Why Corporate Wellness Programs are a Waste of Time and Money

Let’s face it. Most corporate wellness programs are a waste of time and money. And they’re no small waste at that. The global corporate wellness market is currently worth US$56.7 billion and is projected to reach US$87.3 billion by 2026 at annual growth rates of 7.3%. But this doesn’t even account for employee hours and diminished productivity.

And what do we have to show for all of those RUOK? programs, guided meditations, mindfulness, and yoga classes? Ballooning workplace stress and bottoming out employee engagement.

We have eighty-three percent of American workers today suffering from workplace stress, followed by about 60 percent of Britons, Germans, and Canadians.

This has all sorts of downstream physiological consequences, such as cardiovascular disease, psychological disorders, musculoskeletal disorders, impaired immune function, impaired personal relationships, and ultimately in the most extreme cases, suicide.

Not only that, but Gallup also found that 85 percent of people globally are either disengaged or not engaged at work.