis.

The pursuit of wellness isn’t just individual—it’s also social. Workplace wellness programs that build connection can help turn isolation into inclusion. That’s important considering that the risk of loneliness is on par with health risks from smoking or obesity.¹¹

Employers are uniquely positioned to foster this sense of belonging by:

• Offering team-based wellness initiatives. Peer-supported health interventions have been shown to increase participation in healthy activities and result in long-term behavior change.¹²
• Making wellness accessible and visible. Programs like onsite health events, cultural wellness days, and co-worker-led support groups send a powerful signal that wellness is a shared company value and reduces barriers to access.
• Blending digital and in-person engagement. Whether through in-person yoga classes or virtual meditation sessions, hybrid programming gives employees flexible ways to show up—wherever they are. That’s especially key considering that more than half¹³ of employees in remote-capable jobs work on a hybrid schedule.

By treating wellness as something employees can pursue together, employers can create a workplace culture where health feels social and inclusive.

Wellness programs work best when they reflect the real-life needs of employees—whether that’s a night-shift nurse, someone managing a chronic condition, or a remote worker.

Work environments where employees feel their identities and voices are recognized are associated with higher employee engagement and retention.¹⁴

That requires:

• Culturally aware care. Nutrition coaching that respects food traditions or mindfulness tools that are sensitive to trauma make wellness feel more inclusive.
• Multiple formats and languages. Providing a variety of learning materials helps ensure accessibility across different learning styles and communities.
• Flexible delivery models. Asynchronous resources and mobile-first platforms that work across schedules and time zones allow all employees to participate in wellness benefits.

As rates of obesity, diabetes, and GLP-1 prescriptions soar, employers need sustainable ways to support metabolic health.

One recent study found that participants lost an average 16% of their body weight when GLP-1s were combined with coaching, behavior change, and nutrition therapy.¹⁵ Bariatric surgery remains to be an effective and transformative solution for individuals battling morbid obesity.

Workplace wellness programs can drive impact when they include:

• Biometric tools. Devices such as continuous glucose monitors and wearable trackers make wellness highly personalized.
• Hybrid support models. Blending telehealth, in-person care, and behavior change tools allows for whole-person support.
• Wraparound care. Programs that include nutrition, activity, sleep, and stress interventions give employees the well-rounded wellness access they’re seeking.

The message from employees is clear: They’re trying, but they need more help. And they want their employers to provide wellness support that is accessible, personalized, and continuous.

Well-being is a focus for all ages, but that’s especially true for Gen Z and Millennial workers. Among those who report positive mental well-being, 67% of Gen Zs and 72% of Millennials feel their job allows them to make a meaningful contribution to society.¹⁶

When employers invest in wellness infrastructure, the return is powerful: stronger engagement and a workforce that feels supported.