Has the pace or demands of work ever pushed you to mental exhaustion or caused physical illness? Do you see your team’s productivity and engagement declining and turnover rising due to the challenges your business faces? Are you starting to wonder if it’s worth the stress? You’re not alone in our horticulture industry. In 2025, employee health and wellness will no longer be just a perk but a strategic necessity. With a surge of challenging business, personal, socio-economic, and global events, it’s no surprise that employees are struggling with their physical and mental health, leading to a potential burnout crisis.
Why Wellness Remains Important in 2025
The horticulture industry has experienced notable changes since 2020 introduced us all to the pandemic. This drove the increase in remote work, extreme decline of in-person communication, and over-reliance on social media. These causes led to symptoms of isolation, depression, anxiety, and an entire generation in their formative years, not allowed to learn how to relate interpersonally. Thus, the rise of health and wellness has become a dominant issue.
Multiple studies have shown that anxiety and depression rates have risen steeply since the pandemic. Unfortunately, many companies still treat health and wellness as an afterthought. Failing to prioritize your team’s individual health and employee wellness is destructive and costly. The World Health Organization identified that mental health is costing businesses around the world $1 trillion a year due to lost productivity. The American Psychiatric Association found that employees with unresolved depression experience a 35% reduction in productivity.
Why Invest in Health & Wellness Programs
Investing in and creating programs that support your employees’ focus on topics like employee motivation, stress management, and leadership directly impact wellness. The right strategies will make a world of difference.
A recent SHRM report found that every dollar invested in health and wellness resulted in nearly six dollars returned in cost savings (think lower health care costs due to fewer claims, disability, and workers comp) and productivity.
A study by Harvard Business Review found that companies with high employee engagement are 22% more profitable.
A recent Gallup poll found that only 21% of employees feel their employer cares about their overall well-being.
A clinical study done for Forbes “Live Outcomes Report” showed that employers save $580 per employee engaged with mental well-being tools.
Absenteeism due to mental health issues is up 300% from 2017 per analysis from ComPsych, a mental health service provider.
Improve hiring and retention! Millennials and Gen-Z want to work for companies committed to employees’ total health and wellness. They will tell their friends, improving your company’s brand as a top place to work in the community and industry.
Burnout is real. The lower the stress level, the lower the chance of burnout occurring.
How to Create a Culture of Health and Wellness
Employee wellness has too many times been an afterthought in company’s benefit programs. Have a pizza party, employee of the month, casual Friday, or provide mental health pamphlets. While pizza can be a wonderful coping go-to it does not solve the root of the problems and creates additional physical challenges if utilized too much! To provide our teams a health and wellness program that works in 2025, we must focus on the longer-term behavior these programs can positively influence.
When developing Health and Wellness programs, there are 3 initial steps that are critical to the foundation.
First is recognizing that it is OK to talk about and address mental and physical health challenges as a society, a company, and as individuals. Reduce the stigma surrounding seeking help.
The second is to meet your team where they are at when identifying specific programs. Don’t guess what is needed – communicate with them to listen to their stressors related to their mental and physical health. The magic is matching your programs to your people and your culture.
The third is owners and key management leading by example. This includes budgeting for Health & Wellness programs. A WellHub study found that executives who lead by example increase wellness participation from 44% to 80%.
A Sample of Effective Programs in 2025
- Personalized Wellness Programs. The communication with your team to identify programs that address individual mental and physical needs.
- Work-life balance is not about time off, but flexible work schedules that identify when employees do their best work or have personal responsibilities such as picking up children or caring for elderly parents.
- Training leaders to spot signs of stress so appropriate support can be provided.
- Stress-reducing activities, including Mindfulness and Meditation programs
- Gym memberships or an in-house exercise area
- This one should be easy for our industry – the positive effects of plants at work!
- Health awareness initiatives
- Providing proper rest & recovery – think about your grower and production teams!
- Encourage and provide no-hassle Mental health days
- Virtual Therapy services
- Company or individualized wellness goal challenges
- Mentorship and or buddy programs
- Celebration of employee professional and personal milestones
- Ergonomic chairs, desks, and working conditions
- Incorporating calming or uplifting music
- Technology solutions offered by fitness trackers and apps are designed to de-stress. NOTE: These provide data to help in meeting your employees where they are.
- Relaxing break areas
- Availability of healthy foods
- Financial counseling and coaching provide significant peace of mind
- Group wellness education or sessions, such as yoga.
Employees today are drawn to companies that promote a positive community at work and outside of work. Providing your team not just a physically safe environment but one that promotes an overall mental and physical health atmosphere will lead to comforting magic words both employers and employees want to hear and say – I love my job!
Todd Downing is a Managing Partner for Best Human Capital Advisory Group and leads the Horticulture & Green Industry executive search and advisory services. He has more than 30 years of experience in the industry and a passion for supporting its continued professional growth.
