When it comes to wellness programs, many organizations are taking a more holistic approach to helping their employees lead healthier, happier, and more productive lives – venturing beyond just the physical aspects of wellness and advancing towards better emotional health.

This broader idea has been identified as one of the most significant wellness program trends of 2024. Beyond physical fitness, weight control, and tobacco cessation, wellness programs are expanding to address things like stress management and even factors outside of the workplace, such as caregiver concerns and overall financial health.

According to a recent WebMD report, “Enlightened employers in 2024 will focus on the elements of work that will help employees thrive, like these five factors identified by employees in a Mercer Global Talent Trends study: feeling valued for my contributions, work that fulfills me, having fun at work, a sense of belonging; and having a manager who advocates for me and provides meaningful feedback.”

On top of those five factors, are the impact of greater outside environment issues beyond the control of our own organizations. These are often an extraordinarily tense backdrop of economic, environmental, and geopolitical uncertainty that creates higher stress and financial strain on employees, requiring the need for holistic well-being that encompasses more than just their physical health.

At the same time, organizations must closely examine their own policies and processes that may be contributing to stress in the workplace, that naturally finds its way to the home front.

Clearly, when reviewing wellness programs, organizations need to adjust their areas of focus, as well as determine the types of incentive rewards that help reduce stress and promote improved emotional health, both at work and at home.

We polled our team at All Star Incentive Marketing for their suggestions, and their choices reflected a wide range of gifts, many reflecting favorite stress-reducing pastimes. They include athletic apparel, audio gear, such as Bluetooth speakers and earbuds, kitchen appliances, cookware and grills, gardening tools, and camping and hiking equipment, to name a few.

Of course, the key to success here is personalization. Recipients should have the opportunity to identify those activities that bring them enjoyment and to choose incentive rewards that are useful, fun, and, most of all, deeply appreciated.

When employee wellness programs succeed, everybody wins. We’ll work with you to set goals and devise a strategy to promote wellness throughout your organization.  Contact us to learn more about our Wellness Program Platform.