94% employees stay in high-wellness workplaces driven by trust and action: Study
A new Great Place To Work India study has found that employee wellness improves retention and performance. It says 94% of employees will stay at a workplace driven by trust and action. The report shows trust in leadership and consistent actions are key drivers of workplace well-being.
Employee wellness at work is no longer just about gym memberships or wellness programmes. A new study by Great Place To Work India has found that the real difference comes from something much simpler and harder to deliver consistently: leaders doing what they say they will do.
The research shows that when leadership follows through on commitments, employee wellness rises sharply, and so does retention.
In fact, employees who experience strong wellness at work are far more likely to stay, contribute ideas and perform better across roles.
WHEN WORDS MATCH ACTIONS
One of the strongest findings of the study is the impact of leadership consistency.
Whether managers actually act on what they say accounts for 13% of overall wellness experience. Along with that, the feeling of “I can be myself here” emerged as the biggest driver, contributing 27% to overall wellness scores.
The study suggests that workplace well-being is shaped less by surface initiatives and more by daily behaviour inside teams. Employees who feel supported in a genuine way are not only happier but also more productive and engaged.
IS WELLNESS LINKED TO RETENTION AT WORKPLACE?
The most striking outcome is the effect on retention.
Employees who experience wellness at work are nearly twice as likely to stay with their organisation.
Overall, 94% of employees in high-wellness workplaces say they intend to continue working with their employer, compared to just 44% in workplaces where wellness is low.
This gap shows how strongly well-being is now linked to loyalty and long-term commitment, rather than being treated as a secondary workplace benefit.
WHO FEELS IT MOST
The report also highlights uneven experiences across groups.
Women and employees with 2–5 years of tenure reported a wellness score of 82%, lower than other groups.
These same groups also showed lower confidence in leadership follow-through, reinforcing the link between leadership behaviour and employee experience.
PERFORMANCE FOLLOWS WELL-BEING
Balbir Singh, CEO, Great Place To Work India, said, "Burnout, particularly among younger employees, continues to demand attention. Data shows that when employees experience low burnout, they are 12 times more likely to feel able to innovate."
He added, "Well-being is not a benefit; it is the foundation of a high-trust, high-performance culture."
The study shows a clear pattern across organisations. At Best Workplaces, 86% of employees report strong wellness, 87% feel supported in learning and development, and 86% look forward to work daily.
MORE THAN JUST WELLNESS
The impact goes beyond happiness. Employees with high wellness are far more likely to go beyond their roles, adapt quickly to change and contribute new ideas.
Innovation participation reaches 95% in high-wellness workplaces, compared to 58% where wellness is weak.
The findings point to a simple truth: wellness is not an add-on. It is directly shaped by leadership behaviour, and it drives retention, innovation and performance when done right.