Infographic: The evolution of wellness in the workplace

Workplace wellness programmes may seem like a product of modern businesses, but they can actually be traced back more than a century.

Workplace wellness programs have existed since major corporations began cropping up in the late 1800s, but today’s wellness programs aren’t like your grandma’s - they’ve evolved over the decades to better meet employee and company needs.

To show how corporate wellness programmes have transformed over the years, Limeade compiled an inforgraphic, serving as a timeline for major innovations in workplace wellness we still use today.

Some major breakthroughs include:

• Henry Ford introduces the 40-hour work week in 1926
• Employee fitness centers become popular in the 1950s and 60s
• Employers launch smoking-cessation programmes in the 1970s
• Johnson & Johnson is the first company to tie wellness programmes to productivity and profitability in the 1980s

Check out the full infographic below to see how corporate wellness programs evolved from simple employee exercises to the targeted, holistic programmes employers offer today.

 

How has your organisation's wellness programme changed over the years? Share your throwbacks in the comments below!