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According to the 2022 Employee Benefits Survey published by the Society for Human Resource Management, approximately 46% of employers categorize employer-provided wellness benefits as either "very important" or "extremely important," but important nonetheless.
In addition to SHRM's survey, a 2022 report put forth by Wellness Labs pointed out the fact that the popularity of wellness benefits will lend to employers who are more enticed to invest in wellness programs for their employees.
However, what are wellness benefits? And how do you know which wellness benefits you should offer to your employees? A great place to start is by analyzing current wellness benefit trends.
Trends surrounding wellness benefits
The Wellness Labs report claims that employers are beginning to invest more and more in these eight wellness categories:
On-site testing for COVID-19.
Risk intake evaluations for COVID-19.
COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters.
Financial support and wellness.
Mental health services.
Mindfulness and meditation practices.
Stress management and assistance with resilience.
Telemedicine opportunities for remote care.
In no particular order, companies seem to invest the most in these four categories:
Telemedicine opportunities for remote care.
Mental health services.
Stress management and assistance with resilience.
Mindfulness and meditation practices.
Alternatively, smaller investments are usually made toward these five categories of wellness benefits:
Biometric screenings.
Complementary healthy food options.
Health-related workshops and fairs.
On-site, in-person fitness and exercise classes.
On-site or close-by clinics.
It is important to note that there are industry reports with documentation that indicates mental health, stress management, financial wellness and telemedicine are considered top-tier wellness trends. For example, a 2022 Robert Half report states that the aforementioned trends are four of the five workplace wellness trends worth watching — the fifth one is flexibility.
Wellness benefits more companies are starting to offer
Now, let's take a look at some of the up-and-coming wellness benefit offerings that employers are extending to their employees within the realm of mental health, financial health and caregiving support. All these offers are also intended to minimize the rates of burnout among employees.
The following data is taken from the 2022 Wellness Labs report. A percentage accompanies each wellness benefit, and it indicates the rate of employers offering wellness benefits to their employees.
Mental health
Employee assistance programs: 62%.
Digital health tools: 46%.
Education: 43%.
Flexible work schedules: 35%.
Caregiver benefits: 22%.
Financial health
Education: 84%.
Digital financial tools: 70%.
Retirement planning: 56%.
Coaching: 37%.
Student debt assistance: 31%.
Caregiving
Flexible work schedules: 62%.
Remote work or telecommuting: 58%.
Caregiver-provider referral services: 40%.
Paid time off: 27%.
Child care service subsidies: 26%.
Counseling services: 26%.
Burnout
Mental health resources: 86%.
Flexible work schedules: 73%.
Engagement activities: 32%.
Collective days off: 20%.
Recognition programs: 19%.
Wellness program considerations for your business
When trying to determine whether you should offer wellness benefits to your employees, as well as which benefits you should provide as an employer, there are certain details worth considering, including the following:
The individual needs of employees and their family members.
Demographics of the workforce, such as age and gender of employees.
The projected utilization rates for each wellness benefit.
Wellness benefits your company's competitors offering.
Any probable effects of the wellness benefits in terms of attracting talent and retaining current employees.
The costs associated with the wellness benefits, such as administration costs.
The amount that you can afford to pay for the wellness benefit you're thinking about offering.
Furthermore, a 2022 Zippier report claimed that roughly "52% of U.S. companies offer wellness programs." Even though that percentage is barely in the realm of being the majority, wellness benefits are continually trending upward, which means it is likely that more and more employers will start offering wellness-related benefits.
As time goes on, you can work with FIC Human Resource Partners' Nuance Culture Consulting and continue to analyze trends as a way of better understanding the current employee wellness benefit landscape and how these perks relate to your business.