Abstract Introduction Companies are struggling with the costs of absenteeism due to their employees’ physical and increasing psychological illnesses. At the same time, employers should recognize the value of healthy employees in terms of greater productivity and the development of positive organizational attitudes. Many organizations have implemented workplace health promotion (WHP) programs; however, we still have limited knowledge about the effectiveness of various measures. The present study examines 18 WHP activities and their effect on employees’ perceived health support and actual absence rates. Methods I organized 112 German companies into four groups based on their subjective (employee perception of health promotion) and objective (absence rate) performance. Applying multinomial regression analysis, I assessed a company’s likelihood of falling into one of the four clusters if a specific measure is not implemented in it. Results Five measures were identified that significantly differ between company clusters: healthy food offerings, sports offerings, having fitness rooms, systematically evaluating WHP programs, and smoking cessation courses. Discussion Sports courses and fitness rooms not only give employees the chance to improve their physical and mental health but also fulfill social needs by enabling contact with other colleagues. Companies should inform their employees about health topics and make them aware of their own health behavior. Moreover, health managers should carefully implement interventions and follow strategies not only to ensure high participation rates but also to evaluate the interventions systematically. Conclusion Investing in occupational health management can be a strategic asset for organizations. It shows that employers can enhance employee well-being by using simple WHP activities. *The full article will be published in the International Journal of Workplace Health Management, DOI 10.1108/IJWHM-08-2023-0118.