What is "wholebeing"?

Explore the concept of "wholebeing," how it differs from traditional approaches to wellbeing and its signficance in supporting employees in 2024 and beyond.

Employee wellbeing has been on a real journey of change over the past decade. The rise of digitization and globalization coupled with a turbulent economy in the last few years has led to a notable shift in wellbeing norms and employee expectations.

As a result, the wellbeing of employees is becoming a core part of organizational strategy rather than an add-on or a ‘nice to have’ benefit. The goalposts have moved, which can only be a good thing, in my opinion. Employee experience is taking center stage, and HR teams are beginning to view wellbeing as a baseline requirement to fulfill the basic human needs of their people. We’re all starting to take a more holistic approach to employee wellbeing. And while themes like health, physical fitness and mental resilience are still prominent, broader considerations such as connection, belonging and purpose are moving more into the spotlight. 

Which is where the term “wholebeing” comes into play. 

It builds on the approach of developing a holistic wellbeing strategy that supports and benefits employees’ everyday lives, rather than seeing it as a checkbox exercise. So what actually is “wholebeing,” and how can we embrace it in the workplace? 

Defining “wholebeing” 

employee-wellbeing-green-smiley-1-min-1The concept of “wholebeing” takes the total employee experience into consideration, acknowledging that an employer cannot simply separate out ‘employee wellbeing’ as a standalone initiative or benefit. It’s all about the wellbeing of the whole person, and it encompasses everything from financial security to physical health, to intellectual wellness, to connection and belonging, to stress management. 

If I had to distill the concept of “wholebeing” into one sentence, I’d define it as an approach that considers an employee’s whole self and total needs – rather than just their physical or mental health.

A big contributor to wholebeing is employee appreciation. Because employees who feel genuinely appreciated and valued at work report higher levels of wellbeing, greater motivation and an increased sense of purpose. So if wholebeing is the end goal, it's important to ensure employees feel appreciated as a whole person – for who they are, as well as what they do.

How does “wholebeing” differ from traditional wellbeing?

Traditional wellbeing models are usually focused on physical or mental wellness in isolation, and are positioned as an added benefit that is separated from an employee’s daily experience of the organization. But this approach clearly isn’t working. Because despite employee health and wellbeing having been a priority for many organizations over the last decade, 76% of U.S.-based employees reported at least one symptom of a mental health condition in 2023, and and 84% said that work contributed to at least one mental health challenge.

Where traditional approaches have positioned wellbeing as a perk or benefit, the concept of wholebeing is much more integrated and takes into account the total needs of an employee. This kind of holistic approach encourages HR teams to operate in a far broader manner, designing wellbeing and inclusion strategies to be able to proactively support the everyday needs of their people. 

How Reward Gateway | Edenred support wholebeing

Refocusing your employee wellbeing strategy to take a more holistic approach that strives for “wholebeing” is not always an easy task. It’s important to consider the unique needs of your workforce by understanding the priorities of different employee groups across your organization – both inside and outside of work. Developing an employee value proposition (EVP) that meets the needs of a multigenerational workforce is one important step toward achieving wholebeing.   

Introducing a comprehensive employee discounts program that gives your people easy access to everyday savings is another way to address their total needs. Our solution will provide your employees with financial support that enables them to stretch their disposable income further. evp-featured-2

Making recognition a central part of your company culture is another impactful way to support both wholebeing and employee appreciation. We offer a tailored employee reward and recognition program that will support your entire workforce, helping to boost connections and visibility, celebrate daily success and improve employee engagement. 

And, of course, no wholebeing strategy would be complete without a dedicated wellbeing solution that has been designed to engage, educate and empower your people. Our employee wellbeing solution offers multiple unique features that will both support company-wide holistic wellbeing initiatives and enable your employees to set and achieve personal wellbeing goals.  


Learn more about how Reward Gateway | Edenred can help you improve employee wellbeing in your organization and let us help you make your corner of the world a better place to work.

Talk to an Engagement Consultant »