Gallup Report: Why Employee Wellbeing Efforts Are Falling Short

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Dec 3

Gallup Report: Why Employee Wellbeing Efforts Are Falling Short—And What Organizations Can Do About It

Written by: Paula Antalffy 3-4 minute read

In today’s workplace, the term “workplace wellness” is everywhere - so much so that it’s often become an overused buzzword, losing some of the depth it once held. Yet, the core concept behind workplace wellness, the importance of fostering an environment that truly supports employees’ wellbeing, remains as critical as ever.

Companies of all sizes have begun investing in wellbeing programs, hoping to create healthier, more engaged teams. However, Gallup’s latest report reveals a disappointing truth: despite these efforts, employee wellbeing remains stagnant, and the expected gains in support and engagement aren’t materialising.

In this post, we’ll examine the key insights from Gallup’s findings and explore why traditional approaches to employee wellbeing may be missing the mark. More importantly, we’ll outline actionable steps organisations can take to move beyond the buzzword, building a genuinely supportive framework that meets the real needs of their teams.

Key Findings From Gallup’s Analysis

Gallup’s research uncovers a disconnect between employers' intentions and the actual impact of their wellbeing initiatives.

Here are some standout statistics and insights:

A High Priority, Low Impact: According to the report, 85% of employers prioritise employee wellbeing as an essential part of their strategy. This reflects a genuine recognition that happy, healthy employees perform better and stay longer. Yet, despite this focus, employee wellbeing metrics aren’t significantly improving.
Stagnant Employee Engagement: Emp;oyee engagement, often seen as one of the best indicators of overall workplace satisfaction and productivity, has had no meaningful improvement in the past few years. This suggests that the existing wellbeing initiatives provided by companies are not resonating with employees on a deeper level.
Policy Alone Isn’t Enough: Gallup’s findings show that wellbeing programs cannot simply be based on policy change - as these shifts do not drive real impact. Without a wider shift in company culture, which supports team members to take advantage of these changes in policy, the effect is over minimal. Employees need to find genuine support and community, it isn’t enough to just view benefits as another box on the HR managers checklist.

Why Is Employee Wellbeing Faltering?

The stagnation in employee wellbeing metrics may come as a surprise - especially when give the amount of time, energy and resources employers are actively investing in programs to support employees in finding healthy work-life balance.

However, Gallup’s findings reveal that the lack of measurable results comes from a clear pattern, where a huge gap forms between employee policy and practice:

Lack of Personalisation: Wellbeing isn’t one-size-fits-all. However many organisations fail to acknowledge this. A type of support that might resonate with one employee, might be a complete miss for another. A failure to offer anything beyond generic wellness programs, means businesses are unable to acknowledge the diverse needs and preferences of their workforce. This once again leads to wellness programs becoming a HR checkbox - rather than genuine support.
Disconnection from Company Culture: Policies are often implemented at a surface level, lacking integration into the broader company culture. This means, while employees may feel that certain initiatives resonate with them, they might feel uncomfortable actually taking the steps to being taking advantage of benefits, due to a fear of being ostracised within the company.
Absence of Managerial Support: Managers play a crucial role in an employee's daily experience. If they aren’t equipped or encouraged to champion wellbeing, the impact of organisational efforts can fall flat. Employee wellbeing should be a shared responsibility, with leaders actively involved in creating a supportive environment. Creating a culture where putting your well being first is reward and celebrated can help transform the very fabric of a business culture.
Limited Focus on Community and Connection: As hybrid and remote work become increasingly common, employees often feel isolated or disconnected from their teams. Employee support today has to emphasise building community virtually, whether through online support groups, kudos programs, shared virtual challenges or any other online peer-to-peer support. This can help create an opportunity for meaningful connection, even beyond day-to-day office culture.

How Organisations Can Build Effective Wellbeing Programs

To address the gaps highlighted by Gallup’s research, companies must go beyond policy and create a culture where employees feel genuinely valued and supported.

Here are some strategies to consider:

Involve Employees in Wellbeing Planning: Gather feedback directly from employees to understand their unique needs and preferences. Allow employees to help shape the wellbeing programs that impact their lives. This can be done through regular wellness stand-ups, anonymous surveys and the creation of employee run support groups.
Empower Managers to Foster Wellbeing: Managers are on the front lines of employee experience. Equip them with training, resources, and support so they can make wellbeing a natural part of their team culture. Finding people within your organisation who are great at keeping a healthy work-life balance, and assigning them to become wellness champions, can help keep employee support at the forefront of your teams mind.
Focus on Building Community: Foster a sense of belonging and connection, especially in hybrid or remote settings. Consider initiatives like team-building events, virtual coffee chats, and peer support networks that encourage interaction and community.
Measure Impact and Adjust Accordingly: Wellbeing initiatives should not be static. Use data and employee feedback to continuously assess the impact of your programs and make adjustments as needed.
Align Well Being With Purpose and Values: Employees need to see that well being is more than a corporate buzzword. Connect your wellbeing initiatives to the broader purpose and values of your organisation to create alignment and authenticity.
Create Well Known Support Pathways: Ensuring that employees know where they need to go when it comes to mental health support or crisis support is crucial. Making sure these paths are well thought out and easy to access is key to creating a lasting, long term wellness strategy.

How Myday’s Features Can Support Your Employee Wellbeing Goals

In light of Gallup’s findings, it’s clear that fostering true employee wellbeing requires a dynamic approach that addresses mental health, personal growth, and community connection holistically.

myday’s all-in-one wellbeing platform is designed to do just that.

With a comprehensive suite of tools that cover every aspect of employee wellness, myday serves as the "Swiss army knife" for workplace employee support, empowering organisations to create a connected, motivated, and purpose-driven workplace.

Here’s how Myday’s three pillars—Community, Impact, and Activity—align perfectly with your wellbeing goals:

Community: Building Connections
In today’s hybrid and remote work environments, creating a sense of community can be challenging. myday makes this easy by offering safe, moderated spaces where employees can connect, support one another, and build relationships around shared interests and challenges.

From mental health to parenting, women’s health, and LGBTQIA+ issues, employees can join or create groups tailored to topics they care about. Through kudos, shares, and comments, they can actively engage with their colleagues. The app also provides a robust resource library filled with information on mental health, fitness, personal development, and more—allowing each employee to feel supported in their unique wellness journey.

Impact: Driving Positive Change
Engagement thrives when employees feel they’re making a meaningful difference. myday amplifies this by offering a Planet Points system, which allows employees to support causes they care about. Team members earn points by participating in activities, completing challenges, joining communities, and supporting each other. These points can then be converted into real donations, empowering employees to make a real impact on the causes that matter to them.

Additionally, myday enables management to track ROI and other KPIs to see how their wellbeing initiatives are directly benefiting employees, fostering transparency and trust.

Activity: Energising the Workplace
Physical activity is essential to overall wellness, and myday makes it fun and accessible with activity challenges that keep employees motivated and engaged. Whether they prefer solo pursuits, 1v1 competitions, or team-wide events, employees can track their progress, earn weekly trophies, and stay connected through kudos, comments, and shares. myday’s activity challenges foster camaraderie and encourages everyone to prioritise their physical health, which in turn supports mental wellbeing.

With myday, creating a supportive and connected workplace is easier than ever. As Gallup’s research underscores, successful wellbeing initiatives require a meaningful, community-driven approach. myday’s platform aligns with these needs, helping organisations foster a culture where wellbeing is not just a policy—it’s a transformative experience for every employee.