Workplace Wellness that Works

Workplace well-being is not just an extra. It is the foundation of a thriving organization, where employees feel engaged, valued, and energized.

1. Wellness Begins with a Clear Purpose

Workplace wellness isn't limited to distributing fruit baskets or fitness initiatives. It’s a larger philosophy about recognizing employees as people with emotional, social, and physical needs. Workplace wellness encompasses meaningful work, movement, relationships, and purpose.

To begin, organizations need someone to lead the charge as an agent of change. This person identifies the "why" behind the wellness shift, giving it authenticity. Communicating this "why" through storytelling engages others emotionally, building momentum for change.

One key method to build a case is to demonstrate the financial impact of neglecting wellness. For instance, presenteeism—when employees are present but unproductive—accounts for significant losses. At Bank One, it was responsible for 63% of their health-related costs.

Examples

• Shane Valentine’s “Kids Cook With Heart” program focuses on dietary wellness, driven by his belief in preventing heart disease in children.
• Stories resonate more than data; crafting a personal story builds trust and motivation for change.
• Studies on presenteeism reveal its negative effects on company finances, encouraging investment in wellness.

2. Create a Powerful Vision for Change

A compelling vision helps employees imagine what a healthier workplace looks like. This visualization drives positive behaviors and underscores the possibility of change.

Organizations can begin with simple tools, like vision boards or collages, depicting the desired workplace. The images inspire teams and guide efforts. Teresa Snyder’s “Get Vitality Program” is an example, as collages helped team members grasp the benefits of kindness and positive interaction.

A wellness vision must cover all dimensions of well-being. Physical care means healthy eating, consistent movement, and adequate sleep. Emotional well-being, on the other hand, encourages mindfulness and resilience—like practicing focused attention during transitions at work.

Examples

• Olympic champion Mikaela Shiffrin visualized her races thousands of times for success—a strategy workplace leaders can replicate in wellness planning.
• IDEO's reminder values—"Be optimistic" and “Collaborate”—guide their culture effectively.
• Stand-up meetings or walking meetings encourage physical activity without disrupting workflows.

3. Understand Your Workplace Culture

Workplace culture drives either engagement or disengagement. Engaged employees contribute more, while disengaged workers cost companies billions annually. Wellness begins with understanding this culture.

Culture is shaped by rituals, values, and social norms. Companies like Zappos foster fun cultures, creating positive outcomes. IDEO’s “Little Book of IDEO” outlines values that sustain creativity and collaboration.

To assess workplace culture, try simple techniques. Use marbles or traffic-light surveys where employees indicate whether their day was good, average, or bad. If red dominates, there’s scope for improvement.

Examples

• Zappos builds a fun workplace through costume parades and giveaways, emphasizing engagement.
• IDEO’s guide shares company values to maintain alignment and innovation.
• Simple feedback tools, like marbles in jars, expose team morale, revealing problem areas.

4. Start with Strengths

Instead of focusing solely on problems, wellness programs should highlight the strengths of employees and organizations. Positive focus energizes participants to tackle challenges with enthusiasm.

Strengths, like activities employees enjoy, are tied to engagement. Gallup's studies confirm that employees using their strengths are six times more engaged. Patty de Vries of HealthySteps favors approaches infused with positivity, believing encouragement is more effective than critiques.

To identify strengths, tools like a vitality wheel—dividing well-being into six dimensions including social and career—can highlight areas of thriving and opportunities for growth.

Examples

• Marcus Buckingham explains strengths as energizing, while weaknesses drain enthusiasm.
• Patty de Vries advocates for programs that uplift, avoiding negative reinforcement like yelling trainers.
• Vitality wheels visually help employees see their successes alongside areas for improvement.

5. Build Multidisciplinary Teams

Great wellness programs require collaboration across departments. Just like da Vinci’s interdisciplinary genius, companies can benefit from a variety of contributors.

Team members could come from HR, IT, and Marketing. Each department contributes unique skills—for example, IT could develop apps for tracking wellness goals, and marketing can communicate program benefits to staff. External stakeholders, like health associations, can also bring expertise.

For large-scale results, companies such as Dow Chemical unite health and safety for safer workplaces. Similarly, involving executives ensures wellness aligns with organizational objectives and inspires participation.

Examples

• Cross-departmental efforts at Dow Chemical aim for zero injuries.
• Kids Cook With Heart integrates community resources to expand impact.
• Senior leaders participating in wellness activities inspire staff members to join in.

6. Use Creative Strategies to Engage Skeptics

Wellness programs often draw skepticism, but creative approaches like subtle rebranding or integration into existing programs can overcome resistance.

Terminology matters. At Goldman Sachs, the term "stress management" became "resilience," reducing negative connotations. Renaming programs can reframe them as positive, practical initiatives.

Programs can also be folded into other activities. For instance, well-being was integrated into Solano County’s manager meetings under the theme of sustainable management, normalizing the conversation.

Examples

• Laura Young of Goldman Sachs replaced “stress management” with terms like mindfulness.
• Solano County subtly introduced wellness into routine manager sessions.
• Salesforce’s 1-1-1 model for giving back connects wellness to community purpose.

7. Meet Basic Human Needs

Long-lasting change connects wellness to people’s core needs: feeling competent, autonomous, and connected. Supporting these elements leads to genuine engagement.

Encouraging personal stories fosters competence while autonomy can be strengthened by allowing people to take ownership of wellness decisions. Teams also thrive on relatedness—a connection to others.

Adding play or purpose keeps motivation high. Injecting fun, like Volkswagen’s “piano stairs,” or moments of reflection in team meetings builds engagement.

Examples

• Schindler Canada added family photos to employee helmets—a simple way to enforce safety that worked.
• Eileen Fisher champions team reflection to build purposeful connections.
• Stuart Brown’s studies confirm play as essential for well-being.

8. Embed Nudges Within the Environment

Small nudges and visual cues can guide behavior effortlessly. These are subtle prompts nudging employees toward better choices.

Positioning healthy snacks in cafeterias or rearranging spaces for more activity encourages small, simple changes. By installing walking tracks or promoting standing meetings, healthier habits can become second nature.

Cultural shifts, like incorporating mindfulness in meetings, reinforce changes. As seen in the U.S. push on smoking, norms around behavior can change drastically with visible cues.

Examples

• Cafeterias placing fruits at checkouts increase healthy snacking.
• Morning stretches introduce physical movement effortlessly into routines.
• Policies on stand-up meetings normalize healthier default behaviors.

9. Think Globally for Workplace Wellness

Beyond local offices, scaling a wellness movement to global branches creates fairness and connection. Aligning workplace benefits across regions addresses disparities and ensures broader buy-in.

Multimarket organizations like OzForex extend policies globally, giving fair vacation time to all branches. Tailoring programs to local cultures and languages—like Brocade’s bilingual campaigns in India—bridges gaps while spreading awareness.

Best practices from different departments and countries foster exchange of ideas and success stories.

Examples

• OzForex provides all employees equal vacation policies across its global branches.
• Brocade’s localized naming approach ensures cultural alignment in India.
• EdVillage facilitates teacher exchanges for learning international methods.

Takeaways

1. Replace candy bars and sugary snacks at the office with healthier options like fresh fruit or vegetable sticks. Make nutritious choices easy and accessible.
2. Use vision boards or visual collages to depict and communicate workplace wellness goals. Position it in a communal spot to inspire daily action.
3. Foster team-based wellness by including everyone from IT to leadership in brainstorming activities and initiatives.