Workplace Wellbeing Initiative Trends
2024 Trends
TREND 1: The Rise of Precarious Employment
TREND 2: Workplaces Called to Address Employee Social Connection, Loneliness and Isolation
TREND 3: Virtual Communication Skills are Imperative for the Future of Work
TREND 4: Artificial Intelligence (AI)-Driven Workplace Wellbeing Trends
TREND 5: Many Countries Are Enacting Legislation to Minimize Workforce Psychosocial Risk
2023 Trends
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.
2022 Trends
TREND 1: Leaders as Coaches
TREND 2: 4-Day Work Week
TREND 3: Distributed Workforces & Wellbeing
TREND 4: Commitment to the Elimination of Bullying and Harassment
TREND 5: Increase Focus on Health and Personal Immunity Education
TREND 6: Traditional Safety Roles to Now Include Wellbeing as a Major Focus
TREND 7: Workplace Wellbeing Continues to Form ESG Strategy
2021 Trends
TREND 1: Establishing a New Workplace Normal
TREND 2: Re-designing the Working Week to Prevent Burnout and Greater Social Wellbeing
TREND 3: Increasing Focus on Financial Wellness
TREND 4: Greater Focus on Mental Health and Wellbeing
TREND 5: Incorporation of Wellbeing-Focused Leadership
TREND 6: Recognition of “Well Workplaces”
2020 Trends
TREND 1: Top Leadership Brings Greater Care to Addressing Our Uncertain Future
TREND 2: Emergency Management and Business Continuity Efforts Rise
TREND 3: Wellness Becomes a Corporate Responsibility
TREND 4: With Remote Work Comes a Redefinition & Expansion of Leadership
TREND 5: Companies Get More Serious about Aging & Stress
TREND 6: Telemedicine Takes Root Alongside Personal Responsibility for Healthy Living
2019 Trends
TREND 1: Thriving is no longer optional
TREND 2: Move over wellness programs–it’s time to reinvent work
TREND 3: Transcending ourselves with purpose
TREND 4: Wellbeing amplified by women-friendly workplaces
TREND 5: Deep inclusivity: beyond check-the-box diversity initiatives
TREND 6: Mental wellbeing finds traction
TREND 7: One size fits one
TREND 8: Biophobic to biophilic
TREND 9: The wellbeing of we
TREND 10: The conscious evolution of leadership
The Global Wellness Institute serves as an umbrella organization for numerous Initiatives, that are independently chaired and run. The resources, editorial, research and opinions presented by the Initiatives do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Global Wellness Institute.
