7 employer wellness programs that move the needle on improving employee health

By creating a personalized approach to preventative care—from fitness to nutrition and stress management—companies can better position themselves for success.

From walking challenges to lunch and learns on healthy eating habits, employers across the U.S. are offering a variety of wellness programs to support their employee populations. According to the KFF Employer Health Benefits 2022 Survey, 85% of large firms and 54% of small firms offer specific wellness programs, and 27% offer incentives for participating in or completing those programs. While these programs are crucial in helping employees identify health risks and unhealthy behaviors, Marathon Health has identified seven programs that are successful at getting employees engaged in their health and that move the needle on improving health outcomes.

“Oftentimes, these programs act as that first exposure to learning about healthy behaviors,” says Jackie Bezy, a Marathon Health Coach who helps to teach wellness programs to employees. “Maybe your employee isn’t ready to talk to a health care provider, but they feel comfortable watching a health and wellness webinar virtually. They can participate in the Q&A anonymously or engage in the group chat. By getting to know me as a health coach who is teaching the programs, employees might set up a 1:1 health coaching session or schedule an appointment with a health care provider. It’s the first step to get them to engage in other programming or in taking care of their health.”