Employees Don’t Know About or Resist Wellness Programs

Although seven in 10 American workplaces offer wellness programs, a new Brodeur Partners survey suggests many employees don’t know that programs in their workplaces exist.

Only approximately one-third (34%) of employed Americans surveyed by Brodeur in June said they have a health and wellness program at work. Nearly half the respondents (45%) said they would participate if their workplace offered a wellness program, including 46% of Millennials, 47% of Gen Xers and 39% of Baby Boomers.

Lack of awareness isn’t the only explanation for an employee indicating their company lacks a wellness program. Sometimes there’s just no program. And the likelihood of that seems to increase with an employee’s age. Only 32% of those ages 35 to 54 and only 24% of the 55 and older segment indicated they had a workplace wellness program compared to more than two in five Millennials (ages 18 to 34).

NEXT: Why some employees resist wellness programs

The survey found some employees resist wellness programs. The reasons cited by respondents include privacy concerns (50%), doubt that such programs would be helpful to them (31%), and lack of confidence in an employer's ability to run an effective program (19%).

The likelihood of resisting workplace wellness programs increases with an employee's age. Fewer than one in three Millennials (27%) said they either do not participate in their workplace wellness program or would not if their workplace had one. Such resistance jumps to more than 36% for Gen X and nearly half (45%) of the 55 and older Baby Boomer generation.

“Companies need to communicate clearly, aggressively and creatively about what they're offering and how the programs can enhance their employees' well-being,” says Brodeur Partners CEO Andrea Coville.

Brodeur Partnters suggests that, to make wellness programs resonate with employees, communications efforts must not only make compelling logical arguments but tap into the values American workers hold, the communities they belong to, and the sensory experiences that influence them. More information is here.