As workplace well-being gains attention, a quieter reality persists: Many professionals still hesitate to speak openly about their health. Whether it’s chronic stress, emotional fatigue, or ongoing medical conditions, employees often manage in silence, not due to lack of need, but because health is still viewed as a personal matter, not an organisational responsibility.
Health should not be a private burden. The future of work must be built on systems and cultures that promote health equity, not unintentionally penalise illness. Supporting recovery is important, but enabling wellness before issues escalate is vital.
When health challenges are handled quietly, the ripple effects are hard to ignore: absenteeism rises, productivity dips, burnout deepens, and retention suffers. According to an ekincare report, employees aged 46+ are less likely to use mental health services, even as they report higher stress. Stigma and fear of judgment play a major role. In high-performing environments, this silence—however well-intended comes at a cost.
In a high-performance culture where admitting illness feels risky, silence becomes costly for people and performance alike.
Health insurance is now a standard benefit across many organisations. But it’s just the starting point.
Real employee wellness needs more than reactive treatment. What’s often missing:
- Preventive care integration
- Regular mental health check-ins
- Tailored support for lifestyle and chronic conditions
- Tools to identify early signs of burnout
The gap is not just financial; it’s emotional and structural. Intelligent, data-led programmes that personalise care and make it easier for employees to act early are what actually drives impact.
Here’s what companies must do to create safer, more inclusive, health-forward cultures:
- Rethink health from fallback to foundation:Â Stop treating benefits as insurance and start embedding care into the workplace. Preventive programmes, daily mental wellness support, and integrated health touchpoints should be part of work, not an add-on.
- Invest in wellness as a business lever:Â As per the 2024 World Economic Forum, companies that invest in employee well-being report 21% higher productivity and 32% stronger engagement. These results come from well-designed, integrated programs, not one-off wellness apps.
- Tailor support systems by industry and role: Sectors like health care, logistics, and startups need solutions such as dedicated mental health coaches, in-app emotional well-being check-ins, and AI tools for early burnout detection. Off-the-shelf solutions won’t cut it; tailored programs provide meaningful, timely help.
- Activate peer-led wellness communities:Â While formal programmes like EAPs are essential, informal peer groups for working parents, caregivers, or those with chronic conditions can be just as effective. Organisations that support these communities see mental health satisfaction rise by over 20%.
- Measure what matters:Â Burnout indices. Real-time feedback loops. Engagement dashboards. These tools aren’t just metrics; they’re commitments to act. They show that well-being is being taken seriously, not symbolically.
According to Gallup’s 2024 report, nearly 70% of Gen Z and millennials in India would leave a job that harms their mental health, even if the next one pays less.
That’s a wake-up call. A workplace that fails to support holistic well-being risks losing its most forward-thinking talent. Forward-looking organizations are already responding. Companies like Infosys have embedded mental wellness counsellors into their HR teams. Tata Steel has rolled out a 24/7 emotional support platform that’s tailored to different employee groups, from frontline factory workers to corporate professionals. Meanwhile, several global capability centers (GCCs) in India are partnering with behavioural health startups to use AI-driven sentiment analysis to catch early signs of stress and fatigue.
Creating a workplace culture that genuinely supports well-being takes more than standalone initiatives. It requires thoughtful integration of preventive care into everyday systems, where mental and physical health are treated with equal importance, and support is accessible, timely, periodic, and relevant.
This approach is gaining steady traction, not as a one-size-fits-all solution, but as a practical response to evolving workforce needs. As organisations adapt to new expectations around employee health, those that invest in prevention and care are better positioned to build resilient teams and long-term value.
This article is authored by Kiran Kalakuntla, co-founder & CEO, ekincare.
