Covid-19 has arguably changed the world of work more than any single event in recent memory. This has thrust the inextricable link between well-being and work into the spotlight, giving employers a new imperative to re-evaluate pre-pandemic norms to better support workers, which in turn reveals both the business and wider economic benefits of doing so.

Over the past several years, US companies have been increasingly focused on improving the health of their workforce. An estimated 63 million workers are now covered by wellness programs of various types through their employer. These programs range from physical activity facilities to healthy on-site nutrition, to mental health apps and smoking cessation programs.

Work is where people spend most of their time. It can either foster or hinder well-being based on how its culture, facilities and policies support or inhibit healthy choices. The steady growth in workforce health programs in recent decades represents promising progress in this regard, although these programs have been commonly limited to larger companies. In addition, some key issues, like mental health, are only now beginning to be integrated.

The capacity to live and work in a healthy way is dependent on more than individual factors and behaviors. Evidence shows that environmental factors such as access to quality food, community safety and access to exercise facilities are key contributors to health and well-being. Given that employees spend a significant amount of time in the workplace, employers have an important role to play in shaping employees’ environment in a way that promotes health. This means that employers are essential agents of change to improve the well-being of their employees, and therefore society at large.

Employers have good reasons to play a proactive role in supporting employee health. At an organizational level, a healthy workforce brings a range of benefits, the most well-understood being lower healthcare costs. This is especially relevant in the US context where employers shoulder responsibility for healthcare coverage, and in some cases, healthcare costs directly. As a result, 91% of executives agree that employer- sponsored benefits will be central to maintaining a healthy, productive workforce.

The benefits of workforce health extend beyond cost control. While an employer’s coverage of healthcare is a major reason to take a proactive interest in employee wellbeing, the evidence shows the far broader benefits of a healthy workforce. These include higher productivity, increased employee engagement, and greater commitment to the company. Talent attraction is also an increasingly key consideration.

The growing attention given to workforce health in recent years reflects both the financial pressures on US companies to control costs as well as a growing appreciation among more forward-looking firms about the broad business benefits of a mentally and physically healthy workforce. Strengthening employee health has far reaching benefits into the wider economy and, building on existing employer sponsored health programs, contributes to a more resilient and healthy workforce.

Recognizing the link between employee well-being and the wider economy, 93% of executives agree that investing in a healthy workforce is an investment in business success and ultimately US economic recovery. Companies that support a healthy workforce have visibly business benefits including higher stock appreciation, greater employee retention, and lower medical costs.

Mounting evidence proves the impact of a healthy workforce on productivity, engagement, and talent attraction and retention. This has only been underscored by the covid-19 pandemic, translating into greater action on the part of employers.

Progress, however, must not stop here. Many US companies still lack a workforce health policy or program, in particular smaller firms. Companies with programs and initiatives often do not adequately measure or monitor the success of their programs. Participation is also often uneven, mirroring wider socioeconomic inequalities. Mental health has long been missing from workforce health policies despite the close causal links between work itself and mental ill-health, especially stress and anxiety.