Promoting Wellness in the Workplace: 6 Ideas for Employers

Quick look: August is National Wellness Month, but employee wellness deserves attention year-round. Creating a benefits package and workplace culture that are centered on well-being keeps employees healthier and more engaged, while giving employers another way to strengthen engagement and manage costs. Here are six ways small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) can reap those rewards all year long.

Workforce expectations keep shifting, and employees today look to their employers to take an active role in supporting their health and well-being. From mental health coverage to work-life balance, workers want tangible evidence that their wellness is a priority.

Read on to learn about the history of National Wellness Month, why employee well-being affects business performance, and how a PEO can help SMBs strengthen their wellness strategy.

What is National Wellness Month?

Established in 2018, National Wellness Month was created to raise awareness around stress management, self-care, and healthy everyday habits, such as drinking more water, regularly exercising, eating well, and improving sleep habits.

That reminder is especially relevant for today’s workforce. Recent research shows that over half of employees currently experience burnout, highlighting the importance for business leaders to encourage healthy habits during August and beyond.

Why employee wellness matters

When employees feel supported in their well-being, it makes a big impact. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), employees who are healthier tend to:

• Perform at a higher level
• Face a lower risk of disease, illness, and injury
• Be more productive
• Get involved in their communities more often

Notably, Gallup’s 2026 State of the Global Workplace report found that U.S. and Canadian employees experience the highest daily stress of any region. Left unchecked, this can show up as:

• Decreased productivity and engagement
• Higher turnover
• Rising medical costs from preventable conditions

Fortunately, employers have opportunities to make wellness part of the everyday employee experience.

6 employee wellness program ideas for SMBs

A workplace culture centered on personal well-being attracts top talent and entices them to stay, making it a win-win for companies and their teams.

1. Build movement into the workday

Being active is one of the simplest ways to improve both physical and mental wellness. Walking meetings, standing desks, or a step-count challenge all give employees an easy way to move without interfering with busy schedules. Additionally, leaders can encourage remote workers to step away from their screens for a quick walk between tasks.

Small changes can make movement feel like a natural part of the workday rather than another item on an already full to-do list.

2. Demonstrate the importance of self-care

Self-care looks different for everyone. For some employees, it may mean making time for exercise or mindfulness. For others, it could mean getting enough sleep or simply taking a break when they need one. Creating a workspace that supports these behaviors can go a long way toward boosting employee wellness and satisfaction.

This support can be shown by communicating clearly and often that employee wellness matters to the company and encouraging staff to work toward their health goals. A dedicated wellness space can also give employees somewhere to step away and decompress during the workday.

3. Set healthy boundaries

Remote and hybrid work have given employees greater flexibility, but these arrangements also make it harder for some employees to fully log off. With a laptop always within reach, it’s easy for the workday to stretch beyond normal business hours.

Leaders can combat this by reassuring staff that logging off after hours is expected, not just tolerated. Normalizing open conversations about work-life balance, and encouraging employees to use their paid time off (PTO), can create an environment where workers feel comfortable prioritizing their wellness.

4. Offering benefits that support whole-person wellness

Wellness spans physical, mental, and financial health. A comprehensive benefits package that covers all three of those needs can ease employee stress while strengthening the overall employee experience.

Physical health benefits

Today’s workforce is multigenerational, and a strong benefits package should include medical, dental, and vision options that flex to all life stages. Everyone has different needs, but a good rule of thumb is to include:

• Preventive care coverage
• Telehealth access
• Flexible spending accounts (FSAs) and health savings accounts (HSAs)

Mental health benefits

A healthy mind is just as important as a healthy body. Gallup’s 2026 data reveals that approximately 40% of employees worldwide experienced a lot of stress the day before being surveyed. Offering mental health benefits like access to an employee assistance program (EAP) and coverage for therapy gives employees somewhere to turn when they need additional support.

Financial wellness benefits

Nearly 75% of Americans say their finances are their top stressor. Employers can relieve some of that weight by providing resources that support financial decision-making.

By implementing programs to assist with budgeting, investing, saving for retirement, and paying off student loans, businesses show their teams that they’re committed to helping them work toward their financial goals.

5. Recognize employees for their achievements

Research points to a clear link between how much recognition employees receive and their level of well-being. Showing appreciation also drives positive business outcomes, like lower turnover and increased engagement. To capture these benefits, employers should consider designing a structured employee recognition program. This might include peer-to-peer recognition, manager recognition, milestone celebrations, or other ways to acknowledge employees for their contributions.

The important part is making recognition feel genuine and timely rather than something that only happens during an annual review.

6. Ask for feedback and measure success

Employee well-being initiatives should evolve right alongside your team. Employee surveys and anonymous feedback channels provide a low-pressure way for staff to share their experiences on current programs and suggest other benefits that may help them stay healthy. Tracking participation rates and running periodic cost-benefit reviews also identifies which plans are most beneficial. Listening to employees makes it easier to build a wellness strategy around what they actually need rather than what employers assume they want.

Extra support to help you support your team

Gallup reports that just one in four employees feels their company cares about their overall well-being. That gap presents an opportunity for SMBs to make employee wellness a more visible part of their workplace strategy and set themselves apart from larger competitors.

Building a benefits package and workplace culture that support employee wellness can involve a lot of moving pieces. Partnering with a PEO can make the process easier by giving SMBs access to benefits and HR resources that may otherwise be difficult to offer on their own:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• EAP
• 401(k) retirement plans
• Student loan repayment programs

Some PEOs, like ExtensisHR, also provide affordable access to performance management software that makes it easy to build recognition and feedback into everyday work. ExtensisHR’s Employee Solution Center is also available via phone, email, and live chat to help employees navigate benefit plans, qualifying life events, open enrollment, and more.

National Wellness Month may happen every August, but supporting employee well-being is a year-round effort. The right benefits and workplace practices can make it easier for employees to take care of themselves while giving employers another way to strengthen the employee experience.