When looking for a job, employees are concerned about the health and wellness perks just as much as other benefits nowadays. What is the reason for that? People want to know that the company they are working for cares about their mental and physical health outside of the workplace. Forbes wrote an article in 2018 about how to create a workplace that supports mental health and a study showed that a group of office workers “want employers to champion mental health and well-being.” Not only was it a small group of individuals but it was three-fourths of the company. The subject of mental and physical health is no longer a high-hugh topic anymore and it is now essential for some people before accepting a position. So what companies stand out for their health and wellness perks?
Genentech
Genentech, a biotechnology company, has been applauded for their health and wellness perks since they made headlines for giving every single one of their employees a Headspace subscription. One of the first perks is called Building 35 which offers a health center, ergonomics lab, and a fitness center. Their website highlights this as one of the top highlights followed by “Building 34 (B34), our campus community center, was designed with four key pillars in mind — wellbeing, sustainability, community, and innovation.” Their company seems to prioritize mental and physical health a lot and takes it seriously.
Lyft
Similar to Uber, Lyft is a self-employed workplace where you can drive your car to drive people to their destinations. However, the health and wellness perks are much better than Uber. A huge bonus to working for Lyft is that they have free access to licensed therapists. Another benefit is unlimited paid vacation time as well as offering Employee Resource Groups to build a community within the workplace even though you work in your car most of the day. To top it off, every employee is given a subscription to Udemy to expand their mind and learn skills!
Clif Bar
Clif Bar is known for their energy sustaining meal replacements and snacks that have sponsored athletes and influencers around the world as well as having motivating TV commercials. With that being said, the health and wellness perks match their brand and the employees are more than satisfied with the company. After working for the company for seven years, they are given a multi-week sabbatical to do as they please every seven years for as long as they stay with the company. On top of that they offer in house services. On their website they state: “We also offer life insurance, disability coverage, and an employee assistance program (free and confidential) for help in dealing with issues that affect life and work. And to help you feel your best day in and day out, you’ll find on-site wellness services, too (think a chiropractor or physical therapist to help smooth out the kinks).” They are also extremely eco friendly and will help you achieve a healthy and well-rounded life to help lessen negative impacts caused by your daily routine you might not be aware of.
Takeaways
These are some great companies to follow and learn from when it comes to health and wellness perks and more companies are starting to realize how important it is to offer things like Genentech, Lyft, and Clif Bar. As we roll into a new year faster than we think, I hope employers will consider adding more benefits and incentives for their employees. Whether it is a biweekly de-stress event where they offer dinner and stress management activities or offering free counseling to all employees. Adding things like this into an employee’s work life can also prevent burnout which will keep your company thriving. There’s also a list here when you can look into workplace wellness programs to incorporate into your workplace or to recommend to your boss!
