A bad workplace can have a detrimental effect on an employee’s physical and mental health. At the same time, it can harm companies as well, as stress costs roughly $300 billion a year. Poor well-being may generate colossal productivity and financial losses.

To avoid unnecessary losses, organizations should focus on their employees’ physical, mental, and social health. Luckily, workplace wellness statistics show that corporations have recognized the importance of employees’ well-being.

The advantages of workplace wellness programs are indisputable, and this is why all employers should offer them to their workers. Providing such benefits to employees indicates that the company cares for their health and welfare.

  • 83% of US employees feel stress due to at least one thing in their workplace.
  • 16% of workers experience work situations that have adverse effects on their sleep.
  • 70%–80% of US businesses believe fitness programs reduce absenteeism and boost productivity.
  • Stress is responsible for 20% of direct expenses.
  • 25% of workers feel exhausted after an average working day.
  • 59% of firms acknowledge that workplace wellness trends result in fewer expenses.
  • Around 20%–30% of workers feel anxious, irritated, and stressed daily or during the workweek.

Workplace Health Statistics and Facts

1. Health and wellness workplace programs reduce coronary and heart diseases by 2–3%.

According to The New England Journal of Medicine, wellness programs improved eating habits, and an overall healthier lifestyle resulted in a 1% dip in blood cholesterol. In turn, this drop decreased heart attack risk by 2–3%. Furthermore, every drop in high blood pressure results in 2–3% lower cardiac arrest risk.

Presenteeism refers to being present at work but not being very productive, probably due to illness or other problems/distractions. Experts use the term presenteeism to describe such a phenomenon. Presenteeism is not ideal for a corporation as it inflicts costs two to three times higher than healthcare ones.

Exercise and work productivity statistics confirm that health-oriented wellness programs can positively affect productivity in the long run. However, depression still remains the biggest cause of presenteeism, as working out won’t help everyone.

3. 83% of workers feel stressed about one or several things at work.

According to workplace health statistics, the majority of American workers tend to struggle with work-related stress. This astonishing figure points out that stress in the workplace is a colossal problem for US workers. As a consequence, US corporations lose up to $300 billion every year.

4. Health and wellness statistics from 2019 show that 16% of employees’ work adversely affects their sleep.

It’s no secret that too much stress in the workplace has a detrimental effect on an employee’s well-being. Apparently, 16% of professionals admitted they had encountered situations at work that affected their sleep patterns, preventing them from falling asleep. In the long run, low sleep quality may eventually lead to overall health deterioration, according to health and wellness programs in the workplace statistics.

5. 25% of workers feel drained after an average day at work.

Fatigue and exhaustion at the end of an average working day are the direct consequences of stress and pressure at work. Workplace wellness programs statistics reveal that one-quarter of employees reported feeling exhausted at the end of a working day. Similarly, about 20–30% of employees reported feeling anxious, irritated, and stressed daily or during the workweek.

6. Stress accounts for 20% of direct expenses.

Workplace stress isn’t an issue only for the person suffering from it. For a corporation, a worker’s stress is far too expensive. Namely, stress is responsible for high job turnover, absenteeism, work stoppages, and strikes.

Work-related stress caused by workplace health programs comes with a heavy price. The overall cost of stress in the workplace amounts to $300 billion annually.

7. Employee wellness program statistics show a 37% lower level of absenteeism when such programs are in place.

Organizations that offer their workers holistic health and wellness in the workplace saw that absenteeism decreased by 37%. The reasons are multiple and range from proper healthy habits and behavior and the ability to control stress to an excellent health state.

8. Workplace wellness programs help 61% of employees make better lifestyle choices.

According to statistics on wellness programs in the workplace, 61% of workers admitted that companies’ fitness programs helped them choose healthier lifestyles. Therefore, a comprehensive program can convince employees to change their lifestyles, but it also helps them make wiser choices. This, in turn, results in better productivity and job contentment.

Ultimate Benefits of Corporate Wellness Programs Statistics

9. 70–80% of US companies believe that workplace wellness lessens absenteeism and boosts productivity.

Wellness programs can boost workers’ commitment. In turn, organizations with committed workers report stellar employee productivity statistics — a drop of 37% in absenteeism and almost 65% lower employee turnover. Likewise, they report a 10% increase in customer satisfaction, a 21% rise in productivity, and a 22% boost in profitability.

Furthermore, as corporate wellness statistics from 2019 reveal, corporations with committed employees have greater earnings per share, surpassing their peers by 147.

10. The implementation of efficient wellness programs helped reduce health expenses by 26%.

Companies that decided to implement wellness programs noticed improvements in many fields. Sticking to such plans gradually led to a decrease in health costs by 26%, a decline in employees’ compensation and disability management claims by 30%, and a 28% reduction of taking sick days.

