While we all intuitively know that employee health and wellness are key drivers of efficiency, productivity, satisfaction and quality of work, it can at times be challenging to justify the cost of a wellness program without clear proof of return. In this article we answer the question “How do I measure the ROI of a wellness program?”
So what exactly is ROI? ROI stands for Return on Investment: a measure of what you get back for every dollar you spend. It’s used as a metric by senior leadership to help determine where to allocate budget to parts of the business that impact the bottom line.
The problem is sometimes measuring ROI isn’t always that straightforward. For example, measuring the Return on Investment (ROI) of an advertising campaign is much simpler. You can see exactly how every dollar spent on an ad and how much profit it brought it. But not all investments we make are that black-and-white.
Wellness programs often involve soft metrics: results that can be considered more qualitative or subjective rather than purely numerical.
In workplace wellness, soft metrics include things like:
These are usually measured through surveys, feedback, or sentiment scores. They’re valuable because they show the human impact of wellness: the factors that keep people happy, motivated, and loyal.
Soft metrics vs. hard metrics:
The good news? You can track and show ROI for wellness programs, both through soft metrics and hard data.
When getting to the ROI of Wellness Programs, the good place to start is to first understand the business impact.
A strong wellness program supports employees physically, mentally, and emotionally. When done right, holistic wellness programs lead to better mood, more energy, stronger focus, and improved stress resilience.
As a result, companies see:
To get these outcomes, wellness needs to be treated as an ongoing priority instead of a one-time session or a single perk (like a gym discount). A year-round approach keeps employees supported and engaged over the long term, so they can actually see positive shifts in their mental & physical health.
The shift from viewing wellness as a perk to treating it as an essential part of company culture is happening because employees want and need meaningful support for their mental and physical health, and they notice when companies deliver.
We hear it all the time. HR teams are faced with pressure to show that every dollar invested drives real impact, not just for employees, but for the business as a whole.
While it’s widely agreed upon that supporting employee health and mental well-being leads to happier, more engaged teams, the challenge is often proving that it’s a strategic, high-return investment, not just an extra perk to cut when budgets get tight. Plus, results are longer term, not immediate.
Leadership cares about outcomes they can see and measure. They want proof that wellness programs will:
DP World reported a direct reduction in heart health benefit claims after partnering with HEAL on a preventative heart health-specific wellness program.
If you’re looking for industry stats that you can lean on to bring to your senior leaders, HR Executive put out a report, which polled over 2,000 HR leaders to find out what they had to say.
That means fewer claims, lower premiums, and more manageable budgets.
Fewer sick days means less disruption, smoother workflows, and more consistent productivity across teams.
That means spending less on replacing and training new employees.
When wellness is designed as a year-round priority, it checks all these boxes. Healthy, supported employees are more loyal, more productive, and healthy, more resilient, which has a ripple effect on everything from insurance claims to team performance.
Sometimes, the price you pay for not investing in wellness can be just as strong and might resonate differently with senior leaders. The longer you go without a wellness plan means higher turnover risk, lost productivity, and preventable burnout.
Here are a few ways to capture meaningful ROI for your wellness initiatives:
Surveys & feedback: Gather employee input on how useful they find the program, how often they use it, and what changes they’ve noticed in their well-being and work performance.
Usage data: Track metrics like app logins, wellness challenge participation, average daily step count, or nutrition goals met (e.g., protein, fiber, or water intake).
Benchmarking: Compare key outcomes (like absenteeism, turnover, or productivity) between employees who participate and those who don’t.
Financial analysis: Partner with benefits providers to analyze year-over-year healthcare claims, insurance costs, or chronic disease trends.
While ROI won’t always show up as a neat dollar-for-dollar equation, these data points together can tell a strong story about the real business impact of your wellness program.
Convincing senior leaders to invest in wellness in an exercise in bridging the gap between people outcomes and business results.
Here’s how to build a strong case:
Our workplace wellness plans include employee wellness challenges, lunch and learns, and year-round holistic programs designed to deliver measurable ROI. Get in touch.