Employee Wellness Programs: Best Software for Boosting Productivity

Employee wellness is not a trend but an essential part of team productivity and loyalty.

According to the Wellhub Wellness Trends Report, a whopping 93% of employees believe that their well-being at a workplace is as important to them as their salary.

And 87% of them will consider quitting the workplace if the company ignores wellbeing initiatives.

So, how do you ensure a healthy and prosperous workplace for your employees?

Employee assistance programs are essential parts of workplace wellness programs.

But how do you choose one if there are so many options available?

Maybe, it will be more reasonable to create a custom one specifically for your company.

Let’s find this out.

Read on as we explore what are wellness programs, their benefits, and must-have features.

We will also explore some of the best wellness programs available on the market and provide some reasons on whether you should choose an off-the-shelf solution or reach out for HR software development services.

What is an Employee Wellness Program?

An employee wellness program is a company initiative that aims to improve or promote the mental and/or physical health of employees.

Such programs provide various benefits to improve their job satisfaction and overall lifestyle.

These programs address various dimensions of employee wellness, including physical, emotional, and mental well-being.

Examples of employee wellness programs include fitness classes, stress management, health education, and more.

According to the abovementioned Wellhub Wellness Trends Report, companies are investing more in employee wellness.

This is because more and more businesses now finally recognize the importance and all the perks that employee well-being programs bring to the corporate table. Moving forward, many wellness initiatives are likely to see continued support.

The corporate wellness market was valued at an estimated $61 billion in 2023. This number is expected to reach $85 billion by 2030.

There are multiple wellness solutions available now. Among them are mental health programs, mindfulness and meditation solutions, stress management initiatives, telemedicine, etc.

Companies prioritize holistic and flexible benefits that are tailored to diverse needs and provide a personalized wellness experience.

Now, let’s explore the benefits of these health and wellness programs.

Benefits of Wellness Programs

77% of employees actually engage with their employer’s available well-being benefits.

Wellness programs create a healthier, more engaged workforce, better health, less stress, and more job satisfaction.

Here are some advantages of such programs for both employees and employers:

Benefits for Employees

Physical wellness

Worksite wellness programs usually include gym memberships, exercise classes, or health screenings.

These perks help employees stay active and healthy and catch any health issues early, reducing the risk of chronic diseases like diabetes or heart problems.

Reduced workplace stress

Programs that focus on mindfulness or stress management create a calmer, more balanced environment.

When stress goes down everyone works better and feels better.

Increased job satisfaction

When employers invest in wellness, it shows employees that they are valued at the workplace.

This feeling of being valued and supported creates a positive environment where employees are more motivated and engaged and feel part of the team.

Stronger work-life balance

Wellness programs often have activities that promote a balanced lifestyle, like yoga sessions, flexible working hours, wellness challenges, or mental health days.

These options help employees put their well-being first and manage their personal and professional responsibilities better.

Better productivity

Healthy eating, exercise, and mental health support give people more energy and mental focus.

Employees who feel good physically and emotionally can tackle their daily tasks and manage their workload without feeling drained.

Benefits for Employers

Enhanced productivity

Productivity is beneficial for both employees and organizations. In fact, increased productivity saves companies money.

A study from the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine states that implementing wellness programs not only increases productivity but also saves companies about $353 per employee annually.

For a company with hundreds and thousands of employees, these kinds of savings can add up to thousands of dollars every year.

Lower absenteeism

Healthy habits mean fewer sick days.

Wellness programs give employees the tools to stay healthier and manage stress so they’re less likely to call in sick.

Reduced health care costs

Encouraging things like regular exercise and preventive care means employees avoid major health issues.

That means fewer big medical bills and lower health insurance costs for the company.

Higher retention rates

A workplace that really cares for its people is a place where employees want to stay.

And it is much cheaper to retain a person rather than hire a new specialist.

In fact, employers end up losing about 6–9 months of an employee’s salary to replace that employee.

However, a well-rounded wellness program can help you keep important people for longer.

According to Wellhub data, an effective employee wellness program can reduce the voluntary turnover rate for employees.

Better company reputation

Being seen as a company that values wellness sets you apart.

People want to work for organizations that put health and happiness first.

Must-Have Features of a Good Employee Wellness Program

So, what does the perfect employee wellness program look like?

In fact, it will look different depending on your goals, needs, and personal preferences.

It’s important to think about the features that will work best for your employees.

However, there are some common features that make up a well-rounded wellness software.

Here are some of them:

1. Health Risk Assessments

Health risk assessments are key to creating targeted wellness programs.

Many platforms have tools to do these assessments, which help identify where employees may need extra support, e.g., stress management or physical activity.

2. Challenges

Challenges are a fun and interactive way to get employees to adopt healthy habits.

These can be based on physical activity, healthy eating or mental health initiatives and are often individual or team challenges via a wellness challenge app.

3. Fitness Tracking

Fitness trackers and integrated health metrics allow employees to track their physical activity, steps, heart rate, etc.

