Ashish KothariMake flourishing your competitive edge

Why wellness programs have zero ROI(Oxford CONFIRMED it)

16 Oct 2026 · 1 min

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1:03

In this concise presentation, Ashish Kothari explains that while 9 out of 10 organizations now provide wellness benefits and investment in mental‑well‑being programs is growing 3‑5% per year, recent research shows these initiatives deliver virtually no measurable return on investment. He cites Oxford’s 2024 study confirming the lack of ROI and highlights a McKinsey Health Institute survey of over 30,000 employees in 30 countries, which found that workplace demands—such as toxic behavior, unsustainable workload, role ambiguity, and time pressures—are seven times more predictive of burnout than any wellness offering. Kothari argues that without redesigning the work system to reduce these demands, wellness programs are ineffective, likening them to “pouring water into a leaking bucket.” The core message is that the root cause of burnout is misdiagnosed; the problem lies in the work environment, not the absence of wellness benefits.

Chapters

9 out of 10 organizations offer some form of wellness benefit. Investment in mental well-being program has been rising at 3 to 5% annually, and Oxford's 2024 research confirms that most of these programs are producing zero measurable ROI. Not because the intention is wrong, because the root causes are fundamentally misdiagnosed. Here is the finding that changes everything. McKinsey Health Institute surveyed over 30,000 employees across 30 countries and found that demands like toxic workplace behavior, unsustainable workload, role ambiguity, work and time pressures are 7 times more predictive of burnout than any wellness benefit you can offer. 7 times. You can address all the enablers in the world, but if you do not reduce the demands, you are pouring water into a leaking bucket. The problem was never that your people needed more wellness. It was that the system they work inside was never redesigned.