About two-thirds of HR people from organizations that offered wellness initiatives indicated these efforts were “somewhat effective” or “very effective” in reducing healthcare costs. The return on investment (ROI) related to employee wellness programs typically includes the overall healthcare cost-savings achieved and productivity increases due to reduced sick days employees take.
Employee Wellness
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- The global cost of mental illness through lost productivity, absences and staff turnover is estimated to be around $2.5tn annually.
- While some companies are adding wellness programs measurement effectiveness is lacking.
- Despite strong data supporting the effectiveness of wellness initiatives, a recent survey by Employee Benefits News (EBN) of 245 benefits managers, administrators and human resources professionals, reported that only 44% of respondents are currently running one.
- Every dollar invested in the intervention yielded $6 in healthcare savings.

- It’s estimated that 20% of employers are accessing mhealth data.
- The data can be used to incentivize employees or raise health insurance premiums.
- A study found that wellness programs—even those with incentives—don’t change employees’ behavior much.