This data can be used to set personal goals and track progress over time to get more active.

4. Mental Health Support

Mental health resources, including access to mental health professionals, guided meditation, and stress management tools, are essential for a healthy workforce.

Platforms that offer full mental health support will boost employee well-being and job satisfaction.

5. Personalised Wellness Programs

Customizable wellness programs tailored to individual employee needs mean each person gets the right support. This could be personalized workout plans, nutrition advice, or stress reduction techniques.

6. Employee Engagement Tools

Getting employees engaged in wellness programs is key to their success.

Features like gamification, rewards, and social sharing will motivate employees to participate in wellness activities and maintain healthy habits.

7. Health Screenings

Health screenings through wellness software can help detect potential health issues early. This means employee health and reduced healthcare costs for the employer.

Other Features to Consider

In addition to the key features, here are some other features to look for:

1. Financial Wellness

Financial health is being recognized as a part of overall well-being.

Some platforms have resources and tools to help employees manage their finances better, reduce stress and improve mental health.

2. Nutrition Tracking

Tracking what employees eat and providing nutrition advice is part of a wellness program.

Platforms with built-in nutrition tracking or integration with other apps can offer a full health approach.

3. Continuous Health Monitoring

Continuous health monitoring allows real-time tracking of vital signs and health metrics so employees and employers can see overall health trends.

4. Company Culture

Platforms that help create a positive company culture will boost employee morale and a sense of community in the workplace. This could be tools for employee recognition, team building activities, or social wellness initiatives.

5. Remote Wellness Support

With more remote working, platforms that offer remote wellness support, e.g., virtual fitness classes and online mental health resources, are becoming more important.

Best Examples of Software for Employee Wellness Programs

With so many solutions available, how do you choose the right platform that suits your budget and goals and resonates with all team members?

Here, we’ve gathered 7 best employee wellness solutions along with short descriptions of the main features and G2 scores.

Hopefully, these platforms will give you a better idea of what to look for.

Vantage Fit

G2 Score: 4.5 out of 5

Vantage Fit is an all-in-one corporate health and wellness solution from Vantage Circle (we’ve already mentioned this platform in our article about employee recognition programs, feel free to check it out).

Vantage Fit enables employers to create simple and engaging wellness programs and challenges that help employees stay fit and healthy.

Employees can participate in various theme-based health challenges to suit their needs.

For instance, they can participate in smoking cessation programs, build stamina, and incorporate some healthy habits into their daily routines.

The platform connects with fitness trackers, devices, and wearables, including Fitbit, Garmin, Apple Watch, and more, to monitor challenge progress.

Wellable

G2 Score: 4.7 out of 5

Wellable provides holistic wellness solutions for employees.

There are individual wellness assessments for all employees with personalized recommendations to support seven aspects of wellbeing: physical health, stress, social connections, financial wellbeing, occupational engagement, sleep, and overall lifestyle.

The platform provides interactive wellness challenges to foster a competitive spirit between teams.

Wellable offers challenge leaderboards, a community chat forum, and curated reward options.

Employees can engage in healthy competition, educational content, and well-being experiences online or from a mobile device.

Cooleaf

G2 Score: 4.9 out of 5

Cooleaf allows employers to share wins and positive stories across their teams to boost employee recognition and engagement.

Top companies worldwide trust Cooleaf to grow employee satisfaction and performance.

Cooleaf integrates with your internal systems to make it a seamless experience for employees.

Managers can recognize their teams for core values and milestones, employees thank their peers and are automatically recognized for years of service, work anniversaries, and birthday celebrations.

The program schedules virtual team challenges for wellness, learning, volunteering and collaboration to keep your teams connected and engaged.

Bright Breaks

G2 Score: 4.8 out of 5

Bright Breaks is a technology-enabled employee wellness platform backed by science that solves the hidden problems of hybrid & remote work: the aches, pains, isolation, tensions & stress of sitting at a desk in your house for 8+ hours a day.

With more content, 300+ live breaks per week, and automated 7-minute well-being break, Bright Breaks not only improves employee well-being but does all the heavy lifting of rolling out and maintaining workplace well-being initiatives.

You can create a thriving remote culture of well-being with auto-scheduled live well-being sessions, inclusive content for all abilities, live and on-demand, and wellness challenges to boost engagement.

HeadSpace for Work

G2 Score: 4.6 out of 5

Headspace For Work is a mindfulness and mental health platform used by companies like Pinterest, Adobe, Sephora, Ericsson, and BuzzFeed.

Headspace helps create happy, healthy, and resilient employees by giving access to meditations, mindfulness exercises, focus music, sleepcasts, and movement programs.

And it works – after 30 days of using Headspace, 32% of employees feel less stressed.

Admins can see well-being program engagement at a glance with various reporting and analytics tools, using filters like content type, depth of engagement, most popular courses, and enrollment stats.

