How Employee Wellness Drives PPE Compliance
When PPE fits well and supports employee wellness, workers feel valued, stay protected, and drive a stronger culture of safety, comfort, and compliance across every shift.
- By Janelle Kinnaird
- Oct 13, 2025
Employees don’t resist PPE that keeps them safe, they resist it when it does not fit, its uncomfortable and inadequate and they feel undervalued.
Many industrial jobs and positions require all-day standing - some in one stationary position and others constantly moving - leading to body aches & pains, long-term ailments and fatigue. And when the PPE does not fit, it not only exasperates the issues; it nullifies the protection and the desire or understanding of why to wear it.
MORE THAN JUST WORDS
The solution is an employee wellness program that does not just tritely notify workers of the standard platitudes of eating healthily, drinking more water and getting more exercise, but offers a tangible way to take control of their health.
Typical corporate wellness programs can be out of touch, telling employees what they SHOULD do rather than enabling them with tangible ways to reduce personal barriers like pain, fatigue and discomfort.
Tangible wellness options will empower employees with choice to control their own well-being for a better quality of life outside of work. It will also demonstrate a needed expectation of value of the employee by the employer.
TRUST DRIVES COMPLIANCE
When you provide employees with tangible wellness protection, it not only multiplies safety by enhancing properties of the PPE; it creates trust. Employee trust is instrumental! Trust invigorates performance, productivity, morale and work culture. Trust drives compliance.
When employees know you care for them beyond the accidental incident, beyond the OSHA requirement, that you care to provide constant everyday full body protection that enables them to work at their best and supports their overall wellness, they believe you care and value their contribution to the company. As a result, they feel confident, committed and compliant.
An effective PPE program can easily incorporate employee wellness by providing ways to fit PPE for greatest accuracy as well as tangible products that enhance and improve safety.
THE SAFETY MULTIPLIER OF FIT
Select (elite forward-thinking) PPE providers and programs now offer digital measuring options that prove more accurate than an in-store try-on. Whether for safety footwear, work apparel or any other PPE item, fit is not only important for comfort and compliance, but critical for safety.
OSHA states, “If the personal protective equipment does not fit properly, it can make the difference between being safely covered or dangerously exposed.” When the equipment becomes the hazard, it's no longer personal protection.
Examples of dangers include oversized safety glasses that slip and expose eyes to objects and debris, ill-fitting work boots that cause fatigue and pain that result in a tip and fall incident, baggy work shirt that gets caught in moving machine parts or dips into a chemical bath causing skin exposure.
A program that utilizes digital measuring technology will provide ways for your employees to access the service, either with on-site visits or through personal device applications. Many companies have reported that employees look forward to these events or benefits, saying how their employer is making sure they get the right fit in order to feel great all day long. This increases employee participation in the program and therefore compliance.
THE SAFETY MULTIPLIER OF FUNCTION
Non-mandated wellness products that enhance and improve safety include orthotics or insoles and compression garments.
Custom orthotics are built to relieve pressure, reposition foot tissue, tendons & muscles, and properly position the arch to align feet, knees, hips & back to prevent issues, correct current ailments, and relieve debilitating pain. Naturally, when all is aligned and not excessively working, the body expels less energy and is therefore less tired.
Premium insoles can help reduce muscle fatigue with custom cushion, body-weight pressure and shock absorption and heel support for stability.
Compression is shown to increase blood circulation back to the heart which can prevent blood clots, minimize swelling and reduce pain and fatigue. It also increases the oxygen level in muscles which increases a person's energy level as well as aids in recovery from exertion by preventing soreness.
Compression also keeps muscles warm which enable them to be more flexible and have a wider range of motion, decreasing risk of injury. Some compression products even provide the benefits of a kinesiology taping treatment.
APPLIED RESULTS
Companies that have on-board wellness programs that incorporate accurate fit protection and tangible items such as orthotics and compression have seen beneficial results. For example, a wholesale distributer serving the marine industry reported that employees wearing new shoes and orthotics had increased stamina, greater comfort, better stability and improved to no pain in their knees, hips and back.
Another wholesale distributor in the beverage and alcohol industry had employees report that the orthotics made a huge difference by enabling them to work a full shift without discomfort. Their overall wellness program KPI improvements included reduction in foot-related incidents, lower absenteeism due to faster recovery and better support, and decreased fatigue and presenteeism which contributed to higher productivity.
Managers in both of these industries noticed fewer complaints about foot fatigue and more energy on the floor. They were amazed at what the right fitting footwear could do. The combination of peronsal fitting, orthotic solutions, and compression gear made safety footwear more accessible, comfortable, and desirable and that transformed their program from simply meeting compliance requirements into a valued wellness-focused employee benefit.
SAFETY CULTURE OF CHOICE
The most successful PPE and wellness programs are not just implemented for employees — they’re built with them. When employees have a choice in selecting, testing, and giving feedback on the PPE and wellness products they use every day, they take ownership of the process and its results.
Invite them to share what’s working and what isn’t. Use surveys, small-group discussions, or even wellness champions within each department to identify pain points and solutions. This transforms compliance from a mandate into a movement — one driven by pride and participation rather than obligation.
LET YOUR EMPLOYEES DRIVE
When workers are empowered by comfort, proper fit and functionality, they will drive compliance because they are more likely to consistently wear their PPE, look out for each other, and champion safety culture across teams. Over time, the relationship between wellness, comfort, and compliance becomes second nature — because employees see, feel, and believe in the difference it makes every day.
Ultimately, integrating a wellness solution with a mandated PPE program turns compliance into something far more powerful: a shared commitment to safety, well-being and trust.