Workplace wellbeing programs first became popular in the late 1980s, and companies use them to improve employees' working experience and environment. The motives for this aren't entirely selfless, however. Several extensive studies have shown that happier employees are more productive. However, while wellness has become more visible in the corporate world, there are questions about how successful some programs actually are, especially as ‘wellbeing’ is so difficult to measure. People Matters Global describes wellbeing fatigue as a phenomenon that arises when employees feel overwhelmed by the number of wellness initiatives, disillusioned, and even cynical about programs. There may be several reasons for wellness fatigue. Employers can sometimes fail to address deeper issues within a company, choosing instead to ignore proper workload and people management in favour of short-term wellness fixes like free pizza or yoga. Participation can sometimes have the opposite effect. For example, introverted employees may feel genuine anxiety about participating in group activities. There can be real pressure on people to 'be well' and 'be happy' in the workplace when, in reality, this can be a facade that's exhausting to maintain, especially when employers are monitoring and setting high expectations. Recognising the Symptoms of Wellness Fatigue One of the ways to spot wellness fatigue is to monitor participation in wellness programs and activities. The fewer people attending or interacting with them, the less likely the wellness program will have its intended impact. It can also be helpful to look at the number of wellness activities scheduled. It can seem counter-intuitive, especially initially, but too much choice can overwhelm people. One of the difficulties with giving wellness advice is that it’s highly specific to the organisation, so it isn’t a good idea to copy other programmes without tailoring something specific to the wellness issues affecting your company. Why Workplace Wellbeing Programs Often Miss the Mark Some employers adopt a blanket approach to wellness, forgetting that employees come from different backgrounds and experience stress differently. The secret sauce to unlocking their productivity will be different, too. For example, some employees may want access to physical health initiatives like gym memberships or provision for exercise during the working day. Others may prefer mental health support or flexible working schedules to accommodate family responsibilities. By not tailoring wellness efforts to individual needs, companies risk promoting initiatives that employees find irrelevant or burdensome. It may be better for companies to allow employees to choose from different offerings. This degree of personalisation can make it easier for employees to buy in to programmes. It's worth reiterating here how important it is that companies use wellness correctly. It can be tempting to use short-term fixes, but this superficial approach cannot address the root cause of wellness issues. Many issues can impact office productivity and happiness, including poor people management, poor workload management, lack of career progression, poor communication, etc. Free gym memberships or snacks in the kitchen can't mitigate these. Wellness fatigue, therefore, becomes frustration at what an employee sees as a failure to seriously address the genuine problems impacting the working life of employees. If there’s no feedback loop between those using the wellness initiative and those who’ve built it, it will be difficult to adapt the programme when it falls short. There should also be provisions for addressing wellness holistically by incorporating emotional, physical and mental health. These three things can impact productivity in the workplace considerably. What Employees Really Need: Moving Beyond Surface-Level Wellness Initiatives Priority should be given to initiatives that provide genuine mental and physical health benefits over token perks. Creating flexible programs that are opt-in will make the process inclusive, even if some employees choose not to participate. It’s important that employees feel that they can participate when it benefits them. Managers should be trained to recognise the difference between wellness fatigue and burnout. They should be permitted to provide or ask employees for feedback, even if this is disparaging. Company culture should be examined to ensure that the working environment provides a level of support and safety that enables employees to work efficiently and effectively. Managers should recognise the importance of workload management, clear communication, and work-life balance. The focus should be on outcomes that can be tracked, such as employee satisfaction or retention, rather than just concentrating on providing ‘perks’ that look good for recruitment. Emphasis should also be placed on long-term wellbeing over short-term engagement, so initiatives should promote sustainable changes in workplace culture. Wellness fatigue doesn’t disprove that wellness works but rather it shows that there are ways to do it effectively. Wellness for the sake of looking good to potential employees or to pay lip service to systematic issues within an organisation does a disservice to employees and, ultimately, workplace productivity. 💚 The ECO:POD is a modular exercise space that uses electricity-generating bikes, yoga, and meditation to help improve employee wellness in offices and corporate environments. You can find out more about the ECO:POD here 💚