Smiti Bhatt Deorah is the COO and Co-founder of AdvantageClub.ai.
For a long time, workplace well-being was seen as a set of benefits. Health checkups, gym memberships, doctor consultations, mental health support, maybe a few wellness sessions throughout the year. All of this has value. Employees appreciate it, and companies should continue investing in it.
But there is one gap we don’t talk about enough: Benefits don’t automatically become habits.
A company may offer fitness programs, nutrition sessions, mental health support or health checkups, but if the underlying behavior doesn’t change, follow-through stays low.
That is the real challenge. Organizations are spending on well-being, but healthy habits are not always sticking. And if habits don’t stick, well-being remains an initiative and never becomes a lifestyle.
The Habit Gap In Workplace Well-Being​
This gap shows up clearly in the data. Gallup’s “State of the Global Workplace 2026” report found thriving rose only slightly in 2025, from 33% to 34%, while stress stayed high at 40% and engagement hit its lowest level since 2020. Follow-through is the missing piece here.
​Most health outcomes are not shaped by one big decision. They are shaped by small choices repeated every day. Sleep, movement, food, stress management, preventive checkups, hydration, screen breaks, recovery, financial discipline, social connection—these are all habit-led behaviors.
This is why the future of workplace well-being has to move from “We offer benefits” to “We also help employees build habits.”
A benefit is available when someone chooses to use it. A habit becomes part of daily life. And that is where the real impact starts: lower health risk, better energy, fewer sick days, stronger engagement and a workforce that feels supported in a very practical way.
Financial discipline is a good example of how far this gap can stretch. PwC’s “2026 Employee Financial Wellness Survey” found that 59% of employees are stressed about their finances, with 85% of Gen-Z reporting that it hits their mental health and for 71%, their productivity. A company can offer financial wellness tools, but unless employees build the habit of using them consistently, the underlying stress and its impact on work continue regardless.
Why One-Size-Fits-All Does Not Work
The mistake many organizations make is assuming that one wellness solution will work for everyone.
One employee may be motivated by a step challenge. Another may prefer yoga or a nutrition plan. Someone else may be juggling elder care or childcare stress at home, while another simply needs a gentle reminder to book that overdue health checkup.
Some respond to community. Some respond to private goals. Some need coaching. Some need convenience. Some need rewards. Some need flexibility. If the program assumes everyone has the same motivation, same schedule, same health risk and same life stage, adoption will naturally remain limited.
What Personalization Really Means
I find personalization is often misunderstood as a name in a message or a well-timed reminder. Real personalization means understanding what an employee needs and making the next step easier.
For one person, that may mean a beginner fitness challenge. For another, it may be a nudge toward a doctor’s consultation after a checkup flags early risk or mental well-being support during a stressful period. Good personalization doesn’t overwhelm with options; it simplifies choice. It says: “Here are the two or three things that may help you right now.” That is much more powerful than giving employees a long list of benefits and expecting them to figure everything out on their own.
​The Benefits Of A Company-Wide System
Individual habits and company-wide systems must work together. Healthy habits are personal, but they don’t grow in isolation. The company system matters. If benefits are scattered across multiple apps and vendors, employees will drop off because the experience is too fragmented.
Employees need choice, nudges, reminders and easy access. Organizations need a unified system that brings physical, mental, financial and social well-being into one experience. They also need visibility into what is working: which programs employees are using, where adoption is low, which cohorts may need support and where preventive action can reduce future risk.
When both sides come together, well-being becomes easier to adopt and easier to sustain. McKinsey Health Institute research shows that organizations integrating well-being into leadership practices, performance management and organizational design report up to 20% to 25% higher productivity, along with measurable reductions in burnout-related costs. The gain comes from integration itself, not from any single program in isolation.
What Good Habit-Building Looks Like In Practice
The best habit programs are small, sustainable and easy to repeat.
A 10,000-step challenge may work for some teams, but for others, a “move for 15 minutes daily” challenge may be more realistic. A full diet overhaul may feel difficult, but adding a healthy breakfast habit may be doable. A long meditation program may feel intimidating, but a three-minute breathing break during the workday can become a starting point.
The goal is not perfection. The goal is consistency.
This is where technology can play a useful role. It can help employees discover relevant options, track progress, receive timely nudges and stay motivated through small milestones while bringing multiple wellness partners into one platform instead of scattered apps for fitness, OPD, diagnostics, mental health and family care. My company is one among many building platforms like this.
The Road Ahead
Well-being works when it fits into life. And habits stick when the system around them makes the healthier choice easier, more personal and more repeatable.
Preventive wellness makes business sense, not just human sense. Healthier employees are more energetic, engaged and consistent, and preventive action lowers escalation, improves retention and builds trust.
The next phase of workplace well-being will not be defined by how many benefits a company offers. It will be defined by how many employees are actually able to use those benefits to build better habits.​
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