Wellbeing improvement firm Healthways and management consultancy Gallup have developed a research-based wellbeing measurement tool for use by companies to provide a more holistic method for increasing employee wellness.

Gallup and Healthways have highlighted that an overwhelming majority of wellbeing programmes are focused on physical wellness, but few dedicate time or energy to other key elements of wellness.

Designed to measure and track the entire wellbeing of individuals and organisations, the Gallup and Healthways Wellbeing 5 tool defines the five essential elements of wellbeing as: purpose – liking what you do each day and being motivated to achieve your goals; social – having supportive relationships and love in your life; financial – managing your economic life to reduce stress and increase security; community – liking where you live, feeling safe and having pride in your community; and physical – having good health and enough energy to get things done daily.

Respondents can then be classified as thriving, struggling or suffering with each element, according to how they rate that particular facet of wellbeing in their lives.

In the US, 28 per cent of adults aged 18 and older are not thriving in any of the wellbeing elements, while 7 per cent are thriving in all five. According to Gallup, this means that for every adult maximising their wellbeing potential, there are 13 who have significant room for improvement in one or more elements.

Suggestions provided by Gallup and Healthways about how to create a wellbeing culture include maintaining a sustained commitment to wellbeing, and not treating wellness-focused initiatives as occasional flavour-of-the-month programmes. Employees should be encouraged to internalise what wellbeing is and how they can benefit from it, the firms suggest. Rewards and incentives should be available for employees meeting wellness goals, and employers should continually test the effectiveness of wellness programmes.

Previously, a Global Spa & Wellness Summit panel gave their advice on setting up employee wellness schemes in Spa Business 2012 Issue 3.