Do wellness interventions actually make employees feel better?

Ahead of introducing a workplace wellness initiative or programme, employers need to diagnose the root problem, similar to how a doctor will ask a patient what is wrong before recommending a course of action

Many organisations offer interventions focused on changing the individual worker rather than the workplace. Picture: iStock

Organisations in Ireland and worldwide are investing significant sums of money in employee wellbeing. In 2021, they spent $61.2bn (€59.5bn) on stress management training, resilience programmes, team building exercises, and lunchtime yoga sessions.

It’s a trend set to continue, with the Harvard Business Review predicting that global spending on workplace wellness will reach $94.6bn (€92bn) by 2026.