The Hidden Cost of Workplace Burnout
In today’s corporate world, success often comes with a hidden cost: the health and wellbeing of your team.
Deadlines, back-to-back meetings, and mounting workloads chip away at focus and resilience, leaving even the most dedicated employees running on fumes.
Recent research from Harvard Business Review reveals a staggering truth: stressed employees who still come to work—known as presenteeism—cost companies over $150 billion annually in lost productivity. And that’s just the beginning.
Globally, disengaged employees cost organizations $7.8 trillion in lost productivity each year. These are numbers no business can afford to ignore.
This is the environment that Zahra Karsan, founder and CEO of GetZENd, has dedicated her career to transforming. In a recent episode on The Financial Guy podcast with Brian Haney, Zahra shared how her groundbreaking REWIRE4Wellbeing™ program is helping leaders create healthier, more productive workplaces—where employees don’t just survive, they thrive.
Why Traditional Wellness Programs Fall Short
Burnout isn’t just a personal struggle—it’s a business crisis.
Many organizations have tried to address employee wellbeing with perks like gym memberships or a couple of therapy sessions each year. While well-intentioned, these surface-level benefits don’t address the whole person or the real challenges employees face day to day.
“We have to provide more than just a gym membership or two hours of therapy per year,” Zahra explains. “Wellness has to address the whole person—mentally, physically, emotionally—if we want our people to thrive.”
The truth is, these one-off initiatives don’t address the root causes of burnout. They fail to account for how chronic stress rewires the brain and body, draining focus, resilience, and performance.
Meet Zahra Karsan: A Leader in Corporate Wellness Innovation
As the Founder & CEO of GetZENd, Wall Street Journal bestselling author, and expert in positive psychology, Zahra has spent over 20 years helping people and organizations rewire for success.
Her approach blends neuroscience, leadership insight, and practical tools to help teams perform at their best.
Through her REWIRE4Wellbeing program, Zahra works with companies to shift from offering wellness as an occasional perk to making it a strategic driver of performance and engagement.
Inside REWIRE4Wellbeing: A Holistic, Science-Backed Approach
How to Measure the ROI of Wellness: KPIs That Matter
REWIRE4Wellbeing isn’t another checkbox wellness program. It’s an integrated system that addresses the four pillars of workplace wellbeing:
- Stress Management – neuroscience-based tools to help employees regulate their nervous system and stay calm under pressure
- Fitness – accessible, time-efficient movement programs designed for busy professionals
- Nutrition – guidance to fuel both physical and mental performance
- Mental Health & Wellbeing – live coaching and mindset training to build lasting resilience
Unlike traditional wellness offerings, REWIRE4Wellbeing is interactive and gamified, keeping employees engaged through challenges, rewards, and progress tracking.
And it’s all delivered through a user-friendly app, making it accessible to every team member, whether they work in the office, remotely, or on the road.
“Wellbeing isn’t just about managing stress—it’s about rewiring your mind and body to thrive.” – Zahra Karsan
How to Measure the ROI of Wellness: KPIs That Matter
One of the biggest challenges in corporate wellness is knowing whether your program is making an impact.
In the Financial Guy podcast, Zahra shared the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) companies should track:
- Reduced absenteeism and presenteeism
- Improved employee engagement scores
- Self-reported gains in energy, focus, and stress resilience
- Enhanced overall health metrics, such as sleep quality and physical activity levels
“Wellness works best when it’s integrated into the culture,” Zahra says. “Start small if you need to, but start. Even small changes in daily habits can create lasting improvements.”
The Proven Impact: Real Results from REWIRE4Wellbeing
Companies implementing REWIRE4Wellbeing have reported:
- Up to 70% reduction in healthcare costs
- 78% weekly engagement from employees
- Measurable improvements in sleep, energy, mood, and focus
These aren’t just nice-to-have outcomes—they’re tied directly to productivity, retention, and profitability.
According to Harvard research, for every $1 invested in wellness programs like REWIRE4Wellbeing, companies can expect a $3 return in productivity.
Choosing the Right Wellness Program for Your Organization
When evaluating corporate wellness solutions, Zahra recommends looking for programs that are:
- Science-Backed – grounded in proven research
- Comprehensive – addressing multiple aspects of wellbeing
- Measurable – with clear KPIs to assess progress
- Engaging – designed so employees will actually use them
“Your program should meet employees where they are, give them the tools to succeed, and fit seamlessly into their workday.”
Creating a Culture Where Teams Thrive
Imagine a workplace where employees arrive energized, collaborate with focus, and end the day feeling accomplished instead of depleted.
That’s not a fantasy—it’s the reality companies can create when they make wellbeing a core business strategy.
With REWIRE4Wellbeing, Zahra is helping organizations worldwide build cultures where people perform at their best because they feel their best.
Take the Next Step
If you’re ready to explore how workplace wellness can transform your team, start with Zahra’s latest podcast episode. You’ll hear practical strategies, inspiring stories, and science-backed insights that could change the way you think about employee wellbeing.
🎧 Listen to the Podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify
📄 Learn More About REWIRE4Wellbeing
