The development and longitudinal evaluation of a wellbeing programme: An organisation case study

Abstract

Wellbeing programmes are often initiated in organisations based on an assumption that they will promote employee engagement and performance.  But the specific elements of a wellbeing programme are rarely evaluated for their efficacy.  This case study reports on the development and refinement of a wellbeing programme at a large multi-site European organisation, analysing the utility of wellbeing offerings and the impact of the programme on employee wellbeing over the course of five years.  Results from two internal surveys were analysed.  The first, conducted at 18-month intervals between 2009 and 2014, evaluated employee engagement.  The second, a tailored wellbeing survey conducted in 2014, measured employee wellbeing and perceptions of the individual wellbeing programme offerings.  A number of key findings emerged: the wellbeing programme was highly regarded and reported to have a positive impact on employee engagement, some elements of the programme were better received than others, and there were significant differences in the wellbeing levels of different groups.  Regression analyses provide evidence for the need to take account of individual employees’ current levels of wellbeing when tailoring a wellbeing programme for them, with current wellbeing predicting up to 11% of the variance in preference for different elements of the programme.  Results highlight some of the complexities that organisations should be aware of when understanding employee wellbeing, including the effect of national culture, job grade and current wellbeing levels.  This case study provides insight into the development of a wellbeing programme and evidence for its positive contribution to employee engagement.