Work ‘wellness’ programmes don't make employees happier - but I know what does | André Spicer

Sinking time and money into mindfulness apps and resilience training ignores the real problem: workplace stress

Bosses want you to be well - but they may be making you ill. To help improve employee health, companies are doing everything from helping workers to stop smoking, offering diet plans and health food, and introducing yoga and exercise sessions, to installing bicycle-powered desks, giving employees apps that track their movements and sleep, providing therapists, taking employees on outdoor adventures and much more.

Companies around the world spent $61.2bn on wellness interventions in 2021. That amount is projected to grow to $94.6bn in 2026. The problem is that most workplace wellbeing interventions cost money and take up time, but have little or no impact on employee wellbeing. In some cases, they may actually undermine workplace wellbeing. It turns out the most effective way to improve employee mental health is by reducing stress, rather than adding new ways to cope with it.

Andre Spicer is professor of organisational behaviour at the Bayes Business School at City, University of London. He is the author of the book Business Bullshit