Organizations that don’t implement wellness programs experience a 17.5% drop in productivity. Luckily, almost two-thirds of companies have realized that workplace wellness eventually leads to a reduction in costs. About 67% of organizations that include these programs admitted that their workers tended to be more satisfied. Ultimately, happy and healthy employees are more productive.

12. 90% of companies and organizations are willing to further invest in wellness programs.

Almost all companies are ready to invest more in their employee health and fitness programs. Needless to say, implementing such programs eventually results in a decrease in the company’s expenses. Namely, for every dollar invested in wellness programs, medical and absenteeism costs are lowered by $3.27 and $2.73, respectively.

13. Corporate wellness ROI amounts to $3.27 per dollar in medical expenses.

Research has found that companies saved $3.27 for each dollar invested in fitness programs due to lower healthcare expenses. That is proof that the ROI corporate fitness programs’ results shouldn’t be overlooked.

14. 70% of employees would like to participate in wellness programs.

Almost 70% of workers would gladly take part in fitness programs should their company offer them. Moreover, 43% would be very interested in doing so.

For employers, it may sound costly to cater to these desires. However, corporate wellness ROI would almost surely compensate for the costs by boosting overall productivity.

15. 77% of employees think corporate fitness programs are excellent for a company’s culture.

According to Virgin HealthMiles Inc. and Workforce Management Magazine, 77% of workers believe that following workplace wellness trends positively affects the company’s culture. For 87% of them, wellness programs in the workplace are a critical factor when selecting an employer.

16. 63% of workers are more productive in pet-friendly organizations.

With a growing number of pet owners, it’s not surprising that 63% of employees admit they enjoy pet-friendly establishments more. A significant number of companies now allow their workers to bring their pets to the office.

17. More than 90% of employees appreciate their leaders’ support in pursuing health and wellness programs in the workplace.

Workplace wellness statistics show that over nine out of ten employees are more motivated to do their duties when they know that their managers support their wellbeing efforts. Furthermore, 87% of workers expect their managers to support their attempts to achieve a good work-life balance.

18. One out of seven US employees is engaged in some mindfulness activity.

As yoga in the workplace statistics show, the number of employees who do yoga has almost doubled compared to the past. From 2002 to 2012, the number grew from 6% to 11%. Apart from yoga, they also started to meditate, resulting in increased meditation rates from 8% to 9.9%.

19. More than nine out of ten companies provide at least one wellness program.

Corporate wellness programs statistics have spoken — employees love going to the gym. Moreover, 78% of them stated they wouldn’t hesitate to use the company gym if they had one. Other incentives that employees would opt for include smoking cessation (91%), exercise and physical activity (86%), and weight management (79%).

20. 63% of companies with wellness programs have reported better financial sustainability and growth.

Employee wellness statistics from 2017 revealed that more than 60% of companies that implemented wellness programs improved their sustainability and growth. If it wasn’t clear up to this point, the value of wellness programs at the workplace is immense.

21. 78% of employers appreciate workers’ well-being.

Health and wellness in the workplace are crucial for 78% of organizations. The reasons are multiple. First and foremost, employees’ overall health was improved — 56% had fewer sick days. Also, 54% of workers stated that wellness programs boosted their morale. Last but not least, 62% of employees who participated in wellness programs had lower healthcare costs.

22. 55% of employees are interested in holistic benefits programs.

Holistic benefits are a part of health and wellness workplace programs that focus on both body and mind. As MetLife’s 2019 Employee Benefit Trends Study points out, 55% of interviewees stated they would prefer to work for an organization that offered holistic benefits.

Wellness programs in the workplace statistics reveal that 52% believed they would have been more prosperous both in life and at work if they had had access to holistic wellness programs. In comparison, 53% of professionals would stay loyal to a company that offered such programs.

The Bottom Line: Why Adopt Workplace Wellness?

Employee commitment and wellness have eventually come to the spotlight in the business realm. For quite a while, organizations have failed to implement them in their business strategy. But as workplace wellness statistics show, the overall well-being of employees is crucial for several reasons.

Nowadays, it’s almost impossible to avoid stressful situations at work. Employees who are under too much pressure and stress tend to be less productive. Besides, excessive stress may affect their physical and mental health and inflate employee burnout statistics.

Corporate wellness statistics indicate that if companies want to prevent the total deterioration of their employees’ health while keeping them engaged and satisfied, workplace wellness programs are a must, as their benefits are innumerable. They range from better health behavior and improved productivity to reduced healthcare costs and higher corporate wellness ROI.