Steering corporate wellness into 2026

Boudine Henningse, Executive: Operational Effectiveness, Ariston Global

If we are serious about “steering the future” of work in 2026, we cannot treat wellness as a once-off activity that happens when the calendar runs out. It has to be part of how we run the business in January and July, not only in December.

The data is clear. South African employees are not coping

South Africa was already facing a mental health crisis before the Covid-19 pandemic. Recent updates show that depression affects more than 27% of South Africans, and approximately one in six adults lives with anxiety, depression or substance use challenges. In the workplace, the picture is just as concerning. Local data suggests that around one in three South African employees suffers from burnout.

In 2024, the South African Federation for Mental Health reported that about 13% of employees live with a diagnosed mental health condition and that more than a third of working South Africans experience excessive daily stress. Gallup’s latest insights indicate that 36% of the South African workforce experiences high daily stress, and more than 70% are disengaged or actively disengaged at work.

These numbers are not abstract. They show up in absenteeism, presenteeism, mistakes, safety incidents and customer experience. Globally, Gallup estimates that low engagement costs the economy $8.9tn, or about 9% of global GDP. When we leave wellness until the last quarter of the year, we absorb these costs for 11 months and hope a single intervention will undo the damage.

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Why year-end wellness does not work

There are at least four reasons why a “fix it in November” approach is not enough.

First, it is reactive. Wellness days and once-off workshops often arrive after peak periods, restructures or major change initiatives. By that time, people have already formed coping habits, some healthy and some harmful. Intervening only when teams are already depleted is the equivalent of servicing a fleet of vehicles only when they break down.

Second, it sends a mixed signal. When the only visible wellness activities happen at the end of the year, employees learn that well-being is a reward for surviving pressure, not a core part of how work is designed. That undermines psychological safety. People are less likely to speak up earlier in the year when workloads become unsustainable.

Third, it ignores how stress actually behaves. For many sectors, Q1 and Q2 are just as demanding as year-end. Think of financial year closes, peak sales cycles, regulatory deadlines or academic calendars. If we wait for December, we miss the moments where early intervention would have prevented the crisis.

Fourth, it disconnects wellness from performance. Wellness is not a soft, nice-to-have benefit. It is a driver of productivity, quality and retention. Global data shows that disengaged employees experience higher stress and are more likely to report negative daily experiences. Treating wellness as an annual event rather than a year-round capability means we leave performance on the table.

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Trends that make 2026 a turning point

Three forces are making it impossible to leave wellness planning to year-end.

The first is the rising visibility of mental health risk. New data from workplace health studies in South Africa shows a concerning increase in mental health risk cases between 2018 and 2023, across both men and women. It is more widely accepted that untreated mental health issues affect concentration, decision-making and relationships at work. Employees are also far more willing to name burnout and to vote with their feet if they feel unsupported.

The second is tension around return-to-office policies. Globally, the proportion of workers required to be in the office regularly rose to about 75% in late 2024, up from 63% in early 2023.

Research from business schools and organisational psychologists warns that compulsory return-to-office mandates can increase stress and burnout, particularly for employees with caregiving responsibilities or long commutes. What may look like a simple occupancy plan on paper represents a profound shift in daily life for employees.

The third is the cost of disengagement in a low-growth environment. South African organisations are trying to do more with less in a fragile economy. When over 70% of the workforce is disengaged, the ability to execute strategy, innovate and serve customers is directly at risk. In this context, a year-end wellness initiative is not a strategy; it is a band-aid.

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What a year-round wellness strategy looks like

A more strategic approach to wellness does not necessarily mean bigger budgets. It means shifting from a calendar of events to an integrated, year-long plan.

Some practical building blocks include:

• Start with listening, not logos. Use pulse surveys, focus groups and EAP data to understand where stress and disengagement are highest. Different teams may need different solutions.

• Plan wellness in the same cycle as your business strategy. When you set annual targets and budgets, map out the pressure points in the year and pre-plan support. For example, build recovery time after major projects, schedule training before a big change, and reinforce boundaries during key reporting periods.

• Equip leaders, especially middle managers. Many managers feel ill-equipped to have conversations about mental health or to design healthier workloads. Investing in manager capability has a direct impact on engagement and burnout.

• Design for hybrid reality. Whether your people are on site, hybrid or remote, wellness needs to be accessible and inclusive. That means considering time zones, connectivity, caregiving demands and personality differences when designing interventions.

• Broaden the definition of wellness. Mental health support matters, but so do financial well-being, career development and a sense of purpose. Rising living costs are a major source of stress for South African employees. Integrating financial education, supportive policies and fair pay discussions into your wellness strategy can have a meaningful impact.

• Measure impact, not attendance. Instead of counting how many people attended the wellness day, track changes in engagement scores, absenteeism, EAP usage patterns and retention over time.

Steering the future means investing before the crisis

If we truly believe that people are an organisation’s most valuable asset, we cannot wait until they are burnt out before we invest in their well-being. Year-end wellness activities still have their place. They can be a meaningful way to close the year, celebrate teams and reinforce healthy habits.

The real opportunity in 2026 is to move from reactive gestures to deliberate, year-round design. That means asking different questions in the boardroom. Not only “What are our targets?” but also “What will it cost our people to deliver them?” and “How will we protect their energy along the way?”

Corporate wellness is no longer a calendar item for December. It is a leadership choice that shapes whether your organisation is resilient enough to face the future you are trying to steer toward.