Unlocking ROI Through Physiology: Evidence from 260,000 Employees

Stress management and health promotion programs show an average ROI of 138%

When business leaders think about return on investment, they often look to technology, processes, or strategy. But what if one of the biggest untapped return lies within your people?

A comprehensive meta-analysis of 51 workplace health promotion studies – covering over 260,000 participants across 12 countries – found that interventions targeting physiological stress and wellbeing generated an average return of 138%. For every dollar invested, organizations saw an average return of $1.38.

However, the study also delivered a critical insight: the higher the methodological quality of the study, the smaller the reported ROI. While lower-quality studies reported up to 232% returns, the most rigorous randomized controlled trials (RCTs) actually showed a slightly negative ROI. Why? Because high-quality studies often measure a broader range of costs – and capture only direct, conservative benefits.

Still, the overall conclusion is clear: Workplace wellbeing programs tend to produce positive returns – especially when executed well, designed with care, and evaluated honestly.

At Systemic, we help leadership teams build the conditions where people – and performance – thrive. We use physiological insight and evidence-based practices to support smarter decisions, clearer thinking, and more resilient teams.

Because what happens in the body shapes what happens in business.

Baxter, S., Sanderson, K., Venn, A. J., Blizzard, C. L., & Palmer, A. J. (2014). The relationship between return on investment and quality of study methodology in workplace health promotion programs. American Journal of Health Promotion, 28(6), 347–363. https://doi.org/10.4278/ajhp.130731-QUAN-398