The Link Between Workplace Wellness and Productivity

By Liz Sheffield

Your colleague has a headache that quickly becomes a painful migraine. He takes two days off, but he’s still in pain when he returns. He’s closing his eyes during meetings and just can’t seem to focus. You try to help him, but you risk missing your own deadlines if you dedicate any more time to his workload.

This is a typical scenario for many employees in the workplace. Their productivity level is impacted because a colleague is absent or not fully present, or because they themselves are the one with health issues. Regardless of whether someone is absent or present and not fully participating, workplace productivity suffers.

The effect of absenteeism and presenteeism on productivity

According to Gallup, absenteeism costs an estimated $443,000 in lost productivity per 1,000 employees per year. Employees who are physically healthy but suffering in other areas of their life (social, financial, personal issues) miss an average of 3.2 unplanned days per year. That rate of absences is 68% higher than employees who are healthy in all areas of their life.

Some employees may show up at work but not be fully present, known as "presenteeism." The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) highlights a variety of reasons for presenteeism, including physical and mental health issues, stress, and personal problems.

"The one viable way to improve employee health and lower presenteeism is to implement an effective health management strategy," one researcher told SHRM.

The impact of workplace wellness on productivity

​A powerful way to combat absenteeism and presenteeism is with a wellness program – one that engages employees and encourages them to make healthy changes. One analysis of more than 40 corporate wellness studies found that wellness programs resulted in a 25% reduction in sick leave and absenteeism.

Workplace wellness benefits everyone involved: employees appreciate what the programs offer, including inspiration to exercise, a sense of community, and access to screenings and information. The programs help employees feel cared for, which increases engagement and can lead to higher productivity. Employers reap the rewards, as well; according to survey results from the Health Enhancement Research Organization (HERO), more than 90% of business leaders believe that promoting wellness can affect employee productivity.

Click here to learn more about how the MeYou Health platform can help you get a wellness program started at your company quickly and easily!