Most companies approach employee wellness with good intentions but the wrong tools. In this episode, Bob Merberg argues that true well-being isn’t about perks, apps, or incentives—it’s about the structure of work itself. If organizations want healthier, more engaged, and more productive employees, they need to start by changing how the work gets done.
Think your wellness program is working because you’ve got fruit in the break room and a mindfulness app on everyone’s phone? Think again.
In this episode of State of Work Today, I talk with Bob Merberg, a seasoned expert in workplace wellness, about what companies are getting wrong—and what they need to start doing differently. This conversation challenges the common, surface-level approach to employee well-being and replaces it with something more honest, evidence-based, and impactful.
From Fitness to Organizational Psychology
Bob’s journey into the world of employee well-being didn’t start in an HR office—it started in fitness and journalism. He studied exercise physiology and community health before working in corporate wellness for large organizations like Paychex and the University of Rochester. Over time, he noticed something troubling: many well-being programs weren’t addressing the real sources of stress and disengagement.
That realization pushed him toward organizational psychology. Today, Bob focuses on helping employers connect the dots between employee well-being, business outcomes, and how work is actually designed.
The Problem with Wellness as a Perk
Right out of the gate, Bob and I tackle a big myth: that wellness can be “solved” with quick perks—apps, step challenges, fruit in the break room. Bob doesn’t dismiss these entirely, but he’s clear: they’re not the solution. He puts it simply:
“The most important thing an employer can do to support employee well-being is provide good, healthy jobs.”
That means jobs with fair workloads, autonomy, social support, and psychological safety—not just free yoga classes. Employers often focus on what’s easiest to implement instead of what will actually make a difference.
There’s also a misplaced emphasis on getting employees to change their behavior—eat better, exercise more, practice mindfulness—while ignoring the environmental and organizational factors that make healthy choices difficult or even impossible. According to Bob, the bigger lever is changing the work itself.
If your goal is to reduce burnout, increase retention, and actually support employee well-being, ask yourself: are you asking employees to change while leaving the job unchanged?
Takeaway #1: Focus on Job Design, Not Just Perks
Throughout the episode, Bob emphasizes job design as the cornerstone of employee well-being. He points to decades of research showing that when employees have autonomy, manageable workloads, and supportive managers, they perform better and feel better.
He breaks it down into key factors of a “healthy job”:
· Autonomy: Employees need some control over how they do their work.
· Social Support: Positive relationships with managers and peers.
· Fairness and Organizational Justice: People want to be treated equitably.
· Meaning and Purpose: Workers are more resilient when their jobs feel meaningful.
· Psychological and Physical Safety: Feeling secure on the job is foundational.
Bob argues that these aren’t “soft” perks—they’re structural necessities. If these elements are missing, no number of meditation apps will solve the problem.
We talked about an example from Bob’s consulting work: a manufacturing company whose employees were working up to 21 straight days without a break. The leadership had good intentions and were investing in wellness programs. But the real problem wasn’t lack of wellness resources—it was the work schedule. Once that changed, everything else became more effective.
Takeaway #2: Behavior Change Shouldn’t Be One-Sided
Too many wellness programs focus on getting employees to change—lose weight, sleep better, eat healthier—without addressing the role the organization plays in creating the conditions for well-being.
Bob shared how behavioral wellness solutions (apps, incentives, fitness challenges) are often seen as the “easy” route. But in reality, they put all the pressure on the employee and ignore how work itself might be driving stress, disengagement, or burnout.
We explored how employers often say they “can’t” make changes—can’t reduce workload, can’t increase flexibility, can’t improve social support. But Bob calls that out as organizational inertia. It’s the same resistance they expect employees to overcome. If employers want to promote well-being, they have to look inward and be willing to change too.
That said, Bob isn’t against behavior change entirely. He believes in supporting healthy behaviors—especially when the environment makes those behaviors easier. But he warns against seeing them as the main solution.
“People behave healthfully when they’re in a healthy environment where that’s the norm and that’s the default.”
Takeaway #3: Burnout Isn’t Just Tiredness—It’s Structural
Burnout is often misunderstood. Bob explained that real burnout isn’t just being tired. Technically, it’s a combination of emotional exhaustion, cynicism, and a feeling of inefficacy—all caused by chronic workplace stress.
While perks might help with temporary exhaustion, they don’t address burnout unless the workplace stressors change. That means:
· Better workload management
· Clearer expectations
· More control over work
· Supportive leadership
· Fair treatment
He introduced the concept of job embeddedness, a framework that explains why people stay at jobs, not just why they leave. It includes:
· Links (relationships at work and in the community)
· Fit (how well the role aligns with someone’s strengths)
· Sacrifice (what a person would give up by leaving)
This model is more predictive of retention than simple job satisfaction. If companies want to keep people engaged and reduce burnout, they need to strengthen those links, improve job fit, and create real reasons to stay.
On Sabbaticals, Rest, and the Fear of Being Replaceable
Later in the episode, we discussed the idea of sabbaticals. Bob believes they’re not as radical as they seem. If a company falls apart because one employee takes a break, that’s not a sabbatical problem—it’s a structural one.
Still, we explored some of the fears employees have. What if stepping away makes me seem replaceable? What if the company realizes it can operate without me?
Bob acknowledges those fears, especially in environments where layoffs are common and trust is low. But he also emphasizes that rest matters. If your workforce is exhausted, a sabbatical—or even just time off that’s actually used—isn’t a luxury. It’s a necessity.
He makes another key point: companies already prove they can manage without people when it comes to family leave in other countries. So if the infrastructure can be built for that, it can be built for sabbaticals too.
What Can Leaders Do Differently?
We wrapped up the conversation by talking about where leaders should start if they want to make real changes in employee well-being. Bob’s answer?
Talk to employees.
Not just surveys. Real conversations. Focus groups. Listening sessions. Get into the details of what’s driving stress, dissatisfaction, or burnout.
And don’t assume the same solution fits every organization—or even every department. Bob pointed out that too many leaders chase universal “fixes” like engagement software or perks without first understanding the root causes of employee frustration.
A more effective approach? Combine employee feedback with evidence-based practices. Focus on job design. Support managers. And above all, be willing to make hard organizational changes—not just offer easy perks.
Final Thoughts
This episode cuts through the noise of corporate wellness programs and challenges companies to stop chasing surface-level fixes. The truth is simple: real well-being starts with the work itself. When employees feel seen, supported, and respected—and when their jobs are structured in healthy, sustainable ways—they thrive.
As Bob put it, “You can’t yoga your way to well-being.” But you can build a culture that truly supports your people—if you’re willing to do the hard work of changing the system.
Three Big Takeaways:
1. Wellness isn’t about perks—it’s about job design. Focus on autonomy, support, fairness, and meaningful work.
2. Behavior change needs a supportive environment. Stop expecting employees to change in isolation.
3. Burnout is structural, not personal. Fix the systems causing stress, not just the symptoms.
Listen to the entire podcast here.
