As an employer, you’re in a unique position to lead your employees in workplace wellness through their benefits packages. Your benefits package may already have great offerings, like health insurance, dental insurance, a 401 k plan, stock options, and paid time off. But that’s only scratching the surface. Modern employees crave more from their employers. They require benefits that meet them where they are in life – benefits that focus on things like physical and mental health. You could offer well-being solutions that your employees need to lead happier and healthier lives. All you need is a workplace wellness program that…well, works! 

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has reported that employees who participate in workplace wellness programs tend to be more active, more productive, and have better morale than employees who don’t. 

And employers benefit from workplace wellness programs too. Employers who offer high quality wellness initiatives can generally expect a $2 to $3 return for each dollar invested. A Harvard wellness program study found that for every dollar spent on wellness programs, medical costs fall by about $3.27 and absenteeism costs fall by about $2.73. 

It’s no wonder many employers are now providing a wholesome health benefits package to their employees. So how can you provide such a package? Should you create a wellness program from scratch or partner with a wellness vendor?

Expectations for Benefits Packages

Perhaps in the past, your company has successfully assembled a basic employee wellness program. It certainly can be manageable for a company to build a wellness program that addresses one central issue. 

Unfortunately a one-size-fits-all wellness program doesn’t meet employees needs—they are looking for holistic and personalized benefits. Employees will benefit most from a well rounded program that addresses every pillar of health and offers specific guidance for issues they are personally struggling with.  

However, building this level of offerings presents an overwhelming challenge that most companies do not have the resources or knowledge to create.

Difficulties in Building Benefit Packages

To build a successful wellness benefits package, your company needs to have significant resources and knowledge. 

You would have to set aside a team of current employees that can focus their energies on building the new wellness program. This team needs to have significant knowledge of the wide variety of health concerns that your employees face and what resources help address those concerns. If your team does not have this knowledge or enough resources, your wellness program may not meet your employees’ expectations, and they will not use it. 

The cost of building your own wellness program is also significant. It takes a lot of time to build an effective program from the ground up, and it requires several resources. All of these requirements cost—and the costs add up quickly. 

For a good perspective, think of building a wellness package like planning your own wedding. You have only attended weddings and are uncertain what goes into event planning—like finding the perfect venue, hiring a caterer, finding a photographer or decorating the space.

While it can be done, the process can be extremely stressful and demands a significant amount of your time and resources. Ironically, planning everything yourself can sometimes even result in a more expensive wedding! 

 The same is true for a company building its own wellness package. You are uncertain where to start and what exactly you need in the package. Lack of knowledge and limited resources can lead to implementing a very expensive program that is likely to also be ineffective for your employees.  

Benefits of Partnering with a Wellness Vendor

There is a better option though. Your company can partner with a wellness vendor that has the experience, resources, and knowledge to build the perfect wellness program. They can take care of every important detail and ensure that all your wants and needs are addressed. After the vendor assembles your wellness program, you will have a robust benefits package that makes your company highly appealing to current and future employees. 

Going back to the wedding example, the wellness vendor is just like a professional wedding planner. They know the best venues in your area that can accommodate your guest list, which florist has decorated that space before, what photographers have the most experience and which caterer offers the best cuisine for your budget. With their services, a wedding planner can take away the stress  and even save you money so you can just sit back and enjoy your wedding.  

Likewise, a wellness vendor takes the stress away from planning your benefits package, so that both you and your employees can simply enjoy the benefits of a holistic and well-developed wellness program. 

How Peerfit Can Help

Peerfit is the wellness vendor you need. When you partner with Peerfit for your employee’s wellness package, your employees can have access to in-person boutique studios or big-name brand gyms across the United States. This gym membership can encourage your employees to exercise regularly, so they can experience the benefits of exercise and regular physical activity. The in-person experience also creates team-building opportunities and boosts employee morale as the employees can work out together and encourage each other in their fitness journey. 

Peerfit also offers FitOn Health, so your employees can have a digital guide with their wellness program. They can access an app with digitally streamed fitness, nutrition, wellness, mental health, and self-care courses and personal challenges for different wellness themes. Or, they can join condition-specific wellness courses on topics like type 2 diabetes management, musculoskeletal & pain management, hypertension management, weight loss for heart health, and beating burnout. FitOn Health even has courses specifically for older adults. This solution provides the holistic wellness program that your employees desire.

Your company does not need to cobble together your benefits package. Find solutions that meet your needs as well as your employees’ to provide a holistic wellness benefit.