January 2025: The confetti’s barely settled, the gym is packed, and inboxes everywhere flood with enthusiastic emails from HR teams announcing, “New Year, New Wellness Initiatives!”
But come February, the treadmills empty out, inboxes pivot to productivity tips, and the word “wellness” fades faster than most resolutions.
If employee wellbeing may seem like a “no-brainer” HR programming theme for the start of the year, then it’s time to rethink your approach.
Support for employee health needs to last longer than the free trial at the fitness center.
And, it needs to include more than reminders to drink water or whatever fancy new tech or trends the $64 billion corporate wellness industry is slinging.
Is your company performing wellness or living it?
Here’s how to prioritize employees beyond the predictable January push.
#1 – Expand your definition of wellness
True wellness goes beyond fitness programs and office snacks.
Many office wellness programs are bursting with tips about taking care of your body, with a smattering of “stress less” mental health advice.
But employee health consists of many other elements, including emotional, social, and financial factors.
For example Martin Seligman’s PERMA model outlines five categories for wellbeing:
Rather than planning healthy activities like group yoga classes or step challenges at random, pick a wellness framework and be intentional so that your wellness programs hit every element of your chosen model.
Or, simply, think beyond the obvious and focus on less-talked-about aspects of your team’s health.
Your people hear the same health tips their whole lives (move more, eat better, stress less, etc.) Shaking up the conversation makes it less likely that your folks will keep scrolling when that weekly email hits their inboxes.
#2 – Build up from the basics
Corporate wellness initiatives often get side-eyed when there is a mismatch between what’s preached and what’s practiced.
Picture this: a company that shouts about “mindfulness Mondays” but still expects employees to hustle through 12-hour days without a break. Not exactly motivating, right?
Then there is the problem of putting the entire burden of wellbeing on employees. Self-care can be stressful when folks feel pressure to cram it into already packed to-do lists.
The best workplace wellness campaigns acknowledge the employer’s role and build a supportive scaffolding.
While it is true that employers can’t meditate or hit the gym for their teams, they can (and should) create physically and psychologically safe workplaces. Organizations can pay employees fairly and manage well, and can provide extra time or money for employees to invest in their wellness.
Consider Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Humans can only reach the top of the pyramid needs like self-actualization after fulfilling baseline needs like food and shelter.
In that same spirit, let’s imagine a pyramid of “work wellness needs,” which might look like this:
Before you start inviting employees to lunchtime fitness classes or breathing exercises, ask yourself, “am I doing everything I can as a leader to help my employees be healthy?”
#3 – Listen to your employees
Picture this: A doctor walks out into a very full waiting room and exclaims, “don’t worry, I’m going to make you all better!” Then, he gives all the patients the same antibiotic without examining or diagnosing them, and sends them on their way.
Seems silly right?
Yet this is many leader’s employee wellness approach. Wellness program organizers often push generic advice or plans on employees without taking any steps to consider what specific programs would best serve their staff.
Instead of lecturing your coworkers on wellness, listen to them.
Sending a survey to your team is a great way to find out what they are interested in and where they might need extra support. The results will help you decide how to use your time, energy, and wellness budget in a way that makes the biggest impact.
That is not to say that you should only address the needs of the majority, but rather that you can use your resources creatively to support smaller groups or unique requests through more personalized, intimate approaches.
Employees are more likely to participate and engage with wellness initiatives they had a hand in shaping.
#4- Make space for connection
When we talk about employee wellness, we often forget about one big piece of the puzzle: social connection.
We focus on physical health, mental health, and personal time, yet research shows that strong social ties are essential for our well-being and can lessen our risk for serious diseases and lengthen our lives.
However, building a sense of community at work involves more than just organizing the occasional event. Togetherness does not automatically equal team building. The quality of interactions is also important.
Make sure that team members can mingle with multiple coworkers and have interesting, get-to-know-you conversations.
Cultivate spaces in the workplace where teammates can banter day-to-day, like Slack channels or break rooms with activities.
Also, create and communicate clear guidelines for workplace interactions to help employees navigate connections with confidence.
For example:
Finally, be an example as a leader. Our COO Tasia banters with the team during the first five minutes of every all hands call, taking time to shout out silly Zoom backgrounds or ask lighthearted personal questions. Beyond putting the team at ease for the meeting, the gesture also gives team members to get to know each other as human beings during working hours.
#5 – Plan to fail/falter
When it comes to wellness programs, you need to plan for some bumps along the way. Expect that there will be times when interest wanes, schedules get packed, and other challenges pop up.
Have a backup plan for how you will keep the momentum going, whether that means adjusting activities or finding new ways to re-engage your team.
1. Introduce Flexible Participation Options
Rather than sticking to an all-or-nothing approach, create two tracks for the program, a “light mode” and a “challenge mode.” More team members will opt-in knowing there is a lower-commitment option, and can continue with less intensive tasks instead of stopping when work or life gets too intense.
2. Leverage Peer Support
Create wellness ambassador roles or form a volunteer wellness committee to help encourage participation and lead re-engagement. Peer influence is powerful, and employees may feel more motivated to join in when they see their colleagues leading the charge. Plus, since these teammates have no motives for seeing the program succeed besides seeing their coworkers get healthier, their encouragement will seem more authentic.
3. Highlight Success Stories
Shine a light on employees who have benefited from the wellness program. Share stories in newsletters or team meetings to show tangible results. When employees see real examples, they are more likely to participate.
On this note, call out the little wins as well. For example, shout out employees who restarted the program after a break or hit a breakthrough after struggling. Celebrating progress, not just perfection, can inspire employees to keep striving.
4. Anticipate Challenges and Provide Next Steps
Stress and deadlines can derail even the best wellness intentions. Know when these challenges are likely to hit, like big project deadlines, end-of-quarter rushes, and have a plan to help your team stay on track. For example, sending out quick, uplifting messages, hosting mini stress-relief activities, or scheduling a wellness check-in.
Also encourage team members to be aware of their personal triggers, for instance by habit tracking. You can suggest actions to remove or overcome temptations, for example moving time-wasting apps to another screen, or telling themselves “in five minutes” when facing a craving.
Design your employee wellness program with real-life challenges in mind, not just the best case scenario. The result will be a wellness program that feels authentic, sustainable, and supportive, and that appeals to the employees it aims to serve.
Final Thoughts
If you want healthy, happy employees in 2025, throwing a few perks their way and calling it a day is not the way. True employee wellbeing is about creating a culture where wellness is woven into the very fabric of your company, where support, connection, and growth are built into everyday life. By focusing on the things that matter most, like fostering genuine connections, offering meaningful support, and setting the right expectations, you will see more engaged, resilient employees who stick around for the long haul.
Read more about employee wellness programs, HR wellness topics, and how to do a step challenge at work.
