How Employers Are Rethinking Wellness in 2025, and What It Takes to Get It Right

Workplace wellness has grown up in recent years. What started as step challenges and lunchtime yoga has evolved into a strategic priority focused on whole-person wellbeing. In 2025, the conversation is no longer about whether to offer wellness programs, but how to make them meaningful, inclusive, and aligned with the realities of modern work and life.

Employees today are managing more than ever: financial pressure, caregiving responsibilities, mental health challenges, and the increasing blurring of work and home life. The best wellness strategies address these pressures head-on, and they do it in a way that’s authentic, equitable, and baked into the company culture, not bolted on.

So, what does that look like in practice? Here’s what leading employers are doing differently.

From Perk to Imperative: Making Wellbeing a Core Business Strategy

The most successful wellness programs aren’t housed solely within HR; they’re championed from the top down and reinforced throughout the organization. When wellbeing is framed as a business imperative (not a side initiative) it earns a seat at the leadership table and becomes part of the organization’s talent strategy, values, and operational goals.

That alignment also shows up in the day-to-day experience: policies that encourage unplugging after hours, leaders who model behavior such as taking mental health days, and managers trained to support employees facing stress or burnout.

Meeting Employees Where They Are

Gone are the days of one-size-fits-all wellness programs. Today’s workforce is diverse in every sense: job type, location, life stage, health goals, etc. The strongest programs recognize this by tailoring their offerings and messages accordingly. Whether that’s creating plant-forward meal options in the cafeteria, offering financial coaching through an app, or giving shift workers access to wellness resources outside of 9-to-5, flexibility and inclusivity are key.

Financial wellbeing, in particular, has emerged as a dominant focus area. Employers are getting creative, offering student loan repayment, budgeting tools, and curated resources to reduce the kind of stress that shows up at work through distraction, absenteeism, or disengagement.

Physical wellness has also expanded to include strength training, environmental wellbeing, and social connection, factors that have a direct line to productivity and morale. And as caregiving responsibilities rise, employers are stepping up with more flexible scheduling, caregiver support groups, and mental health resources that acknowledge the realities many employees face at home.

Designing Wellness Programs That Actually Work

A good wellness strategy is rooted in both data and empathy. That means listening to employees, analyzing benefit usage and claims data, and adjusting accordingly. It also means being transparent about the value of the programs, both in terms of ROI (manifesting in reduced claims and/or absenteeism) and a newer metric: VOI, or value on investment, which accounts for returns such as increased retention, engagement, and belonging (beyond merely the monetary metrics).

Another key success factor? Making healthy habits easier. Behavioral science tells us that small nudges, environmental cues, and social motivation can change culture in a way that lectures never will. Think hydration reminders on screens, opt-in wellness challenges, and walking meetings that normalize movement during the workday.

And of course, none of this matters without a commitment to clear, consistent, compelling communication.

The Secret Ingredient: Strategic Communication

Even the most robust wellness program can fall flat without thoughtful communication strategy in place. This means going beyond simple “Wellness Wednesday” emails and instead building a year-round editorial calendar purposefully tied to wellbeing programming that addresses employee needs, seasonality, benefit milestones, and broader company messaging.

Effective communication also requires using the appropriate channels and media formats, such as visuals, videos, posters, digital boards, ERGs, and peer ambassadors, to reach employees in their preferred mode of communications. These efforts should feel human, not corporate…consistent, not episodic…and rooted in genuinely shared goals, not rote “check-the-box” announcements.

Perhaps most importantly, wellbeing communication needs to acknowledge the complexity of employees’ lives. That means using plain language, showing empathy, and reinforcing that help-seeking is normal. Stories, testimonials, and recognition for wellbeing champions can go a long way toward building trust and engagement.

The Bottom Line (Literal and Figurative)

Ultimately, the organizations that excel at building a culture of health and wellbeing are those that make it feel less like a program and more like part of the culture. It’s not about launching more apps or throwing more incentives at employees. It’s about creating an environment where people feel supported, connected, and empowered to take care of themselves.

Wellbeing isn’t just a nice-to-have anymore. It’s a competitive advantage. And in 2025, the companies that get it right won’t just have healthier employees…they’ll have stronger, more resilient organizations.

Supplemental Materials

Be sure to download and save our two complementary resources to share with your leadership team and to serve as guides throughout your implementation and execution efforts:

👉 Top Ten Wellbeing Trends

👉 Key Best Practices for Building a Culture of Health and Wellbeing

Be well, everyone!