Cole Tsonis
Associate Vice President, Employee Health & Benefits
Most companies launch wellness programs with good intentions. Unfortunately, less than half see meaningful participation.
The success of these programs often falls into a grey area. Leadership approves budgets, HR launches platforms, and a few people sign up. Then, the momentum fades. What’s missing? Proof of impact.
Over time, a well-meaning wellness program can start to resemble a feel-good gesture more than a results-driven investment.
How do you measure whether it’s actually working, not just in sentiment, but in hard-dollar returns?
Lay the groundwork before you measure.
Measurement needs structure. Without it, even the best-intentioned programs struggle to show results. Two basics must be in place before any data point carries weight:
- Define the objective: Tie the program to a clear outcome, such as lower absenteeism, higher retention, fewer claims, or stronger engagement. What result are you aiming for?
- Distinguish ROI from VOI: Return on investment (ROI) reflects financial outcomes, while value on investment (VOI) captures cultural returns. What matters most to your stakeholders, and are you ready to measure both?
Are people actually using it?
Baseline participation is a foundational metric. Not only does it indicate success, but it also determines whether further impact is even possible. A program can’t influence what it doesn’t reach.
That said, sign-up numbers aren’t enough. The focus should be on sustained engagement across key touchpoints, including platform logins, workshop attendance, coaching sessions, and benefit utilization.
Early spikes followed by drop-offs can suggest a disconnect between program design and employee needs, whether in relevance, accessibility, or communication.
Is health improving, or just talked about?
If a wellness program claims to support employee health, the metrics must show whether that’s actually happening, and they need to align with the risks most relevant to your workforce.
In office settings, for example, employee burnout or metabolic risk may be top concerns. On job sites, the focus changes. In 2024, 54% of construction workers reported symptoms of anxiety or depression.
If you’re tracking daily steps or mental health screenings but ignoring the conditions most likely to lead to claims, turnover or burnout, the program may look productive on paper while falling short in practice.
Are you buying time or losing it?
Time is one of the most expensive — and revealing — ways to measure wellness. When employees are constantly absent (or disengaged), the cost adds up quickly.
- Absenteeism is straightforward. Track unplanned absences by team or department and monitor trends over time to identify patterns and potential issues. If your wellness program is working, those numbers should improve.
- Presenteeism is trickier. These employees are physically present but mentally foggy, emotionally drained, or just going through the motions. It’s harder to quantify but often more costly in the long run.
Together, these metrics offer a window into whether employees feel engaged. If time is lost, your wellness program should show what is being gained in return.
Is your culture stronger because of it?
Wellness programs are often framed as culture-builders. But unless they influence how people genuinely feel about work, the effect is superficial.
To assess cultural strength, look at certain signals such as voluntary turnover, perceived support, psychological safety, and trust in leadership. Exit and stay interviews can help determine whether wellness efforts influence decisions to stay or leave.
According to the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), employees in positive workplace cultures are nearly four times more likely to stay with their employer. A wellness program positioned as a culture-builder—but perceived as performative—will rarely make a difference.
Find a wellness program partner who measures up.
The real value of a wellness program lies in its impact, not its intentions. That’s why Marsh McLennan Agency works with employers to design wellness strategies that are measurable, meaningful, and aligned with both business goals and employee needs.
Connect with a Marsh McLennan Agency representative to define what success looks like for your wellness program—and how to achieve it.
