Dear Ellie,

We’re in the process of building our first wellness program for a company of 400+ employees. I’d love to hear what has worked well (and what hasn’t) at your previous organizations. Any recommendations, lessons learned, or creative ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Signed,

Wellness Architect

This is an exciting initiative! I bet it feels good to be at the forefront of a program that will truly benefit your employees.

The best wellness programs use a multi-pronged approach: psychological wellness built into the culture, clear and generous leave and accommodation policies, and a sense of belonging. After that foundation is in place, you can add the “tangibles,” such as a budget for gym memberships, massages, or other perks.

Most companies start with the tangibles first. While you may not be able to reverse that order now, it’s important to plant the seed that a wellness program is only as effective as its reach. So, make sure it doesn’t stop at the gym.

Now, let’s jump into the fun parts!

A mandatory meditation session can feel like a punishment to someone with ADHD. A fitness challenge can feel exclusionary for someone with a chronic illness. Even a free gym membership may feel useless to a busy parent who can’t leave the house.

When you define wellness too narrowly, you unintentionally create shame for those who don’t fit that mold.

This is the single most effective and inclusive wellness benefit you can offer.

Provide a monthly or quarterly stipend (even $50–$100 is meaningful) that employees can use on whatever supports their well-being—no questions asked.

Employees could use it for:

• Gym memberships or fitness classes
• Therapy co-pays or mental health apps
• Massages or acupuncture
• Art supplies, pottery classes, or gardening kits
• Childcare support to free up personal time
• This communicates: “We trust you to know what wellness means for you.”

Burnout is a systemic issue, not an individual one. Rest must be built into the structure of work.

Company-Wide Recharge Days: A few additional days each year where the entire company shuts down. This avoids the stress of returning to a pile of emails and messages.

No-Meeting Fridays / Deep Work Wednesdays: Protecting uninterrupted time helps everyone breathe, focus, and recover from calendar chaos.

Standard EAPs are often difficult to navigate. Consider partnering with a modern provider (e.g., Modern Health, BetterUp) that makes finding support quick and easy. The easier it is to access, the more likely employees are to use it before reaching a crisis point.

Managers are the front line of your wellness culture. They are not therapists, but they do need to know how to support their teams with empathy. Train them to:

• Recognize signs of burnout (changes in mood, engagement, or performance)
• Initiate compassionate, non-judgmental conversations
• Model healthy boundaries (logging off, taking PTO, avoiding after-hours messaging)

Building a wellness program is really about building a culture of care. Start by listening to your people (even a simple survey can provide meaningful direction). Empower them with choices and create an environment where it is safe to show up as a whole human being.

Happy Building,

Ellie

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