YuMuuv

G2 Score: 4.5 out of 5

YuMuuv is a team wellness challenge app used by companies like Salesforce, Manpower, and Rakuten Viber.

Employers can encourage employees to adopt healthy habits by setting up steps, sleep, plank, water drinking or cycling challenges. Everyone can see their daily activity overview and speed up progress.

YuMuuv users can also create their own challenges and invite up to 10 people to join the fun.

The app is available in 32 languages worldwide and integrates with many fitness devices.

Woliba

G2 Score: 4.6 out of 5

Woliba is an all-in-one wellness and employee experience platform with customers like Alera Group, Pure Insurance, and DHX.

The platform takes a holistic approach to health and wellbeing with features like wellness and activity challenges, fitness programs, nutrition recipes, and heaps of wellbeing education resources.

Behind the scenes, Woliba integrates with the tools you already use and love, such as Calendar and Email programs.

And it’s easy to connect remote team members with Woliba’s mobile intranet so everyone feels connected to your company’s mission to be healthy.

Looking for HR software? Here are the best HR software solutions to consider.

What Is Better: An Off-The-Shelf Solution Or Custom-Made Employee Wellness Software?

If none of the solutions we’ve mentioned above meets your needs, then it might be a sign that you need your own custom-made employee wellness software.

How is that better than those already available on the market?

Well, it will be customized to your corporate processes and goals.

To help you make up your mind, here is a comparison table:

So, what’s the verdict?

Choose from off-the-shelf wellness programs if you need a quick and cost-effective solution with basic functionality.

If you need a highly tailored and scalable system designed to align with your unique business goals and employee needs, then opt for custom-made software.

How to Choose The Best Wellness Software for Your Company?

When choosing the best wellness program for your company, make sure you consider the following aspects:

Ask your employees what they need in terms of wellness

What aspects of wellness are most important — physical wellness, mental health, cessation programs, or holistic well-being?

Take into account the size and structure of your business

Some platforms are good for big companies. Others are perfect for small and ambitious teams.

Look for platforms that promote healthy habits and features that match your company’s wellness culture.

This list of top corporate wellness software offers flexible, grow with you solutions for the modern workplace.

Explore integrations

To make it easy to use and participate, make sure the platform you choose integrates with your current HR tools and health devices your employees are using.

Key Criteria for Choosing Wellness Programs for Employees

Wellable Survey highlighted the key criteria companies rely on when choosing employee engagement solutions.

These are:

Pricing

Pricing is the most critical aspect of choosing wellness benefit vendors. 89% of respondents consider it a top three criterion. This highlights an increasing cost-consciousness among organizations.

Flexibility & Customizability

Those organizations that plan to increase their investment in wellness benefits place a higher emphasis on flexibility.

This might mean that they are looking for corporate wellness solutions that are or can be tailored to their specific needs.

Customer Services

Customer Service is also gaining prominence in the vendor selection process. This reflects a growing recognition of its importance in ensuring effective and responsive wellness program implementation.

Reporting & Measurement

Measuring the return on investment of wellness benefits is also important for the companies. However, there is a shift towards more qualitative assessments of effectiveness.

Innovation & Technology

Technological advancements are undoubtedly improving wellness programs. Companies value the most how these technologies and innovations help them reach their goals through a smooth user experience.

A sleek app or modern technology is no longer sufficient; efficacy and user experience are paramount.

Accessibility & Inclusivity

Accessibility and inclusivity are emerging as important factors to cater to a diverse workforce.

Domain Expertise

Domain expertise and customer testimonials are the least popular criteria for selecting wellness benefit vendors.

Overall, the results of this survey highlight that companies are staying pragmatic when choosing their vendors. They focus on cost-effectiveness, practical functionality, and the ability to meet diverse needs.

Wrapping Up

Employee wellness programs have come a long way to meet the needs of today’s employees.

The challenges brought on by COVID-19 and the shift to remote work have made it clear: supporting employees’ well-being is no longer optional.

Companies should now focus on creating wellness initiatives that support both mental and physical health and fit seamlessly into employees’ lives.

And this can be a challenge since a wellness program should cater to both those working from offices and from the comfort of their homes.

One of the best ways to support your employees no matter where they are is by using corporate wellness software.

These software solutions make it easier for people to stay healthy with online fitness classes, telehealth appointments, and wellness apps.

And the best thing is that there are many solutions available so that you can choose the one that fits your needs and business goals best.

More and more, employers are seeing the bigger picture.

Investing in wellness software helps to create happier, more engaged teams who feel cared for and motivated.

When employees feel good, they work better, stay longer, and help the company succeed.

Make sure you check out the software we mention in this article. However, if you are looking for a one-of-a-kind solution focused solely on the needs of your business, you should opt for custom-made employee wellness software.

If so, feel free to contact us today to discuss your needs and goals.

Our team at SpdLoad will help you create a tailored solution that can help you create a happier, healthier, and more engaged workforce.