Workplace wellness programs offer little benefit to employees, study finds

A new British study found that workers who participate in workplace wellness programs were no better off than colleagues who did not (Source: “Workplace Wellness Programs Have Little Benefit, Study Finds,” New York Times,  Jan. 15, 2024).

The study, published this month in Industrial Relations Journal, considered the outcomes of 90 interventions and found a single notable exception: Workers who were given the opportunity to do charity or volunteer work did seem to have improved well-being.

Across the study’s large population, none of the other offerings — apps, coaching, relaxation classes, courses in time management or financial health — had any positive effect. Trainings on resilience and stress management actually appeared to have a negative effect.