NEW YORK–Few industries have invested as much time and attention into “wellness” as have credit unions, but a new study finds many workplace wellness offerings have little positive effect, and some even have negative effects.
But there is one silver lining for one initiative many credit unions have in place.
As the New York Times noted, employee mental health services have become a billion-dollar industry, ranging from digital wellness solutions, mindfulness seminars, resilience workshops, coaching sessions, financial wellness and more.
“These programs are a point of pride for forward-thinking human resource departments, evidence that employers care about their workers,” the Times reported. “But a British researcher who analyzed survey responses from 46,336 workers at companies that offered such programs found that people who participated in them were no better off than colleagues who did not.”
About the Study
The study, published in Industrial Relations Journal, considered the outcomes of 90 different interventions and found a single notable exception: “Workers who were given the opportunity to do charity or volunteer work did seem to have improved well-being.”
“Across the study’s large population, none of the other offerings — apps, coaching, relaxation classes, courses in time management or financial health — had any positive effect,” the Times reported. “Trainings on resilience and stress management actually appeared to have a negative effect.”
Where Employers Should Focus
William J. Fleming, the author of the study and a fellow at Oxford University’s Wellbeing Research Center, told the Times the analysis suggests that employers concerned about workers’ mental health would do better to focus on “core organizational practices,” such as schedules, pay and performance reviews.
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