Cole Tsonis
Associate Vice President, Employee Health & Benefits
The corporate wellness market is on track to surpass $123 billion by 2032. However, despite the increase in spending, more than half of employees report feeling burned out in the past year.
The disconnect is hard to overlook: Wellness budgets are increasing, yet the people they are meant to support don't feel the benefits. If programs are expanding, why is burnout still on the rise?
While many organizations have made progress in rethinking wellness to better support mental and emotional health, engagement is what determines whether those efforts truly take hold.
The answer is less about what companies provide and more about how they create the right conditions for employees to stay engaged over the long term.
Where wellness programs go wrong
Many companies have good intentions. However, even the most well-funded wellness programs can fall short without a few key elements and a long-term mindset.
- Lack of leadership support. Without visible backing from executives and managers, these programs feel like surface-level perks rather than integral to the culture.
- Structure that lacks sustainability. Sporadic initiatives can appear disjointed or even performative. Programs need clear goals and a plan for measuring their impact.
- A menu of one. A single mindfulness app or subsidized gym membership may appeal to some, but it rarely addresses the full range of employee needs.
- Communication gaps. Employees need to understand how to access benefits, why they matter, and how they’re supported from the top down.
- One-size-fits-all approach. Today’s workforce is diverse in terms of backgrounds, needs, and definitions of wellness. The most successful wellness programs make space for that.
How to drive real engagement
The best programs aren’t just well-designed; they’re also well-received. This means meeting employees where they are with tools and options that feel relevant, flexible, and worthwhile.
Let employees choose their own path.
Traditional wellness benefits often fall short because they assume everyone wants the same things. Stipends—offered monthly or annually—empower employees to use their credits where they count. Platforms like Fringe, ThrivePass, and Holisticly, for example, provide customizable wellness stipends that allow employees to select the benefits that matter most to them.
From therapy sessions to fitness classes and meal kits, this choose-your-own-adventure approach reflects the reality of modern well-being: no two journeys are the same.
Let your workforce shape what comes next.
A wellness program should be an integral part of your culture, meaning it should evolve and adapt over time. Build regular feedback loops into your program, such as surveys, quick polls and informal check-ins. What’s working? What’s not?
When employees help shape the future of your wellness initiatives, the result is greater relevance, stronger ownership, and long-term trust.
Make wellness usable, not aspirational.
Even the best benefits can go underused if employees don’t feel empowered to take advantage of them. Managers who encourage midday breaks, support therapy appointments, or bring up wellness resources in meetings set a powerful tone.
These small cues signal that employee well-being isn’t indulgent; it’s supported. Recognizing participation helps make healthy habits visible — and sometimes contagious.
Choose a partner to build it right from the start.
Designing a successful wellness program begins long before the perks are rolled out. Marsh McLennan Agency helps employers move beyond one-size-fits-all thinking and build wellness strategies that feel human, flexible, and built to last.
Connect with a Marsh McLennan Agency representative to get started.
