Smart choice for employee wellbeing: which type of support is best?

Many organisations now list employee wellbeing as a top priority, yet CIPD’s latest Health and Wellbeing at Work report shows sickness absence has climbed to an average of 9.4 days per employee per year, the highest level in more than 15 years, even as more employers are investing in wellbeing.

Some companies offer gym memberships for staff, access to mindfulness apps; others have a yearly team wellbeing day, while a smaller number of businesses invest in more personalised corporate wellbeing coaching. According to the report, 64% of organisations are taking steps to identify or reduce workplace stress, but only 50% of these believe their efforts are effective, highlighting the gap between activity and impact.

In conversations with HR leaders and CEOs, one theme keeps coming up: there are plenty of employee wellbeing solutions to choose from, but Wellbeing Leads and People Directors are often left wondering which ones are cost-effective and which initiatives can create an impact to reduce stress leave, lower healthcare costs due to prolonged sickness, and improve staff morale and retention long-term. CIPD notes that 75% of HR professionals now feel line managers understand the importance of wellbeing, up from 58% five years ago, and 29% expect their organisation’s wellbeing budget to increase over the next 12 months, so both intent and investment are moving in the right direction.

When it comes to the daily operations, one business might be trialling occasional meditation sessions, while another runs a stress workshop every January, and both still report tired teams, rising sickness and people who experience poor mental health. Hence, a natural question arises: is a corporate wellbeing coach or a series of corporate wellbeing workshops the better fit for your organisation right now?

One interesting trend we are seeing is that the annual spending per employer on wellbeing benefits such as wellness apps, yoga classes and virtual fitness has fallen by 13% since 2022, including a 10% drop in 2024 alone, suggesting some organisations are questioning the return they are getting. We also see more “spotlight” initiatives: a wellbeing week, a health-focused away‑day, or a themed month with a handful of lifestyle talks. These can be very useful for raising awareness and signalling that wellbeing matters. But are companies measuring the outcomes? Are they running the pre- and post- wellbeing event with important evaluation metrics such as sickness rates attributed to stress, changes in employee working patterns, teams’ capacity, motivation and performance indications. etc.

A recent benefits report found that 51% of companies rate employee appreciation of their benefits as only “average” and 21% say it’s “low”, and 62% don’t currently measure the success of their benefits offering at all. Without an important feedback structure in place, employees return to the same overload, long hours, and blurred boundaries, making it much harder for them to apply what they’ve heard or learned at wellbeing events. So the key question should be centred on answering this: “Are our wellbeing initiatives designed in a way that makes change likely to last?”

A corporate wellbeing coach is usually brought in when a company wants results rather than formality. Instead of a one-off talk, they build an ongoing relationship with the business, working closely with HR or leadership teams to create tailored sessions that reflect specific wellbeing goals and ensure maximum engagement. This can also include 1:1 support for senior leaders or key members of staff who may benefit from a more personalised approach. With health coaching sessions structured to take place at regular intervals, there is time to move beyond “what to do” into “how to make this work in our world.”

A single workshop can leave people feeling motivated, but everyday pressures quickly creep back in. With structured Health Coaching sessions, there is a built-in follow‑up: people try something new, report back, and then adapt with guidance. Over several sessions, teams move from “I know I should sleep more and eat better” to “this is the routine that works when I’m travelling” or “this is how we now structure Monday mornings to avoid being overwhelmed.”

Since a Health Coach works directly with your employees, the advice is tailored rather than generic. In the corporate world, I talk to employees living out of a suitcase three days a week, parents balancing hybrid working, and managers who feel responsible for their team’s wellbeing but are running on empty themselves. The common complaint I hear from executives is, “There is no work-life balance. I am just about managing my workload right now”. Having honest conversations with employees shapes my recommendations on the practical changes they can make in their lifestyle so that their health does not deteriorate, and they have the tools to change their daily routine, which helps them protect their resilience.

There’s also a clear shift from awareness to behaviour change. When employees know they will have another session in a fortnight, they are more likely to implement and experiment. They try to leave the office on time, don’t skip their breakfast, or set firmer boundaries around late‑night emails – not as grand resolutions, but as small tests. Over time, these tests become habits, resulting in more energy, fewer crashes and a greater sense of control.

Corporate wellbeing workshops can play an important role in large organisations. They’re better suited when you want to reach a lot of people quickly and make wellbeing part of your culture. Typically, these are short‑series sessions delivered to groups, focusing on topics like stress, anxiety, sleep, or nutrition. When delivered with practical wellbeing metrics in mind, they’re engaging, topical, lively and immediately useful for staff.

Workshops can be particularly effective at starting conversations. Teams who have never spoken openly about anxiety, exhaustion or poor sleep habits affecting their energy levels suddenly realise they’re not the only ones feeling that way. Employees leave with a clearer understanding of what’s happening in their body, being clear where they can change their habits and equipped with practical lifestyle tools they can use straight away. For organisations just starting their wellbeing journey, this can be a great first step toward investing in wellbeing initiatives with real impact.

A corporate health and wellbeing coach tends to be the right choice when you’re aiming for measurable long‑term change. If you’re already seeing patterns like rising stress levels in particular teams, recurring sickness, or difficulty retaining high performers, ongoing coaching gives you a way to address the underlying behaviours rather than offering one‑off fixes.

This option usually suits the organisations that have been having generic wellbeing initiatives for a while and are now ready to invest a little more to see cost-effective changes: leaders modelling healthier habits, teams building sustainable routines, and employees feeling genuinely supported in putting their mental and physical health first.

Corporate wellbeing workshops are often the best starting point if your company are only discovering wellbeing initiatives. The format of workshops is accessible for all staff: they come along, learn useful lifestyle tools in nutrition, exercise, and stress reduction, and take away a few actionable tips. They also allow you to test interest before committing to coaching sessions, for example, attendance and feedback give you quick insight into which topics resonate and where people feel most stuck.

In practice, many organisations use a combination of both options. They use workshops to create awareness across the whole business, then offer coaching as the next step for those who need more tailored support. This can cover all areas of wellbeing, providing practical, personalised help to improve physical and mental health in the workplace.

From both research and lived experience with clients, it’s clear that behaviour change tends to stick when there is repetition, reflection and refinement. People rarely transform their sleep habits or stress management after hearing about them once. They need space to try, adjust and try again, ideally with someone supporting them.

That’s why I place so much emphasis on the regularity of Coaching sessions in my work. While information is essential, it is the ongoing support that turns simple delivery of information into noticeable changes in your staff's health and wellbeing. When you combine initial wellbeing workshops with follow‑up Health Coaching, you get shared understanding plus personal accountability.

At Boost My Energy, we help high‑performing teams move beyond basic wellbeing benefits towards creating habits that genuinely support employees both at work and at home. Our corporate wellbeing services combine corporate wellbeing workshops with ongoing Health Coaching, so you can create a mix that fits your culture, budget and goals.

If you’re unsure whether a corporate wellbeing coach, one‑off wellness workshops or a hybrid approach is right for you, we can review what you already offer and where you’d like to be in 12 months. Get in touch with Boost My Energy to discuss a corporate wellbeing plan for your team.

Stay healthy, be joyful!

Love, Katya