The number of companies offering their employees health and wellness programs has soared over the past five years, with 66 percent having expanded programs to boost employees' well-being.
That's according to a survey from Robert Half company OfficeTeam, which finds that not only are employers taking more note of employee health and wellness, but employees are noticing their efforts, with 89 percent saying that their company is supportive of their wellness goals.
Among the innovative ways employers are looking to improve their workers' lot in life are some pretty imaginative (and sensible) strategies ticked off by HR managers in their responses. Older strategies, such as having a nurse's department in the office, are fading away while the latest initiatives weren't even glimmers in the eye of an HR professional only a few years ago. They include:
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Paying employees extra money if they don't check work email while on vacation
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Offering on-site exercise, meditation, yoga and healthy cooking classes
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Providing free massages
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Giving workers fitness tracking devices
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Offering on-site personal trainers
"Since professionals spend so much of their time at work, health and wellness programs aren't just nice to have—they are becoming a key factor in employee job satisfaction and well-being," Brandi Britton, a district president for OfficeTeam, says in a statement, adding, "Not offering these benefits can put a company at a disadvantage when it comes to staff recruitment and retention."
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Of course there are some obstacles to working in the office, no matter (or sometimes because of) the perks. One of them is food, with employees saying that food at office celebrations (30 percent) and snacks brought in by colleagues (22 percent) do the most to derail their health and wellness goals. In fact, 44 percent of professionals said they eat healthier when they work from home, with 53 percent of male employees and 55 percent of those aged 18–34 claiming this as a problem; that's more than in any other groups.
In addition, 60 percent of professionals bring their lunch to the office, with 73 percent of women and 75 percent of workers age 55 and older most likely to brown-bag it. And although 54 percent of workers overall like the office candy jar, for 33 percent it's a love-hate relationship. And the same groups are guilty of over-enthusiasm, with 61 percent of male workers and 62 percent of those aged 18–34 particularly fond of raiding its contents.
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