HR News Wire: Why the right workplace wellness programme is key for millennials

In this regular column, we explore HR news topics and research. Today, we’re focusing on wellness programmes and how many businesses are failing to meet the expectations of the millennial generation with regards to wellbeing at work. 

No-one will be surprised to learn that personal wellness and mental health is a key concern for millennials, but plenty of organisations have been slow to incorporate this into their organisational culture and benefits offering. To make matters worse, HRM Asia reported in 2024 that 71% of Gen Z and millennials would quit their jobs if their wellbeing wasn’t being supported, and 69% feel they would be more productive if their employer improved their wellbeing. 

With the risk of employee attrition, and the associated costs and upheaval, wellbeing issues must be taken seriously by employers who are keen to retain talent. Wellbeing is a broad term, covering both physical and mental health, as well as financial and social stability, and it is these areas that employers need to address. 

In 2024, an Employment Hero survey of 1,000 Singaporean employees discovered that 68% of Gen Z and 65% of millennials felt burnt out because of work. In a similar vein, in 2025 HRM Asia discovered that 59% of adults in Singapore believe they need more mental health resources and support. 

Unfortunately, research by WTW found a disparity between what employers are offering and what employees need. Where employers are prioritising mental and physical wellbeing, employees prioritise financial wellbeing, with mental wellbeing coming in second place. With half of employees reporting above-average stress levels and nearly half reporting issues in at least two areas of wellbeing, attrition and productivity will suffer if employers don’t address this imbalance.

Addressing employee wellbeing issues before they arise has clear benefits for the business. The WTW survey found that companies with effective wellbeing programmes are twice as likely to report better financial performance and employee outcomes such as higher productivity, greater engagement, lower staff turnover and better attraction and retention of talent. 

Yet despite the clear demand from employees and the evident benefits for employers, over half of HR leaders say that wellbeing benefits are often underused. This points to a communication gap between the offering and the uptake, as 93% of organisations offer such benefits, but only 57% of staff felt their wellbeing was supported by their employer. 

These gaps could be for a variety of reasons: 

• A lack of awareness of the wellbeing benefits on offer
• Stigma around mental health
• Presenteeism and workplace culture 

While millennials – and other generations – are demanding wellness benefits, the pressure is on businesses to ensure that the programmes they provide align with the needs and expectations of their employees. 

While work-life balance is now important for every generation in Singapore, younger employees prioritise purpose-driven, meaningful work while older employees prioritise job security. According to The Independent, 89% of millennials believe that having a purpose in their work is central to their fulfilment and happiness. 

To accommodate these different priorities, businesses need to develop adaptable wellbeing packages relevant to every generation of their workforce. Benefits could include physical wellbeing support such as gym memberships, mental health support such as access to counselling, job security support such as outplacement services, purpose-driven opportunities such as volunteering days, and financial wellbeing programmes.

The most important action the HR team can take is to listen to employees. It can be easy to assume that these issues don’t affect your organisation, or that your established benefits programme is sufficient. But as we’ve seen, there’s often a disparity between what the business provides and what its workforce needs. 

For millennials, their health and wellbeing is non-negotiable. Care of their body, mind, and financial stability is a natural part of their life. As a result, robust wellbeing packages that understand and build on this are key to attracting and retaining the best millennial talent. 

To find out what their workforce wants, businesses can take positive action by conducting a staff survey to find out what wellness programmes would be most welcomed. As every organisation is different, it makes sense to gather input and establish a baseline before taking any major action. 

Whatever the results turn out to be, managers and HR leaders must recognise that wellness programmes are becoming more popular and attractive – and are therefore a common way to position the company ahead of its competition while securing the best workers.

It is crucial for employers to meet the expectations of millennials when developing their wellbeing strategy. They want personalised support that addresses their individual needs, with a breadth of resources to support their all-round health and wellbeing needs. 

The key takeaway from these surveys and research is that businesses need to pay close attention to the wellbeing demands of their employees – especially millennials, who make up one third of the workforce. 

Millennials may prioritise different wellbeing benefits to other generations, preferring a tailored approach over a one-size-fits-all offering. They are more concerned with their whole selves – physical, mental, social, and financial – than other generations, and so expect wellness programmes to accommodate this. 

Failure to include diverse wellbeing initiatives as a priority benefit may mean that organisations struggle to attract and retain key talent, as stress and burnout are cited as top reasons for quitting jobs. By putting the spotlight on wellness, organisations can improve, not only their financial performance, but also their reputation as a great place to work. After all, a happy, healthy workforce will always outperform a sick and disengaged one. 

At Careerminds, we want everyone to feel secure and supported at work. If the unthinkable happens and retrenchments loom on the horizon, employees become stressed, productivity dips, and the company’s hard-won reputation suffers. 

By offering outplacement services, the company can reassure staff that it takes their financial and mental wellbeing seriously. When retrenchments happen, they will be supported in finding meaningful new work with a comprehensive programme covering emotional support, career coaching, CV and LinkedIn profile writing, interview coaching, and online resources. 

Contact us today to find out if we’re the right partner for your business!

Jen David

Jen is a careers writer and CV specialist, with many years’ experience writing for leading careers platforms and her own business, CV Shed. She loves to support job seekers in progressing their careers, whether they’re looking to step up the ladder, take a sideways move, or change career entirely. She writes attention-grabbing CVs that show off her clients’ expertise and their value to a business, helping them to secure new roles quickly.

Jen also writes SEO blog content on a wide range of careers topics, for clients in the UK, US, Singapore and Australia. She has produced over 300 articles to date and also edits the work of other writers. She maintains her own blog to support job-seekers with up-to-date, best practice information on CVs, LinkedIn profiles and other related topics, and has a book available on Amazon Kindle, How to write a CV for the modern job market.