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As employers consider whether to implement — or, perhaps, grow — a workplace wellness program, on question often centers on benefits. Whether the measurement is return on investment, return on value, or other means to capture value, the basic question remains: What are the benefits.

In the Future of Business and Tech, John Kosky, Associate Vice President of HR Talent Management at The George Washington University, addresses the question.

As the piece outlines: “The question on employers’ minds is whether or not well-being programs have an impact on employers themselves. Take any of these four benefits and the answer is a resounding ‘yes.'”

Writes Kosky: “The broad consensus of most practitioners is that organizations investing in resources to improve the well-being of its workforce will reap the benefits of a more productive, engaged workforce than would be the case if these programs were not offered. To determine the overall impact on employers, we have to understand the benefits realized by offering a robust portfolio of well-being programs.”

The four benefits outlined in the piece include:

• “Providing an avenue for relieving stress: Properly designed well-being programs can provide a range of options to help employees better cope with the competing demands of work and life.”
• “Offering tools and resources to mitigate health risk: Well-being programs, such as smoking cessation resources, biometric screenings, etc. demonstrate commitment of providing resources to help people become healthier and less susceptible to long-term medical conditions.”
• “Building a sense of community: There may be no better retention approach than for an employee to have a best friend at work. Providing social well-being opportunities allow employees to connect with people and build trust across the organization.”
• “Impacting the bottom line: Well-designed initiatives tailored to the needs of each organization’s workforce will reap the most financial benefits over the long-term.”