Wellness programs are about more than gym stipends and free massages.
Today, workplace health and wellness refers to a company’s ability to improve employee physical, mental, and financial health. These programs go beyond traditional medical, dental, and vision benefits by filling coverage gaps and addressing specific needs like adoption assistance and financial planning programs.
Employers budgeted record amounts for wellness in 2020, especially for mental health. John Fawkes, a wellness program consultant, has seen a significant shift in how his clients’ expectations have evolved, especially this year. They’re adopting a broader, more holistic definition of workplace health and wellness.
“If anything, this past year has proven how important employee mental health is. In some instances, it rivals physical health,” Fawkes said. “They’re all intertwined. We know employees struggling with depression, anxiety, financial stress are more likely to suffer from a range of health issues.”
What benefits should you offer?
In addition to conventional wellness programs like gym stipends and discounts, companies are increasingly turning to holistic benefits like nutritional counseling and fertility benefits. The latter has grown popular in recent years, with nearly a third of employers offering some kind of fertility benefit today. In 2016, just 24% of the companies provided them.
While there are hundreds of potential offerings to choose from, some include:
- Autism coverage
- Cancer care and counseling
- Childcare cost-sharing programs
- Employee assistance programs (EAPs)
- Fertility benefits, including reimbursement and support through IVF, genetic testing, and egg freezing
- Financial planning resources
- Gym reimbursements and discounts
- Maternity and return-to-work benefits
- Meditation and mindfulness programs
- Paid parental leave
- Smoking cessation assistance
- Surrogacy assistance
- Telehealth
- Transgender specialized health support
- Yoga classes
Whatever you choose to offer, workplace health and wellness programs need to reflect your company’s culture and employees’ needs. HR experts recommend taking workplace demographics, generational diversity, and even geography into account when tailoring your wellness program.
“For starters, different people have varying support needs. For instance, a single parent with a toddler faces different hardships than dual-parent households with high school-age children. Others who live alone might need a different sort of support,” said Jagoda Wieczorek, HR Manager at ResumeLab.
In advance of open enrollment each year, Wieczorek recommends surveying employees on which benefits they’d value the most. Because respondents won’t always know what’s available, ask open-ended questions like, “Aside from the cost of living, what is your greatest financial hardship?” Answers to broad questions like these can give you telling insights.
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