Wellness washing: How to avoid it

In today’s complex landscape of employee benefits, employers must steer clear of a deceptive phenomenon known as “wellness washing.” With wellbeing taking center stage in workplace culture, it’s easy to get caught up in the appeal of flashy perks that may not truly contribute to employee welfare.

Understanding wellness washing

Wellness washing, which appears to be the latest version of “greenwashing,” presents employee benefits and programs as comprehensive wellbeing initiatives while lacking the substantial impact of employees’ holistic health.

Companies might invest in trendy perks, such as yoga classes, healthy snacks or ping-pong tables, and market them as fostering employee wellbeing. However, these perks often amount to superficial gestures that mark underlying problems rather than addressing the root cause of employee stress and dissatisfaction.

Some actions that can be defined as wellness washing while not actively supporting staff wellbeing include:

• Writing social media posts about mental health awareness.
• Superficial gestures like yoga classes, fundraisers for mental health and providing healthy snacks.
• Giving mental health talks but not taking action to ensure the wellbeing of your own employees.

The pitfalls and implications of wellness washing

Wellness washing can have detrimental effects on both employees and your organization as a whole. Superficial initiatives create disillusionment among employees, who may feel that their legitimate wellbeing needs are unmet. This can lead to decreased job satisfaction, burnout, an increased risk of physical illness, higher turnover rates and lower productivity, ultimately undermining the company’s success. It is estimated that 12 billion days of work are lost each year due to poor mental health, costing the global economy $1 trillion annually.

Moreover, wellness washing can betray the trust between employers and their workforce. When employees perceive the company as using token gestures to portray a facade of support, it damages the company’s credibility and tarnishes its reputation. Consequently, authentic wellbeing initiatives may lose effectiveness due to employees’ skepticism. It is no use promoting a healthy work-life balance while rewarding overworked staff members.

Avoiding wellness washing

In recent years, employee mental health has been on the decline, with an increase in young professionals switching jobs due to its negative impact on their wellbeing. Employees seeking new opportunities are costly to a business. It costs twice the employee’s annual salary to look for a replacement.

Additional work is required to retain staff members and employers must pay special attention to their welfare. As a leader, you can consider these effective approaches to employee wellness instead.

1. Conduct a needs assessment

Conduct in-depth surveys and interviews to understand your employees’ genuine wellbeing needs. Tailor your initiatives to address these specific concerns rather than jumping on generic trends that won’t benefit your employees.

Conducting comprehensive surveys and individual interviews allows you to uncover particular problems affecting your workforce. Armed with this knowledge, you can create initiatives that are not only relevant but also demonstrate a deep understanding of your employees’ challenges.

2. Develop a holistic approach

Design wellbeing initiatives that focus on physical, mental and emotional dimensions. Consider offering counseling services, stress management workshops and flexible work arrangements that are understanding of personal circumstances and will enhance employees’ lives.

Embracing a holistic approach acknowledges that employees’ wellbeing is multifaceted. Providing services catering to various wellbeing dimensions empowers employees to lead more balanced lives, ultimately enhancing their job performance and satisfaction.

3. Use metrics to meet targets

Establish clear metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of your wellness initiatives. Share these metrics with your workforce, demonstrating transparency and accountability.

Transparency reinforces trust. When you openly share the metrics and goals that gauge the impact of wellbeing initiatives, employees can see the genuine commitment to their welfare. This fosters a sense of partnership in their wellness journey, establishing stronger relationships in the long run.

4. Design a long-term strategy

Develop a well-thought-out wellness strategy that evolves with changing employee needs. Avoid the temptation to implement quick fixes that lack enduring impact and provide no real benefit. Only 51% of companies in the U.S. have developed a strategic approach that focuses on promoting employee satisfaction.

A wellbeing strategy needs to ensure your initiatives don’t lose their relevance over time and provide a framework to adapt to new challenges as they arise. This approach demonstrates that your commitment to wellbeing is steadfast and here to stay.

5. Implement educational initiatives

Investing in educational programs that empower employees to make informed decisions about their wellbeing is beneficial. Focus on building resilience, improving work-life balance and nurturing a supportive community.

Education can transform employees from passive individuals to active participants in their wellness journey. Providing valuable resources and workshops on resilience, work-life balance and creating a supportive environment equips employees with tools to navigate challenges proactively and independently.

6. Encourage employee feedback

Make an effort to seek regular feedback from your staff members about the effectiveness of your wellbeing programs. Adjust and refine your initiatives based on their input. A continuous feedback loop is the lifeline of successful health initiatives. It demonstrates your willingness to listen, adapt and improve. This process ensures that your programs remain in alignment with employee needs and expectations.

Examples of effective wellbeing initiatives include:

• Providing medical benefits to employees and their families.
• Organizing self-care webinars that teach employees about stress management.
• Implementing nutrition programs.
• Giving talks on workplace safety.
• Promoting diversity and inclusion.
• Testing and monitoring of chronic diseases.

Read more: How investing in a health and wellness program benefits your employees and your business

Providing real wellness benefits for all employees

In the world of employee benefits, wellness washing poses a significant threat to the authenticity of initiatives designed to support employees and their overall health. As a benefits professional, it is your responsibility to navigate this challenge with integrity and insight. You can contribute to a healthier, more engaged workforce and ultimately foster a culture of positivity, trust and prosperity within the organization.

Employee wellbeing programs are investments that will take time and cost money. However, it’s an investment that will provide benefits for both the staff and the organization, reducing turnover rates and enhancing employee retention and satisfaction.

Mia Barnes, Editor-in-Chief, Body+Mind Magazine