Both Workers and Employers Benefit From a Health and Wellness Focus

Workers feel their employers have a responsibility to help them maintain their health, and those with access to employer-based health and wellness benefits are more satisfied with their jobs, according to an AARP Research survey.

Benefits were found to be bidirectional. On the organization side, employer-based health and wellness benefits are connected to a higher level of job satisfaction; on the worker side, they’re connected to better brain health, overall health, and mental health outcomes. The 15-minute online survey of workers ages 18 and older, which explored workplace policies that support brain health, suggests that business owners and other employers that don’t offer health and wellness benefits should consider doing so. Organizations in the retail sector in particular need to do more to support their workers’ health and wellness.

Health and wellness benefit access

Less than half of American workers report receiving specific health and wellness benefits. These benefits include, among others, health screening, biometric assessments, vaccinations, ergonomic workstation access, fitness programs, and mindfulness, meditation, yoga, and relaxation training. The survey focused on a dozen health and wellness benefits with some tapping into specific needs such as addressing alcohol abuse and others more broadly focused — for example, promoting a culture of health.

Despite the two-way payoff of employers offering health and wellness benefits, few of those with access to benefits are using them. The most common health and wellness benefit available to 42% of workers is “health screening, biometric assessment, and vaccinations.” It was also the most accessed, yet just 28% reported using it. The least commonly offered benefit is “mindfulness, meditation, yoga, and relaxation training,” available to 20% of workers but only used by 7%.

Higher job satisfaction

While the relationship between aspects of employment (e.g., benefits, pay, satisfaction, tenure) and outcomes is complex, job satisfaction factors into worker outcomes. Workers with access to health and wellness benefits have higher levels of job satisfaction, the survey found. And higher job satisfaction is related to better health-related outcomes.

Further, most workers expect employers to offer them support. More than half of employees think their employers have the responsibility to help them maintain their mental health (61%), financial security (57%), and brain health/mental sharpness (55%), at least to some extent. Just under half (48%) think employers should help them maintain their physical health as well.

American workers who feel their brain health is supported by employer leadership rate their brain health higher than those who feel less supported. Among a subset of workers who feel employers should provide opportunities to engage in activities that benefit their health and wellness, fewer than half (47%) feel their leadership supports their brain health and mental sharpness. Differences in self-reported brain health are significant by level of support from leadership.

With or without worker access to health and wellness benefits, a key to a healthful work environment is the work itself. Those who report little to no job stress are more likely to rate their health and brain health as excellent or very good, compared to workers overall and those with a moderate to high level of stress. Conversely those with a high level of job stress have lower average mental well-being scores and higher levels of depression and anxiety.

Retail trails in health and wellness

American retail workers need more support, according to the results of the survey, which included food service, theaters, and sports venues as part of the retail sector.

Workers in this category were less likely to be satisfied with aspects of their job and had less access to employer-based health and wellness benefits. Just 45% of retail workers report having at least one health and wellness benefit, compared to 71% overall.

Workers in these businesses were also less likely to rate their brain health and overall health as excellent or very good. Retail workers are the least likely to have any health and wellness benefits and significantly fewer rate their brain health (46%) and overall health (40%) as excellent or very good. That represents the lowest self-reported brain health and overall health of all the job categories. Overall, 62% and 51% of workers report having excellent or very good brain health and overall health, respectively.

Methodology

The nationally representative survey of 3,517 adults ages 18 and older was fielded April 24 to May 9, 2024. The online survey included workers who were employed for 20 or more hours per week and excluded full-time students, full-time gig workers, and exclusively self-employed workers. Data were weighted based on the CPS and the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS).

For more information, please contact Laura Mehegan at lmehegan@aarp.org. For media inquiries, contact External Relations at media@aarp.org.