Employee Well-Being

Glossary of HR Terms What is Employee Well-Being

What is Employee Well-Being?

Employee Well-Being refers to the overall physical, mental, emotional, and social health of employees in the workplace. It encompasses more than just the absence of illness or stress and includes factors such as work-life balance, job satisfaction, psychological safety, and opportunities for growth.

Why it matters

Employee well-being is directly linked to engagement, productivity, and retention. Organizations that prioritize well-being see lower absenteeism, reduced healthcare costs, stronger morale, and improved employer branding. In contrast, neglecting well-being increases the risk of burnout, turnover, and disengagement, all of which harm long-term performance.

How it affects HR

Employee well-being is one of the most strategic areas for HR, influencing engagement, productivity, and retention. HR plays a central role in designing benefits programs, mental health resources, and flexible work policies that support holistic well-being across physical, emotional, and social dimensions. Through engagement surveys and people analytics, HR measures well-being and identifies areas where employees may be at risk of stress or burnout. HR also builds cultures that promote psychological safety, inclusivity, and balance, ensuring employees feel valued and supported. By embedding well-being into every stage of the employee lifecycle, HR strengthens employer branding, reduces healthcare costs, and drives sustainable performance.

Support employee well-being with science

Well-being at work is more than wellness perks. Plum uncovers the soft skills and motivators that shape how people thrive. By aligning employees to roles and growth opportunities that fit their strengths, you foster well-being that lasts and build a healthier, more engaged workforce.

Boost employee well-being with Plum

Common use cases/Examples

  • Offering wellness programs such as fitness memberships, mindfulness apps, or nutritional support.
  • Providing mental health resources, counseling, or employee assistance programs (EAPs).
  • Implementing flexible work policies to support work-life balance.
  • Tracking well-being metrics through engagement and climate surveys.
  • Designing inclusive cultures where employees feel safe, respected, and valued.

Examples of companies that invest in it

  • Tech firms like Google and Salesforce, known for extensive well-being programs, from on-site health resources to mental health days.
  • Enterprises such as Deloitte, which integrate resilience and mindfulness training into employee development.
  • SMBs and startups that promote well-being through flexible work schedules, wellness stipends, and close-knit, supportive cultures.

FAQ

Well-being focuses on holistic health and balance, while engagement measures motivation and commitment. Both are interconnected and influence each other.

Physical, mental, emotional, social, and financial well-being are the most common dimensions.

Through engagement surveys, pulse checks, absenteeism data, turnover rates, and utilization of wellness programs.

Yes. Research shows organizations that prioritize well-being see higher productivity, improved customer satisfaction, and stronger retention.

It is a shared responsibility between HR, leadership, managers, and employees themselves, with organizational culture playing a central role.