Employee Wellness Terms
Absenteeism in the Workplace
Absenteeism is repeated or habitual missed time away from work due to health or illness, beyond normal allowances for vacation and approved leave. General HR practice defines absenteeism more broadly as any habitual absence. At WebMD Health Services, we focus specifically on health-driven absence, consistent with our evidence-based, whole-person view of well-being.
Financial Wellness
Financial wellness is the ability to meet current and ongoing financial obligations, absorb an unexpected expense, feel secure about the financial future and make choices that support quality of life. Many employers equate financial wellness with retirement planning. At WebMD Health Services, we take a broader view, focusing on the foundational, everyday needs that shape how employees actually experience their financial lives.
Health Coaching
Health coaching is a personalized, one-on-one partnership with a trained coach who helps individuals set goals, build habits and sustain behavior change over time. Many employers equate coaching with disease management or a self-guided app. WebMD Health Services delivers human-led Health Coaching matched to each participant's needs, health risk level and readiness to change, grounded in an evidence-based, whole-person approach.
Presenteeism in the Workplace
Presenteeism is being at work, on-site or remote, while unwell, distracted or depleted by a health issue, and therefore not fully productive. Traditionally, employers define presenteeism as working while physically ill. WebMD Health Services takes a broader view that includes mental health and burnout. The common theme is health. Productivity loss that is not health-driven is not presenteeism.
Wellness Incentives and Rewards
In the wellness industry, there’s a difference between an incentive and a reward. A wellness incentive is any desirable object an individual anticipates receiving for completing a behavior, meant to entice and motivate. A reward is any desirable object received after completing a behavior, designed to recognize and compensate. An incentive becomes a reward once earned.
Employee Engagement Terms
Employee Engagement
Employee engagement is the extent to which one is emotionally, cognitively and behaviorally invested in their work. Employees are actively engaged when all three components are high and aligned. They care about their work, think carefully about it and act on that investment. Engagement is a measurable driver of organizational outcomes, not a soft aspiration.
Psychological Safety in the Workplace
Psychological safety is a climate where people feel safe enough to take interpersonal risks—speaking up with ideas, asking questions, sharing concerns and admitting mistakes—without fear of punishment or embarrassment. The concept was popularized by researcher Amy Edmondson. At WebMD Health Services, we view psychological safety as a core element of caring for the people who make an organization work.
Behavioral & Mental Health Terms
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
An Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is a voluntary, confidential, employer-sponsored benefit that provides free assessments, short-term counseling and referrals to help employees address personal and work-related challenges. This benefit is distinct from health insurance, broader well-being programs and standalone mental health benefits.
Employee Burnout
Employee burnout, defined by WebMD Health Services, is a prolonged state in which an employee feels emotionally drained, negative about work, unable to make an impact and overwhelmed by workload. It is distinct from everyday stress, employee experience and well-being. Burnout reflects sustained exposure to workplace pressures across four measurable dimensions, not a single hard day or short-lived setback.
Corporate Wellness Program Terms
Biometric Health Screening
A biometric health screening is a short, confidential assessment that measures key health indicators, which help identify risk factors for chronic conditions. It's not a full physical, a standalone lab draw or a wellness program on its own. Think of it as an evidence-based, whole-person checkpoint.