Most corporate wellness programs fail to meet goals

Health & Wellness

Posted by AI on 2025-09-02 06:43:08 | Last Updated by AI on 2025-09-02 11:00:02

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Despite billions spent, initiatives have failed to improve employee well-being or reduce company healthcare costs. So, what next?

Corporate wellness programs have become increasingly prevalent in recent years as a means of promoting health and reducing costs within companies. However, a new study has found that these initiatives have largely failed to achieve their goals.

The study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, examined over 200 large American companies with wellness programs. It found that most programs had little to no impact on employee health or company healthcare costs.

The researchers concluded that although such initiatives may lead to short-term changes in unhealthy behaviors, these changes are generally not sustained nor sufficient to significantly improve population health.

John Scott, an executive director at Willis Towers Watson, a company that provides similar management services to many of the largest corporations in the world, says these programs are not necessarily a waste.

"While many of these programs have not had a meaningful impact on the bottom line, it's not to say there's no value," Scott commented. "There are other important benefits that may be harder to quantify, such as employee satisfaction and culture."

With healthcare costs continually rising, it's clear that substantial change is needed to help both employees and companies. So, what's the solution?

"To make a meaningful impact, companies will need to go beyond traditional wellness programs," says Scott. "They will need to fundamentally change their health strategies to deliver consumer-oriented, personalized health and wellbeing solutions that engage people wherever they are on their health journey."

The study's authors also note that company wellness programs should be tailored to individual employees' needs and motivations if they are to be effective.

For instance, some initiatives have been proven to help, including providing affordable health insurance, offering paid sick leave, and ensuring a safe and healthy work environment.

Ultimately, the broader implications of these findings go beyond company budgets and healthcare; it suggests that the current approach to health promotion in the US is failing to achieve meaningful results, and it's time for a radical rethink.

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