Designing employee wellness programs in hotels: a prioritized resource framework

Purpose This study aims to examine how employee wellness programs (EWPs) function in high-demand service environments, addressing the limitation that prior research assumes wellness resources automatically improve employee well-being. Design/methodology/approach A four-stage mixed-methods design was adopted, including literature review, expert content validation, Fuzzy Delphi analysis with 28 experts and a survey of 507 hotel employees analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling. Findings A six-dimensional EWP framework comprising 26 validated indicators was confirmed. The results show that EWP dimensions are not functionally equivalent but operate within a structured system. Organizational resources, particularly healthcare support and health management policies, play a foundational role, while other dimensions contribute to recovery and longer-term development. The findings suggest that the effectiveness of wellness initiatives depends on employees’ capacity to use available resources. Research limitations/implications By integrating conservation of resources theory with the well-being-as-capability perspective, this study reframes EWPs as a capability-enabling system that emphasizes resource usability rather than mere provision. Practically, hotels should prioritize foundational organizational resources before expanding other wellness initiatives, using the proposed three-stage implementation roadmap to guide strategic investment and promote sustainable employee well-being. Originality/value This study provides a mechanism-based explanation of how wellness resources function in practice, offering a more nuanced framework for understanding employee well-being in the hospitality industry.