Anti-wellness sentiment is—unfortunately—alive and well. Eventhe most well-intentioned workplace wellness programs can be met with backlash fromemployees.

While you can’t please everyone, it’s important to understandthat promoting healthism in workplace wellness is dangerousterritory.

Healthism, by definition, is a lifestyle that prioritizes health andfitness over anything else. “Over anything else” is a red flag. Andit will quickly earn opposition.

Julie Guthman, professor of social sciences atthe University of California Santa Cruz, says healthism’s ideology“encourages—even requires—us to be obsessed with our own health andsanctimonious about other people's.”

Healthism is not the mission of workplace wellness.

When obsession and self-righteousness emanate from wellnessprograms, anti-wellness sentiment is spawned. Wellness programsfail themselves and their members when they morph into somethingmore representative of a healthism cult.

Successful workplace wellness programs distance themselves fromthe hierarchy and judgement associated with healthism, keepinganti-wellness sentiment at bay by focusing on inspiring andsupporting the individual member’s well-beingjourney.

Here’s how to take this approach with your wellness program:

Keep it personal

Wellness programs are neither superiority contests nor avenuesto pit co-workers against each other.

Avoid encouraging this type of hierarchy and negativecompetitiveness by creating a program design and communicationsthat promote and reiterate that each member’s wellness journey ispersonal.

Reward progress, not perfection

Because well-being is an individual, lifelong journey, wellnessprograms should focus more on progress, not perfection.

What may be a small achievement for one member may be amonumental achievement for another.

Components like Tiered Challenges are effective because they’reinclusive, rewarding members for each tier—or smallerachievement—they attain toward the bigger end goal.

Remain flexible

Well-being isn’t all or nothing, it’s about balance.

Flexible wellness programs inspire members on their well-beingjourney, while also supporting them when they stumble or losemomentum.

Create realistic timelines and ample opportunities for yourmembers to succeed. Ultimately, whether times are good or the goinggets tough, you want them to turn to your wellness program—notresent its unrealistic and unachievable requirements.

There’s no quicker way to earn member distrust than disguisinghealthism by packaging it as workplace wellness.

Successful workplace wellness programs inspire and supportmembers in their well-being journey—encouraging everyone toparticipate, not revolt.