Wellhub study reveals strong ROI for corporate wellbeing programs

7card, owned by Wellhub (formerly Gympass), the reference platform in corporate wellbeing, launches the 2024 Wellbeing ROI report in Romania. The study found that 95% of companies measuring the ROI of corporate wellbeing programs achieve positive returns, up from 90% in 2023. Additionally, 91% of HR leaders reported that the cost of health benefits decreased because of their well-being program, up from 78% in 2023. HR leaders attributed this result to reduced sick leave days, lower health and recruitment costs, higher retention rates, increased productivity, and overall employee satisfaction.

Investment in employee wellbeing brings numerous key benefits to companies, including:

Increased employee productivity: 99% of HR leaders say well-being programs increase employee productivity.
Reduced health costs: 91% of HR leaders confirm that the cost of health benefits has decreased because of their wellbeing program, up from 78% in 2023.
Reduced sick leave and absenteeism: 89% of HR leaders observe that employees take fewer sick leave days because of their well-being program, up from 85% last year.
Reduced recruitment costs and turnover: 98% of HR leaders say their wellbeing program reduces turnover, and 83% categorize their wellbeing program as “very” or “extremely” important for attracting talent.
Improved employee resilience: 87% of HR leaders say their wellbeing program is a “very” or “extremely” important part of increasing employee resilience to work-related challenges.

When it comes to boosting participation and extended engagement of employees in wellbeing programs, two important factors stand out:

Wellbeing programs need a global approach: Companies with comprehensive wellbeing programs (offering actions and support in at least three dimensions of wellbeing) and higher employee engagement rates are more likely to achieve higher returns on investment. Companies with complete wellbeing approaches saw significant results, with 24% achieving returns of 150% or more, while companies offering only two or fewer types of support (e.g., only mental health or fitness) achieved returns of up to 50% (which are good but not in the super performance zone).
Management involvement and support are crucial: C-level participation is a strong indicator of the overall employee engagement rate. When management involvement in the program is low (i.e., less than 30%), the average employee participation rate is 44%. This dramatically increases to 80% when there is high involvement (i.e., more than 70%) from executive leadership.

The Wellhub Effect: Generating ROI through Extensive Adoption and Employee Engagement in Wellbeing

Wellhub clients see even more benefits from their well-being programs. For example, 77% of companies with access to Wellhub reported a total ROI of over 100% compared to 53% of companies without Wellhub. Additionally, 52% of companies with Wellhub observed significant increases in employee productivity due to their wellbeing program, compared to 45% of companies without Wellhub.

“It wasn’t long ago that companies viewed wellbeing as a peripheral benefit. If employees wanted to attend a yoga class or go to the gym, that was fine, but it wasn’t seen as a critical part of the business,” said Cesar Carvalho, founder, and CEO of Wellhub, formerly Gympass. “Now, it’s clear that providing employees with just a few piecemeal solutions doesn’t work. Being a well-being company means creating a work environment where employees feel supported in taking care of their holistic health – and providing the necessary resources to do so. The fact that nearly two-thirds of HR leaders reported a return of two lei for every leu invested in employee wellbeing is a discovery that makes us see things in a new light and shows us how this investment benefits both employees and employers.”

“We in Romania have observed similar results. Two factors stood out compared to research from previous years. First – the involvement and support of management and second – the implementation of a coherent and well-structured program instead of disparate actions had a significant impact on increasing employee adoption and participation rates,” mentions Dan Moraru, Country Lead 7card by Gympass.