In what comes as no surprise to us here at Aquila, “workplace wellness” is poised to gain some serious ground this year. No longer just a buzzword, it’s become a normal part of doing business.

But don’t just take our word for it. The American College of Sports Medicine recently declared it the No. 2 fitness trend for 2024. Historically, “worksite health promotion” hasn’t come close to breaking into ACSM’s Top 20 list. In fact, it’s popularity has been on a constant decline since 2021, coming in at #27 for that year; #28 in 2022; and #30 in 2023.

So how do we explain its rise?

Some startling numbers from Gallup’s most recent “State of the Global Workplace” report could have something to do with it. More than half of workers (52%) in the U.S. and Canada reported feeling stressed at work “a lot of the day.” That figure is 8 percentage points higher than the global average.

The American Institute of Stress sheds some light on what – or even who – might be at the root of the problem. For instance:

• 35% of workers say their boss is a cause of their workplace stress;
• 80% of US workers attribute work stress to ineffective company communications; and
• 39% of North American employees point to their workload as the main source of work stress.

Clearly employers have a role to play here. And whether the motivation stems from a desire to  improve worker productivity, cut health care costs or attract more talent with robust benefits, many companies are investing in efforts to bolster employee well-being.

Essential Strategies for Success

If you’re ready to jump on the bandwagon and get a workplace wellness program in place (or an existing program modified to better address the needs of your workforce), we’ve got some pointers for achieving real success and maximum ROI. Chief among our recommendations:

1. Consider implementing overarching policies that employees say would have a significant effect on their well-being. These include limiting work outside of typical hours, implementing a 4-day workweek, offering flexible work arrangements and incorporating mental health days.
2. Get your C-suite participating. Leadership’s involvement in wellness programming indicates a company’s commitment to employee health and happiness. When those at the top endorse these efforts through participation, a culture of wellness starts to take shape and more easily infiltrates all levels of an organization.
3. Make permanent change the end goal. It’s important to engage employees in activities and initiatives with long-lasting results. The aim of a wellness program should always be to promote lifestyle change rather than short-term gains. Often the effects of a one-time event or temporary campaign don’t last.
4. Personalize your plan. A one-size-fits-all wellness program doesn’t address the unique needs of every individual in an organization. Whether it’s through the introduction of fitness trackers, artificial intelligence tools or other tailorable initiatives, custom programming is crucial to achieving real results.
5. Adopt a comprehensive approach to wellness. Employee well-being is universally understood to extend far beyond physical health. Programs should target wellness holistically, which requires addressing the mental, emotional, financial, spiritual, environmental and social dimensions of an employee’s life in conjunction with physical health.

Wellness will be top of mind in many office settings in 2024, but it no longer suffices for an employer to offer a health screening or set up an in-house competition and call their work done. Aquila has many more insights on and nearly three decades of expertise creating effective wellness programming for the workplace. Contact us now to learn more.