What Every Employee Wants from Workplace Wellness Programs

Comprehensive wellness initiatives are crucial for attracting and retaining top talent in 2025. Workplace wellness programs are also essential to helping companies adapt to hybrid work models to addressing rising concerns about employee burnout and mental health. 

Are you an employer preparing your employee benefits package? Maybe you’re unsure of which benefits add the most value to your company and your employees. Or maybe you’re someone looking for a new job who wants to know the top benefits to look for from an employer.

In this Pacific Prime article, we will explore the key elements employees value in these programs and how companies are successfully integrating them to boost engagement and well-being.

Prioritize Personalization in Employee Benefits

The Employee Benefit Research Institute News suggests that you consult experts to provide a personalized wellness experience for your company. These experts can work with staff one-on-one to create individual wellness, health, and fitness plans.

Personalization within benefits requires that companies communicate with all staff effectively to make sure that any benefits provided are useful and that there are no benefits provided that employees have no interest in. 

Many employers find that over half of their staff never use wellness programs. To boost engagement, it’s crucial to understand employees’ motivations, goals, and desires. Offering personalized options increases participation and ensures the program meets their needs.

Examples of How to Personalize Employee Benefits

While this is far from a standard benefit for a company to provide its employees, Goldman Sachs has gone the extra mile to provide a highly personal perk to a small number of its team members. The company has been providing insurance coverage for gender reassignment surgery since 2008.

Furthermore, Google Health’s AI-powered features assist employees in tracking physical activity, sleep patterns, and mental wellness indicators. The company is also exploring AI-driven early disease detection, allowing employees to take proactive steps in managing their health.

Make Employee Benefits Convenient to Use

Inconvenience often hinders wellness efforts, whether it’s going to the gym, preparing healthy meals, or adjusting daily routines. The same applies to company wellness programs: if participation feels like a burden, engagement drops. To ensure success, companies must make access easy and remove barriers.

For instance, if you have the space in your offices, turning a room into an on-site fitness center is bound to not only keep employees active, but impress any potential work candidates who walk through your doors.

Examples of How to Make Employee Benefits Convenient

Reebok is a company that does a fabulous job of making it convenient for staff to stay fit. Not only do they have an on-site gym at their offices, but they also hire Crossfit trainers to come in and lead sessions.

Moreover, SAP’s Concur Wellness Hub now integrates AI chatbots that guide employees through mindfulness exercises and suggest stress-relief activities. The platform also provides personalized fitness challenges and step-tracking incentives, encouraging employees to stay active while working remotely.

Incentivize Motivation through Employee Benefits

Employers should ensure that the benefits they spend on are used, so having a plan to motivate employees to boost their engagement and overall well-being should be a priority. 

Motivation can come from the company in many forms. For example, employers can take note of exceptional results achieved by employees who made good use of wellness programs as a motivational example to provide to others. 

Beyond this, employers should be sure to have regular reminders of what perks the company provides within their wellness plan and encourage the team to make use of them.

Examples of How to Motivate Employees to Utilize Employee Benefits

Genentech provides motivation for its workers to use their employee benefits by making the benefits highly practical. Perks like childcare, haircuts, carwashes, and more that people would seek out outside of work are offered on-site instead.

Additionally, PwC’s app now offers AI-driven coaching with real-time feedback and personalized wellness plans. Employees can set health goals, track progress, and join company challenges. Gamification adds friendly competition, making wellness initiatives more engaging and motivating for staff.

Include Mental Health Benefits in Employee Benefits

Many companies prioritize physical wellness in benefits packages, but mental health support is rapidly gaining importance. This shift reflects a growing recognition of the need for holistic well-being in the workplace.

Offering mental health benefits shows a company cares about more than just keeping employees fit for work. It signals a commitment to happiness and stress reduction, both in the office and at home. By taking proactive steps, companies foster a healthier, more engaged, and more productive workforce.

Examples of How to Prioritize Mental Health in Employee Benefits

Deloitte offers one-month and three-to-six-month sabbaticals to staff who want to embark on opportunities for personal or professional growth. While they don’t receive full pay during these stints away from the office, the 40% pay provided is still quite generous.

Salesforce supports mental well-being with free virtual therapy, mental health days, and mindfulness programs. Employees receive up to $100 monthly for wellness activities, including mental health apps. Meditation sessions and resilience training help manage workplace stress effectively.

Keep staff retention high with our top 3 non-monetary employee benefits.

Foster a Supportive Company Culture to Maximize Employee Benefit Use

Company culture plays a crucial role in ensuring employees engage with wellness programs. Simply offering perks isn’t enough—companies must create an environment that encourages participation. Without genuine support, even the best wellness initiatives risk being underutilized and ineffective.

If employees feel unable to take advantage of wellness benefits, these programs become a waste of time, money, and effort. Worse, it can lead to frustration among staff who see wellness perks as empty gestures rather than meaningful support, ultimately harming morale and trust in the company.

Remember that work-life balance is important, and people have families to go home to as well as social lives outside of work, so monopolizing their time outside of work with wellness activities is not the way to go. 

As long as a company is genuinely interested in keeping employees physically, mentally, and emotionally healthy and effectively shows this to its staff, the staff will undoubtedly reward the support provided in kind.

When staff feel valued and supported, they are more engaged, satisfied, and productive—a testament to the impact of a strong, employee-focused company culture.

Examples of How to Foster Healthy Company Culture to Maximize Benefit Use

IKEA supports employees with up to four months of parental leave for all staff, including part-timers. They also offer on-site showers, worker-only restaurants, quiet rooms, computer rooms, and gyms, enhancing workplace comfort and well-being, and fostering a supportive and healthy environment. 

Patagonia offers a paid volunteer program, letting employees engage in environmental and community projects. They also provide childcare support, extended parental leave, and wellness stipends, promoting work-life balance and ensuring employees feel valued.

How to Expand Your Company’s Wellness Programs

If you want to explore the possibilities of how your company can expand its wellness programs, as well as other employee benefits, reach out to the helpful insurance professionals at Pacific Prime today! 

Our team is here to create customized employee benefits solutions based on your company’s specific details. We work with a number of the world’s top insurance and employee benefits providers to find the very best solutions for you. 

Get in touch with us and you will quickly receive a plan comparison and price quotation free of charge. Contact us today!

Frequently Asked Questions

How do companies benefit from investing in employee wellness programs?

Companies that prioritize employee wellness see higher productivity, lower absenteeism, and improved retention rates. Wellness initiatives also enhance workplace morale, fostering a positive and engaged workforce.

What types of wellness programs do companies typically offer?

Common wellness programs include mental health support, flexible work arrangements, gym memberships, mindfulness programs, and childcare assistance. Some companies also offer financial wellness resources and volunteer opportunities.

How do wellness programs impact employee satisfaction?

Employees who feel supported in their physical and mental well-being are more engaged, motivated, and loyal to their company. Wellness programs create a healthier, more balanced work environment, reducing stress and increasing job satisfaction.