Employee well-being goes beyond traditional HR metrics. To build healthier workplaces, HRs must track indicators across mental, physical, financial, and social health. Key metrics include absenteeism, turnover, stress levels, financial wellness, and workplace belonging. By analyzing these with the right tools and acting on insights, HR can design impactful well-being programs that boost productivity, retention, and overall employee happiness.
Happy employees are more productive, stay longer, and contribute more. To track employee wellbeing effectively, HR needs to move beyond old HR metrics and focus on the bigger picture like employee well being and mental health, physical health, and financial security. By measuring the right employee wellbeing metrics, HR leaders can design stronger employee well being programs and initiatives. This not only supports employees better but also creates real examples of wellbeing in the workplace and builds a healthier, happier culture.
Employee well-being metrics are indicators that help HR teams understand how employees are doing in different areas of their lives in physical health, employee well being and mental health, and financial security. These metrics go beyond work performance to capture whether people feel supported, healthy, and balanced, both inside and outside the workplace.
It’s made up of different areas of life that together shape how people feel, perform, and thrive at work. According to leading research, there are five core elements:
Surveys are useful but not enough. Employees may hesitate to share the full truth, or survey responses may miss hidden issues like financial stress, quiet burnout, or underused employee wellbeing programs. To get the real picture, HR should combine surveys with data from attendance, group health insurance claims, benefit usage, and workplace trends. This mix of qualitative and quantitative insights gives a more accurate view of wellbeing in the workplace and helps shape better employee wellbeing initiatives.
What it shows:
High absenteeism is often a red flag for poor employee wellbeing. It can point to health issues, frequent stress, burnout, or even disengagement from work. If employees are regularly absent, it may mean your employee wellbeing programs aren’t addressing the real challenges they face.
How to track:
HR can monitor absenteeism using attendance records, sick leave data, and time-off patterns. Pairing these numbers with wellbeing surveys or group health insurance claims can give you a fuller picture of employee well being and mental health in your workplace.
Why it matters:
When employees leave frequently, it’s often a signal that wellbeing is being overlooked. High turnover may be linked to poor work-life balance, lack of growth opportunities, unmanaged stress, or even toxic workplace culture.
How to track:
HR should monitor monthly and yearly turnover rates, but numbers alone aren’t enough.Process like exit interviews help reveal why employees are leaving, while stay interviews uncover what makes others continue. Together, these insights highlight which employee wellbeing initiatives are working and where improvements are needed.
What it shows:
The Employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS) is a quick way to measure how employees feel about the workplace. It asks one simple question: “How likely are you to recommend this company as a place to work?” A higher score usually means employees are satisfied, engaged, and experiencing good employee wellbeing.
Why it matters:
eNPS is directly linked to overall satisfaction and trust in the company. If scores are low, it may signal problems like poor employee well being and mental health, lack of support, or weak culture. Tracking eNPS regularly helps HR identify early warning signs and take action before issues grow.
What it shows:
Having great employee wellbeing programs like gym memberships, Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs), mental health counseling, or health check-ups isn’t enough if no one uses them. Utilization rates show whether employees are aware of these benefits and feel comfortable accessing them.
Why it matters:
Low usage can mean employees don’t know what’s available, find access difficult, or feel stigma around asking for help especially with mental health support. Tracking usage helps HR improve communication, remove barriers, and design benefits employees actually want.
What it shows:
Consistently high workloads or frequent overtime are strong indicators of stress and potential burnout. When employees spend too much time working, it affects their well being and mental health, reduces productivity, and impacts work-life balance.
Why it matters:
Overwork doesn’t just hurt employees, it also leads to errors, disengagement, and higher attrition. By tracking workload patterns and overtime hours, HR can spot early warning signs of burnout and make changes like flexible schedules, or workload redistribution.
What it shows:
Stress and burnout are critical measures of employee wellbeing. HR can track this using anonymous pulse surveys, a stress index, or standardized tools. These tools give real insights into employees’ emotional and mental state. Many companies are also exploring AI tools in HR to measure stress and track wellbeing more effectively.
Why it matters:
By identifying rising stress levels early, HR can roll out targeted employee wellbeing programs like 1-1 counseling, mental health days, or mindfulness sessions that improve wellbeing in the workplace and reduce long-term risks.
What it shows:
Trends in group health insurance claims are an indirect but powerful indicator of workforce health. A sudden rise in claims may point to underlying health issues, lifestyle problems, or stress-related illnesses that affect overall employee wellbeing.
Why it matters:
By analyzing healthcare costs and claims, HR can spot patterns early and design preventive healthcare such as health check-ups, wellness workshops, or chronic disease management programs.
What it shows:
When employees actively participate in training, workshops, or upskilling opportunities, it reflects their motivation, confidence, and career satisfaction. Growth and development are closely linked to psychological well-being and long-term engagement.
Why it matters:
Low participation in L&D programs may indicate disengagement, lack of motivation, or even burnout. Offering growth opportunities as part of employee wellbeing programs helps improve wellbeing in the workplace and builds a culture where people feel fulfilled and motivated to stay.
What it shows:
A strong sense of belonging and positive peer relationships are key to healthy employee wellbeing. HR can track this through DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) surveys, feedback on workplace culture, and team collaboration patterns.
Why it matters:
Loneliness and lack of social connection are directly linked to poor employee well being. When people feel excluded, it affects motivation, engagement, and overall happiness. A culture of inclusion and belonging boosts trust, strengthens teamwork, and creates real examples of wellbeing in the workplace.
What it shows:
HR can track this through requests for salary advances, use of loan benefits, or participation in financial counseling programs.
Why it matters:
Money worries impact mental health, focus, and even physical health. By offering support like financial literacy workshops, savings programs, or flexible pay options.
Tracking employee wellbeing metrics is only useful if HR knows how to analyze them properly. Here’s how:
By blending tools, numbers, and human insights, HR leaders can uncover what truly drives wellbeing in the workplace and design programs that create real impact.
Employee wellbeing metrics are the future of HR success. The key is not just tracking but consistently analyzing and acting on these insights. By doing so, HRs can design meaningful employee wellbeing programs, improve retention, boost productivity, and create a truly supportive workplace culture.When HR measures what really matters, they don’t just build better policies, they build healthier, happier, and more resilient organizations.
Want to track and improve employee well-being with the right benefits? Schedule a consultation with Pazcare today.
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Wellness strategies that can be implemented in a workplace include corporate fitness plans, flexible work options, wellness webinars, remote work policies, etc.
The four key pillars of wellness include Physical wellness, Mental wellness , Social wellness and Financial wellness
A corporate wellness program is a company-wide initiative that promotes healthier lifestyles, mental well-being, and preventive health through fitness challenges, screenings, counseling, nutrition coaching, and flexible work options.
Yes. They lower stress, improve morale, and build trust—all crucial to keeping your top talent for longer.
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