Some companies have workplace cultures that prioritize results over health. However, that approach has become less prevalent as more employers realize that encouraging physical and mental health at work can actually help increase productivity. Not surprisingly, tired, unhealthy workers can’t reach their full potential. Now, ample studies provide data-driven evidence that shows how investing in employee wellbeing can increase profitability.

If you want to learn more about how supporting your employees can lead to productivity enhancement, you’re in the right place!

The business case for employee wellbeing

Even if you want to improve employee wellbeing because you care about the people you work with, some managers and corporate leaders will want to see how mental and physical health incentives boost financial performance. You can start by sharing data about how wellbeing influences workplace behaviors and employer expenses.

Mental health’s and emotional wellbeing’s impact on profitability

The American Psychological Association’s (APA) 2023 Work in America Survey demonstrates some important reasons employers should support better mental health at work. Unfortunately, the majority (57%) of employees say work-related stress negatively affects their performance. As they feel more workplace burnout, many of them report:

• Lower productivity
• Emotional exhaustion
• Feeling unmotivated
• A desire to leave their jobs

All of these issues directly influence a company’s profitability. You can’t expect your staff members to do their best when 31% feel emotionally exhausted, 23% want to quit, and 20% are so stressed they become less productive.

Unfortunately, a lot of company leaders underestimate how much their employees struggle. While the C-suite thinks 84% of workers would rate their mental wellbeing as “excellent” or “good,” only 59% of workers agree. The result? Lower performance, more absenteeism, and higher churn. All of those issues slash into your company’s profitability.

Physical wellbeing and workplace performance

Globally, 31% of adults don’t get enough physical activity. That’s problematic because sedentary lifestyles put people at higher risk of diseases like:

• Type-2 diabetes
• Cardiovascular disease
• Cancer

Physical activity is about more than avoiding health problems, though. It can also improve cognitive function, which ideally makes it easier for people to concentrate and perform tasks more efficiently.

All of this means that active employees are more likely to reach goals while taking fewer days off.

A healthy workforce could also lead to lower insurance premiums. That’s a big deal considering that health insurance accounts for 7.9% of employee compensation, on average.

By encouraging physical wellbeing, you create opportunities to improve workplace performance and save money on a benefit essential to attracting and retaining top talent.

Actionable steps to invest in employee wellbeing

The numbers are in and it’s clear that employee wellbeing can increase profitability. So, what steps can you take to invest in your employees’ physical and mental health?

Develop a comprehensive wellbeing strategy

You need a holistic wellbeing strategy that targets mental and physical health.

When developing a plan, consider surveying your employees to determine:

• What types of activities interest them (for example, would they rather go to the gym or join a sports team?)
• What stress management strategies they’d likely adopt (are they the kind of people who will go on weekend meditation retreats or would they rather take short wellness breaks during the workday?)
• What stressors they currently deal with in their professional and personal lives
• How they would gauge their current wellbeing (don’t assume you know. Ask!)

Once you know what appeals to your employees, you can start developing a wellness strategy specifically for them.

Get employees involved in wellbeing initiatives

Your wellbeing strategy only works when you convince employees to get involved. A rewards program could motivate people to at least try participating in physical health and stress management strategies.

It’s important to encourage participation rather than focusing on specific wellbeing goals. A person can control how many hours of physical activity they get in a day. They can’t control the effect exercise has on their bodies and minds.

With this in mind, you might reward all employees who go to the gym three times a week. You wouldn’t reward them for how much weight they lose. If they’re involved, use rewards to keep them motivated. Positive results will happen!

Through RemoteWorx, employees can earn points and spend them on items in the WorkLife Shop. You could also encourage participation by handing out gift cards, extra vacation days, free parking passes, and similar perks.

Measure your wellbeing program’s effectiveness

You can’t know your wellbeing program’s effectiveness until you start tracking metrics. The RemoteWorx Wellbeing dashboard makes it easy to measure how many people participate and how much time they dedicate to specific initiatives. The option to look at individual and group data lets you reward specific people or teams that meet goals.

You can also compare metrics in the dashboard with other data you capture in the workplace. Then, you can look for patterns between the data sets. For example, did increased participation in last quarter’s wellbeing program correlate with higher productivity? If so, you know you’re on the right track, and you might want to add more incentives to increase participation. If you don’t see any correlation in the data, talk to employees to find ways you could improve your program. More likely than not, though, any involvement will benefit your organization’s bottom line.

Get started with RemoteWorx Wellbeing

You don’t have to start from scratch when creating workplace wellbeing programs. RemoteWorx is here to help!

Request a demo today so you can see how the platform encourages participation, tracks data, and helps people thrive so your company can become more profitable than ever.