People & Workforce

Do Workplace Wellness Programs Actually Keep Employees Around Longer?

Wellness programs have been sold to employers as everything from a healthcare cost reducer to a culture-builder to a retention tool. The promise is compelling: invest in your employees' health and wellbeing, and they'll stay longer, perform better, and cost less in turnover. But for a small business owner weighing the real cost of building out a wellness program, the actual evidence matters more than the pitch. The answer is more nuanced than either enthusiastic vendors or skeptical HR critics tend to admit.