Workplace wellbeing is often treated like an optional extra, something to layer on after benefits are sorted and budgets are locked. Maybe it’s a monthly meditation session. A one-off speaker. A discount on a mindfulness app. There’s no employee wellbeing framework, culture, or strategy, just half-hearted (even if well-meaning) attempts.

But when wellbeing feels like an afterthought, employees can tell. And the business results speak for themselves. Research shows that when people feel unsupported or unwell at work, engagement drops. Turnover climbs. Teams miss their targets. In other words, when wellbeing suffers, so does performance.

That’s because wellbeing isn’t a perk. It’s the foundation of how people show up—and how businesses succeed.

At On the Goga, we’ve spent over a decade helping organizations across industries build systems that actually help people feel and function better at work. Not because they launched a trendy program, but because they built a wellbeing system, something that lives in the culture, the structure, and the daily experience of work.

From that experience, we’ve developed a 7-Point Framework that successful programs have in common. Here’s how to create employee wellbeing that delivers results:

1. A Clear Purpose

Companies that succeed with wellbeing know exactly why it matters to them.

That purpose doesn’t have to be flashy. It just needs to be clear, specific, and tied to real business goals. For example, if an organization is struggling with high turnover, and exit interviews cite burnout and overwhelm, that’s not just a people problem. It’s a business problem with a wellbeing solution.

According to the McKinsey Health Institute, employees with better holistic health are more productive, miss fewer days, and are less likely to leave. That makes wellbeing not just the right thing to do. For businesses, it’s the smart thing to do.

When leadership draws that connection between employee wellbeing and business outcomes, trust builds. People start to believe it’s not just lip service. Wellbeing becomes part of how the company operates rather than an extracurricular.

Takeaway: Wellbeing gains traction when it's treated as a strategic priority. That starts with leadership and a clearly defined purpose.

2. A Shared Definition

Ask ten people what “wellbeing” means, and you’ll get ten answers. And that’s okay! As long as the organization has a shared framework to guide the conversation.

For one person, wellbeing means yoga and meditation. For another, it’s having time to pick up their kids or take a proper lunch break. The definition doesn’t need to be narrow: it needs to be structured.

For example, at On the Goga, we use a holistic model with five core pillars: body, mind, connection, purpose, and prosperity. It’s broad enough to be inclusive and flexible enough to support real needs.

Without a shared definition, people disengage. They assume the initiative isn’t for them. Or they’re unclear on what “counts.”

Takeaway: A shared framework brings clarity and consistency, so everyone knows what wellbeing means, and that their experience matters.

3. Opportunities to Learn

Wellbeing isn’t a destination. It’s a skillset, and like any skill, it needs to be learned, practiced, and refined over time.

People don’t need fluff. They need actionable strategies that help them manage stress, improve focus, or maintain energy through the day. A random reminder to “drink more water” won’t cut it.

Learning opportunities need to be practical, engaging, and easy to use for your team. Topics should range to engage each of your defined wellbeing pillars so that everyone has a chance to engage with a wellbeing topic that’s meaningful to them.

This means one-and-done events aren’t enough. Programs need to be consistent, accessible, and year-round for any results to show.

Takeaway: Skill-building is the bedrock of long-term wellbeing. Give people the tools and the opportunity to grow year-round.

4. Cultural Signals

A great program can’t overcome a culture that doesn’t support it. If wellbeing only lives in an onboarding deck or annual town hall, it won’t stick.

What does stick? Small, everyday signals. A manager who takes a walk between meetings. A Slack reminder to take a screen break. A team that actually takes lunch together.

These cues send a powerful message: wellbeing is supported here and it’s safe to participate.

Build year-round programs anchored in monthly themes, with tools for managers and communications to keep momentum going.

Takeaway: Culture is built in the day-to-day. Small, consistent signals make wellbeing feel normal, not risky.

5. Aligned Policies

Even the best culture can’t compensate for systems that work against wellbeing.

If performance reviews reward overwork, if PTO is unclear or unused, or if people are penalized for stepping back, no program will succeed.

An impactful employee wellbeing framework thrives when policies reinforce it. That might mean updating time-off processes, rethinking meeting norms, or training leaders on psychological safety.

Takeaway: Structure matters. Wellbeing programs need supportive policies to survive and succeed.

6. Practical Access

Most wellbeing content is designed for one kind of employee: desk-bound, on a flexible schedule, with easy access to email and Zoom.

But what about frontline workers? Teachers? Contractors? Part-time employees?

A great program fails if people can’t access it. Any programming you offer must be in a variety of formats: mobile-friendly videos, text-based nudges, audio practices, and live or on-demand sessions that actually fit into people’s lives.

Takeaway: Accessibility isn’t optional. Delivery needs to match the reality of your workforce.

7. HR Support

Here’s the truth: most HR teams want to support wellbeing. They just don’t have the time or resources to do it alone.

Coordinating programs, engaging teams, managing vendors, tracking outcomes is a full-time job layered on top of an already full plate.

When building a program and looking at vendors to support or run initiatives, prioritize tools that offer operational support: plug-and-play communication kits, calendars, performance metrics, and a platform that makes execution seamless.

A great wellbeing program shouldn’t be a burden, it should be a lift.

Takeaway: To make wellbeing sustainable, HR needs tools that help them plan, run, and measure the impact without burning out in the process.

Employee Wellbeing Framework Drives Performance

Wellbeing isn’t a “nice to have.” It’s a reflection of how seriously a company takes the humanity of its people and a predictor of how it will perform.

The organizations that get it right don’t just check a box. They build systems. They send signals. They create structure. And most importantly, they make wellbeing a shared reality, not just a stated value.

Because when people feel supported, they show up differently. And when your people thrive, so does the business.

Happy People Do Great Things™. Let’s build the systems that help them do it together. Contact us today to start your journey.

Sources

McKinsey Health Institute, Reframing Employee Health (https://www.mckinsey.com/mhi/our-insights/reframing-employee-health-moving-beyond-burnout-to-holistic-health)

Employee Wellbeing Framework: What Companies Actually Need to Deliver