Why Wellness Programs Fail- and What Really Works

Despite the growing investment in workplace wellness programs, employee morale and satisfaction continue to decline. What’s going wrong? 

🔔 Subscribe & Share this episode if you believe leaders can—and should—create workplaces where people actually want to show up.

 - Wellness Starts with Culture, Not Perks

 - Leaders Must Build Real Relationships—Swiftly

 - High Expectations + High Support = Wellness

🎧 Episode Summary:

Despite skyrocketing investments in workplace wellness programs, burnout, disengagement, and dissatisfaction are on the rise. So, what’s going wrong?

In this energizing and eye-opening episode, Chester Elton and Adrian Gostick welcome Dr. Katina Sawyer, co-founder of Workr Beeing and a leading voice on workplace wellness, leadership, and inclusion. Together, they dive into why most corporate wellness efforts fall flat—and what truly makes a difference.

Hint: It’s not the snacks or yoga.

💬 Favorite Quotes:

“If I hate my coworkers, no amount of yoga is going to fix that.”
 “Being kind and being nice are two different things. It is kind to hold people accountable.”
 “So what? Now what? That mindset shift is how culture begins to change.”

📚 Related Reads from Gostick & Elton:

If you enjoyed this conversation, don’t miss Anxiety at Work, your guide to building high-performing, mentally healthy teams—packed with tools to reduce stress and boost engagement. Available wherever books and audiobooks are sold.

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Until next week, we hope you  find peace & calm in a world that often is a sea of anxiety.

If you love this podcast, please share it and leave a 5-star rating! If you feel inspired, we invite you to come on over to The Culture Works where we share resources and tools for you to build a high-performing culture where you work.

Your hosts, Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton have spent over two decades helping clients around the world engage their employees on strategy, vision and values. They provide real solutions for leaders looking to manage change, drive innovation and build high performance cultures and teams.

They are authors of award-winning Wall Street Journal & New York Times bestsellers All In, The Carrot Principle, Leading with Gratitude, & Anxiety at Work. Their books have been translated into 30 languages and have sold more than 1.5 million copies.
 
Visit The Culture Works for a free Chapter 1 download of Anxiety at Work.
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