What Employees Want in a Wellness Program

While wellness programs are one of the most sought after benefits in a company, participation numbers are typically low. In fact, a recent Gallup survey shows that only 24% of employees are participating! For most employers, the problem is they’re not offering benefits that employees actually want. To help address this, we scoured Reddit and summarized what employees most frequently request:

Ability to exercise during the work day

Commenters frequently mention the desire to be able to work out during the work day. It makes sense because that’s when energy levels are highest, and it’s a great way for employees to get a quick boost in productivity and mood. So whether it’s providing a yoga instructor, having an in house or close by gym or even just the ability to have a longer lunch break, the ability to exercise during the work day is really important to the average employee.

Gym Reimbursement

Almost every commenter mentioned that they wanted to have either a free gym membership, or some amount of reimbursement for club fees. While a gym membership isn’t necessary to stay in shape, it definitely helps. More importantly, being surrounded by people working out has been shown to be a great motivator. A study published earlier this year by the Public Library of Science found that when given a gym membership, participants were 14 times more likely to meet to meet their fitness goals.

Healthier Food in the Office

Nutrition is arguably the most essential components of wellness but also one of the most difficult to consistently regulate. Eating healthy food is difficult because it can be hard to find and it tends to be more expensive. Users have requested that healthy options be subsidized in the workplace cafeteria, or that there be healthier snack options in break rooms and vending machines. We couldn’t agree more!

IncentFit to the rescue!

It’s not a coincidence that the most requested features of a wellness program are exactly what IncentFit offers. We built our program based on feedback we received from hundreds of employees. Get in touch with us to learn more!