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Why are more businesses increasing their investment in workplace wellness? According to two executives from HERO, “they aren’t doing so just to save on health care costs.”

The authors of a new piece in the USA Today's recent special Employee Well-being Issue are Jessica Grossmeier, Ph.D., Vice President of Research, HERO and co-Author, and Nikki Hudsmith Vice President of Operations, Performance pH. They are co-authors of the HERO Business Leader Survey.

They write: “According to a new survey, more than 90 percent of surveyed business leaders said they believe health has at least a significant influence on workplace productivity and performance. Additionally, 41 percent of business leaders said health has a significant influence on employee engagement with their work, which is a key contributor to broader business results.”

To make a program successful, however, requires a new focus from employers. They should help create a “culture of health.”

For business leaders, that means “striving to offer a comprehensive workplace wellness program that supports employees at all levels of the company and that is anchored by a supportive culture.” They also should “understand that a comprehensive program is much more than an incentive; it’s about policies, day-to-day practices, workplace norms and offering behavior change activities that appeal to and are accessible to all employees.”

But building a true culture of health means more than just offering activities. It means that the leaders should be personally involved — even if that means offering an encouraging environment.

Grossmeier and Hudsmith write: “All levels of management should understand and participate in the company’s wellness program…  To foster a healthy culture, management at all levels need to encourage and allow employees to make healthy choices, whether that’s taking stretch or exercise breaks or simply making time for lunch and mental health breaks away from their desk or work station.”