More companies are putting wellness benefits on their list of perks. And more employees want them.
But what exactly are wellness benefits?
“There is physical wellness, which is gym access, on-site massages, standing desks or health snacks,” said Trey Barnette, at staffing firm Robert Half’s D.C. office.
“It could be financial wellness, such as student loan repayments or retirement planning sessions. And lastly, it could be mental illness such as stress reduction or other employee assistance programs.”
In the Washington region, by far the most appreciated wellness benefit is a gym.
“A lot of people are working late hours or dealing with their commute home. A lot of buildings now have gym access or employers have a gym that their employees can go to,” Barnette said.
Even if the gym is not in the building, one in eight large employers now pay the full monthly price for workers’ off-site gym memberships.
