'Scalability' will continue to dominate employee wellness programmes this year

Wellable's 2019 Employee Wellness Industry Trends report revealed key insights into how employers would focus on scalable solutions in wellness programmes this year, in addition to the healthcare trends Human Resources Online previously reported on.

The top employee wellness trends for 2019 are:

More educational resources will be available to staff

When employees have access to educational resources, they can gain the insight they need to improve their health and financial wealth.

Employers are also seeing the benefits of investing in educational resources to enhance their employee wellness programmes. According to the report, 46% of employers are leveraging educational resources to address mental health. Moreover, 81% of respondents plan to invest in educational financial wellness resources. These educational resources are often low cost or free, and are abundant.

Online wellness tools will increase in popularity 

The report indicated that 29% of respondents will invest in online tools to also address mental health. For instance, mindfulness apps, such as 'Headspace' and 'Calm', are popular tools that individuals use to help practise meditation and manage their mental health, and can be subsidised by employers.

The same trend is observed for financial wellness - the report showed that 54% of respondents are investing more in digital financial tools to help workers handle their financial wellness.

Physical wellness will be less of a priority

Staying healthy is linked to enhanced functioning, which can mean less absent employees and happier, more productive workers. However, the research has revealed that employers are investing less in fitness and health-related resources to enhance their employee wellness programmes for 2019.

Many of these offerings are not just service-based and more difficult to scale, but are also less accessible to remote workers and incur higher costs for each engaged employee.

According to the report, 30% of respondents expect to invest less in fitness classes, while 29% expect to invest less in biometric screenings. Respondents also expect to invest less in health risk assessments (27%) and health coaching (23%).

The focus will be on scalability

Pricing was a top criterion among SMEs for evaluating solutions to enhance their employee wellness programmes. This explains the focus on scalability, as customisable and personalised solutions often cost more than scalable solutions. In contrast, large employers focused on customisability and flexibility.

Overall, choosing the right solutions to enhance an employee wellness programme is essential for improving workplace happiness and productivity. By assessing their needs, employers can find the right solutions to improve their employee wellness programmes for 2019.

ALSO READ: Firms in APAC suffer billions in losses owing to employee wellness

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