Perceptyx’s Center for Workforce Transformation has released a comprehensive new guidebook, Employee Health & Well-Being: A Guidebook Series for Listening and Action, that brings together years of Perceptyx research, client success stories, and evidence-based strategies to help organizations build cultures where employees thrive.
This practical resource combines insights from our ongoing Workforce Panel and Perceptyx's 2025 Benchmark Database — comprising millions of global respondents — to provide actionable frameworks that HR leaders can implement immediately. Inside, we discuss a number of our most interesting findings. For example, employees who intend to stay at their organizations are 2x as likely to feel their organization cares about their health and well-being. That insight, along with dozens of other data points and strategies detailed in the guide, shows why forward-thinking organizations are moving beyond surface-level wellness perks to embed health and well-being into the core of their employee experience.
In this overview, we'll explore key insights from the guidebook, including the real costs of neglecting employee well-being, proven strategies for building a supportive culture, and how to measure the impact of your initiatives. The full guidebook provides detailed implementation plans, survey templates, and additional case studies to help you transform these insights into action.
The guidebook paints a nuanced picture of workplace well-being today. While roughly 70% of employees feel their organization cares about their health and well-being, and 3 in 4 report they are able to balance their work and personal lives, there's a concerning gap: around 35% report neutral or unfavorable perceptions when asked whether their stress levels at work are manageable.
This disconnect between organizational caring and actual stress management shows that good intentions alone aren't enough. Organizations need systematic approaches to employee listening and action to close these gaps.
Employee health and well-being is a business imperative, not just a nice-to-have benefit. Our research shows that when employees experience lower work-related stress, they are 1.4x as likely to report high life satisfaction compared to those who experience work-related stress more frequently. This isn't just about happiness — it's about performance, productivity, and retention.
We've identified four critical mistakes organizations frequently make:
Our research has identified several evidence-based strategies that organizations can implement to create meaningful change:
We've found that engaged employees are 1.3x as likely as less engaged employees to report having the resources they need to do their jobs effectively. Three critical resources drive both employee engagement and well-being:
Our data shows employees who report having at least some level of autonomy are 1.2x as likely to feel their organization cares about their health and well-being. When employees have the highest level of autonomy, this jumps to 1.5x as likely.
Psychological safety — the ability to share thoughts, suggest ideas, and take smart risks without fear of negative consequences — forms the foundation of workplace well-being. Our data reveals that employees who feel their organization cares about their health and well-being are 2x as likely to report feeling safe to openly express their opinions.
In psychologically safe workplaces, employees experience:
We've identified a critical gap: only 69% of employees agree that they receive recognition for their accomplishments. Meaningful recognition goes beyond making employees feel good. It also helps them understand how their work contributes to something larger.
Our research shows that employees whose work allows them to contribute to something meaningful are 1.5x as likely to have high life satisfaction as those who do not feel their work allows them to contribute to something meaningful.
Employee well-being isn't static. It evolves throughout the employee lifecycle. We recommend tailoring your approach to five critical Moments that Matter:
We've developed a comprehensive measurement framework for tracking well-being initiatives across three levels:
Employee Sentiment Indicators measure immediate perceptions through pulse surveys and other listening tools:
Group-Level Indicators show near-term impact through HR metrics:
Outcome Indicators demonstrate long-term value through business metrics:
We've worked with organizations that have successfully transformed their approach to employee well-being:
Each success story demonstrates how organizations can adapt these strategies to their own culture and challenges.
Organizations that embed well-being into their culture don't just retain more employees; they unlock the full potential of their workforce.
Beyond the insights shared here, our complete guidebook includes:
The data is clear: employees want to work for organizations that genuinely care about their well-being. And when organizations deliver on this expectation through systematic, strategic action, both employees and businesses thrive.
Download the complete guidebook for all the detailed strategies, benchmarks, templates, and action plans you need to build a comprehensive well-being strategy.
To see how Perceptyx can help you implement these strategies with our People Insights Platform and expert guidance, schedule a demo with a member of our team. And don't miss future insights on building better employee experiences — subscribe to our blog for the latest research and strategies from Perceptyx's EX experts.