3 Wellness Myths That Are Holding Your Team Back
In the Philippines, workplace wellness is more than a buzzword—it’s becoming a business priority. Yet many HR leaders still unknowingly cling to outdated ideas of what “employee wellness” means.
Did you know 87% of Filipino workers report experiencing work-related mental health issues like stress or fatigue? With numbers like that, simply ticking the wellness box isn’t enough. It’s time to debunk the most common wellness myths and adopt smarter, evidence-based approaches that truly help our teams thrive.
Below, we bust three pervasive misconceptions about workplace wellness and show how you can build a healthier, more engaged Filipino workforce.
Myth #1: Wellness Is Just Gym Perks and Sportsfests
“We give gym passes and hold a sportsfest — wellness done, right?”
It’s a common assumption, especially in the Philippines, that wellness means fitness perks like Zumba, step challenges, or one-off fairs. But this mindset misses the bigger picture.
True wellness is holistic — it includes mental health, emotional support, work-life balance, and even financial well-being. And while gym benefits are great, they don’t address the silent struggles many employees face.
📊 Over 54% of Filipino workers report declining well-being, and 1 in 10 is already in a mental health crisis. Add to that the cultural stigma (“hiya”) around mental health, and many employees choose to stay silent, even when they’re overwhelmed.
New DOLE guidelines now require companies to implement mental health policies — because yoga sessions alone won’t cut it. We need programs that offer counseling, stress management, and psychological safety.
The smarter approach? Build a holistic wellness program that includes mental health support, emotional resilience workshops, financial literacy, and flexible work arrangements.
A smarter approach:
Go holistic: Wellness should cover physical, mental, emotional, and even financial well-being. That means adding things like stress management talks, counseling access, or mental health days.
Create safe spaces: In Filipino culture, stigma (“hiya”) often keeps employees from speaking up about anxiety, burnout, or emotional fatigue. Destigmatize these conversations by normalizing mental health support.
Support your leaders too: Managers and supervisors are often the first line of defense when an employee is struggling. Equip them with the right tools to recognize burnout and lead with empathy.
💡 How BetterThrive can help:
Our Mental Wellness Solution includes expert-led talks, guided stress management sessions, and practical strategies designed to help Filipino teams build emotional resilience and psychological safety. Book a discovery call today!
Myth #2: Wellness Doesn’t Affect Productivity
Many leaders dismiss wellness as a “fluffy” extra, believing work should come before activities like yoga. However, wellness is a vital driver of productivity, engagement, and retention. When employees are physically or mentally unwell, they simply can’t perform at their best.
📊 Key Facts:
Depression and anxiety cost the global economy about $1 trillion in lost productivity each year.
In the Philippines, 85% of employees have considered scaling back work and 68% have thought about quitting due to poor well-being.
On the flip side, engaged teams boost profitability by 23%, and a well-designed wellness program can deliver an ROI of $2–$3 for every $1 invested.
Ignoring wellness leads to burnout, high turnover, and lost productivity. Instead, when wellness is prioritized, companies see reduced absenteeism, lower healthcare costs, and improved performance.
What You Can Do:
Make the Business Case: Gather and present data—like absenteeism, engagement scores, and local stress statistics—to secure leadership buy-in.
Integrate Wellness Into Performance: Incorporate well-being into your strategic goals and recognize managers who actively support their teams.
Lead by Example: Encourage senior leaders to model healthy behaviors, like taking mental health days or joining wellness sessions.
💡 How BetterThrive can help:
BetterThrive’s evidence-based programs—from resilience workshops to leadership training on empathetic management—are designed to embed well-being into your organization’s DNA. Healthier employees mean better performance and a stronger bottom line. Book a discovery call today!
Myth #3: A One-Size-Fits-All Wellness Program Works for Everyone
Many HR teams launch a single wellness initiative — a team-building day, a webinar, or a step challenge — and hope it works for everyone. But here’s the reality: wellness isn’t one-size-fits-all, especially in diverse Filipino workplaces.
From fresh graduates to working parents and senior staff, employees have different needs depending on their life stage, lifestyle, and stressors. A new hire might be anxious about budgeting; a middle-aged employee might need nutrition coaching; a parent may value flexible hours over fitness perks.
📊 A study published in the Philippine Journal of Labor and Industrial Relations emphasized that wellness programs are more effective when they’re tailored to employees’ age, health status, and interests — and that generic initiatives often fall short.
Filipino employees are more likely than global peers to seek mental health education at work — but generic programs still dominate. If your wellness strategy hasn’t evolved beyond fruit baskets and fitness contests, you’re likely missing the mark.
How you can manage:
Start by listening: Use quick surveys or check-ins to ask employees what support they really need.
Offer flexible options: Create a wellness menu with fitness activities, counseling access, nutrition talks, and financial literacy — let people choose what fits them.
Keep improving: Track participation and feedback, and be ready to adjust. What worked before may no longer resonate.
💡 How BetterThrive can help:
At BetterThrive, we custom-build wellness programs based on your team’s real needs — not assumptions. Our modular solutions let you mix and match talks, sessions, and resources that resonate with every kind of employee.
