Why Employees Don’t Engage in Wellness Programs— and How to Fix It
Why Employees Don’t Engage in Wellness Programs —
and How to Fix It
by James E. Porter
If you design or oversee workplace wellbeing programs, you’ve probably asked this question more than once:
Why don’t employees participate?
I once attended a behavioral change program led by Michael Kim, CEO of HABIT CHANGE, and the answer was refreshingly direct. Research shows that while wellness programs often include dozens of features, only four actually drive behavior change:
• Provide clear instruction on how to perform better
• Model or demonstrate the desired behavior
• Provide feedback on performance
• Support behavior-based goal setting
When these elements are missing, programs may educate—but they rarely change behavior.
This design gap helps explain persistently low engagement. According to research cited by Kim (including The Economist, Towers Watson, and RAND), participation in diet- and exercise-related programs has historically hovered around 22%. While COVID-19 increased awareness and the perceived value of wellbeing initiatives, engagement challenges remain—especially for mental health and stress-related programs.
A report from The Economist outlines why employees don’t participate in workplace wellness programs:
• Not enough time (51%)
• Not a high priority (26%)
• Skepticism about meaningful health improvement (21%)
• Rewards aren’t worth the effort (19%)
• Lack of guidance and resources (16%)
• Distrust of employer motives (12%)
• Programs don’t address personal goals (9%)
What stands out immediately is this: Stress is woven into nearly every barrier on the list.
“Not enough time” often reflects chronic overload.
“Not a priority” signals unclear personal relevance.
“Rewards aren’t worth it” highlights the failure to deliver immediate, intrinsic benefits like feeling calmer or more energized.
And distrust of employer motives—especially around buzzwords like resilience—can leave employees feeling that stress is being framed as their problem alone.
For years, research from Willis Towers Watson has shown that help managing stress is what employees want most from wellbeing programs, yet it has often been underfunded or poorly designed. The result? Low participation—and the mistaken conclusion that wellness “doesn’t work.”
For trainers, EAP professionals, and HR leaders, the takeaway is clear:
Programs succeed when they focus on real behavior change, address stress as a root issue, emphasize intrinsic rewards, and provide practical guidance—not just information.
In an upcoming installment, I’ll share why employees do participate in wellness programs. Spoiler alert: stress management training is at the top of the list.
Erica Tuminski
Author