Two-thirds offer financial wellness, physical health programs
When it comes to employee well-being, mental health programs (offered by 74 per cent of employers) are most popular, followed by financial wellness (65 per cent) and physical health (63 per cent) programs.
And organizations are covering at least some of the cost for these physical and financial programs (51 per cent each) and mental (64 per cent) wellness resources, found a survey by Robert Half.
Broken down, among those employers that do offer these programs, 50 per cent pay for the mental wellness programs, 40 per cent pay for physical health programs and 38 per cent pay for financial wellness, found the survey of more than 1,000 HR managers and more than 2,000 workers in Canada and the United States.
The most valued wellness offerings include fitness facilities or programs (24 per cent), ergonomic evaluations and equipment (22 per cent) and incentives for engaging in healthy behaviour (18 per cent).
Flexible work schedules or telecommuting options (50 per cent), paid parental leave (47 per cent) and employee discounts (42 per cent) are the most common perks offered at companies.
Additional rewards
In addition, 71 per cent of companies plan to provide incentives, such as bonuses, profit-sharing and spot awards, in the year ahead.
And many employers expect to increase the dollar amount (43 per cent) or frequency (41 per cent) of these rewards, while 33 per cent anticipate adding new offerings in this area, found Robert Half.
"Companies must be responsive to evolving standards for work-life wellness if they hope to attract and retain talented teams," says David King, senior district president for Robert Half.
"Employees are looking for benefits that go beyond conventional health plans to include more unique options, such as retirement planning and stress management courses, that support them both personally and professionally."
"Seek feedback from your staff to ensure you're offering the perks and benefits that resonate with them," says King. "Remember to include performance-based incentives that recognize individual successes, which can go a long way to keep employees feeling valued and motivated."
