BOSTON, MA AND PORTLAND:Wellness Workdays, a leading provider of corporate wellness programs, completed their 2020 annual retrospective analysis and announced some of the key trends to watch in wellness for 2021.

Based on an analysis of wellness program content across a diverse subset of Wellness Workdays partners, here are some of the key trends to watch in wellness in 2021:

1.      Mental & emotional wellness took the spotlight in 2020, making up 43% of wellness content overall. This is almost double what it was in 2019 (22%). It seems most employers have now recognized the importance of providing support in this area, cementing mental & emotional health as a central focus of employee wellness.

2.       On-site biometric screening events were depressed in 2020 due to pandemic-related restrictions to on-site events. These are expected to bounce back in late 2021 & into 2022.

3.      Nutrition & healthy eating remains a foundation of wellness even under the stresses of the pandemic, comprising about a third of wellness content in both 2019 & 2020.

4.      Holistic wellness programs (addressing multiple wellness topics simultaneously) doubled in 2020, indicating greater focus on a multifaceted approach to health & wellness.

5.       Emerging topics that are on the rise include living green, financial wellness, targeted high-risk programs, & healthy hydration.

“The 2020 year was unique in all aspects, wellness included, which makes the results of our annual retrospective analysis even more compelling,” said Debra Wein, CEO of Wellness Workdays. “Are the changes we saw here to stay, or will some of these trends reverse in 2021? Whether employees are heading back to the office, working a hybrid schedule or working remotely employers are continuing to see an increased need for health and wellness in the workforce.”