Workplace Wellbeing Initiative
2023 Trends
Workplace wellbeing programs have evolved far beyond the offerings of just a few years ago. Today, forward-thinking employers focus on a new vision of wellness at work—one that includes mental wellbeing as well as physical wellness, equity and diversity programs, financial wellbeing and more. The trends forecast by the GWI’s Workplace Wellbeing Initiative show just how far we’ve come.
TREND 1: More focus on financial education and financial wellbeing. Rising Interest rates, inflation, and rising energy costs across the world are creating new and unexpected pressures on employees and their families. Stability and security of employment is a major issue in many countries.
TREND 2: Remote work, hybrid work and return to office policies are still significant and largely unsolved issues in many sectors. This also includes the pending possibility of a shift to a four-day working week.
TREND 3: Wellbeing being viewed as a genuine strategy for business success as opposed to a “nice to have.”
TREND 4: There is an ongoing influence of environmental, social and corporate governance investing on workplaces and a general overhaul of workplace cultures in the direction of greater support for the wellbeing of the employee, as companies strive to become more palatable to investors.
TREND 5: Wellbeing is moving beyond the physical, as programs move toward more of a “whole person” focus including family and community, togetherness and purpose.
TREND 6: Look for more training and development of middle managers and lower-level supervisors to help them to treat employees with respect and civility and remove domination, bullying and abusive behaviors.
TREND 7: There is an increased focus on musculoskeletal programs, especially for those continuing in remote or hybrid arrangements. Virtual trainings and intervention programs support ergonomic home office arrangements.
TREND 8: There is also a continuing increase in focus on Mental Wellbeing, including a shift from managing mental health cases and challenges to preventing mental health challenges.
TREND 9: Plus, there is an emerging trend in menopause awareness and education.
