By Tre’ McCalister
Employers have spent years building wellness programs: screenings, coaching, mental health resources, incentives, challenges, apps, and campaigns.
Many of those efforts are useful. But research points to something bigger. If we want healthier people at work, we must look at the work environment itself.
What the research tells us
A recent JAMA Network Open study examined more than 14,000 U.S. physicians. Those with a stronger sense of belonging were less likely to report burnout. They were also less likely to plan to reduce their hours or leave their organization.
Another large review examined 88 workplace health reviews and 339 meta-analyzed outcomes. The pattern was clear: interventions addressing mental health, stress, psychosocial factors, and the work environment often showed meaningful impact.
The takeaway: wellness matters, but culture is not a side issue. It is part of the health strategy.
Questions leaders should ask
Before launching the next wellness challenge, leaders might want to ask a few harder questions:
- Do people feel like they belong?
- Do teammates have each other’s backs?
- Do managers create psychological safety?
- Is the workload manageable?
- Does the culture support mental health, or just talk about it?
A healthy foundation for workplace well-being
This does not mean we stop investing in physical activity, nutrition, and prevention. Mental and financial health resources and chronic condition support still matter. Those worksite resources still matter.
But these programs work best when they rest on a healthy foundation. They are much less effective when expected to make up for burnout, poor leadership, low trust, or unmanageable work.
Belonging, supportive leadership, psychological safety, manageable work, and healthy team norms are not just “well-being culture” topics.
They are workforce health interventions.
So maybe the better question is not:
“What wellness program or benefit should we offer next?”
It is:
“What about our work environment is helping people thrive, and what is getting in the way?”
If your organization asked employees one honest question about the work environment, what should it be?
References
Carlasare LE, et al. Sense of Belonging, Burnout, and Work Intentions Among US Physicians. JAMA Network Open. 2026;9(3):e264171. Read the study.
Virtanen M, et al. Effectiveness of Workplace Interventions for Health Promotion: A Quality-Informed Horizontal Analysis of 88 Reviews and 339 Meta-Analyzed Effect Estimates. The Lancet Regional Health – Europe. 2025.
These are the questions I help organizations explore—identifying the work environment factors, resources, and opportunities that support healthier, more sustainable workplaces.