It should come as no surprise that a healthy and happy employee is a more productive one. This is why many employers are looking to employee wellness programs to help their team members build healthier habits to improve both their physical and mental health. However, getting employees interested in taking advantage of these benefits means considering their needs and what gets them excited to participate.
For a list of perks, policies and initiatives that might spark the interest of your team members, consider the following suggestions from the business leaders of Young Entrepreneur Council. Here, they recommend ideas they themselves have implemented or have seen succeed in the workplace and discuss why they believe employees are so excited to take advantage of these benefits.
1. ‘Brain Health Days’
One perk or initiative that employees might be genuinely excited about in a company wellness program is “Brain Health Days.” These are additional paid days off that employees can take to focus on activities that promote self-care, stress reduction, mental and emotional well-being and overall whole-body wellness. Leadership should set an example by taking Brain Health Days too. Share suggestions and resources for self-care activities that employees can engage in during their Brain Health Days. This could include mindfulness exercises (e.g., breathwork, yoga, meditation), physical activities, creative pursuits or simply spending quality time with loved ones. Taking a day off is not enough; knowing what to do when you have a day off is key to a successful and restful Brain Health Day. – Dr. Christine Manukyan, STORRIE Institute™
2. Special Interest Groups
One subtle but effective way to drive participation and engagement is to encourage your team to create groups for people with similar hobbies and interests. For example, our employees have formed book clubs, knitting groups and other small collectives. We even have a group of employees who track their water intake together because they all felt like they weren’t getting enough. When you encourage people to engage with each other in this way, bonds are formed over similar interests and values. Put it all together and you have a happy workforce that is free to talk about things they like outside of work while at the office. – Daman Jeet Singh, FunnelKit
3. Reimbursement For A Monthly Book Purchase
One perk that I’ve seen get a great response is reimbursing each employee for a new book each month. It was left deliberately open-ended, though several life and business books that were a good match to the company culture were recommended. Some employees bought the recommended books, and it drove some great discussions in the workplace. Other employees just used the benefit to get a new book for their child every month, and they often talked about how much they loved that benefit. – Matt Doyle, Excel Builders
4. A Pet-Friendly Environment
A simple but effective way to create engagement and make employees happy is to have people bring well-behaved pets to work. That is, create a pet-friendly environment with the agreement of virtually anyone who comes to the office. You can do this on specific days or times, and having pets come to work makes things more interactive and fun. It can also be a powerful reason for people to stay loyal to a business. So, consider making pet-friendly initiatives a way to get employees excited. – Syed Balkhi, WPBeginner
5. An Individual Wellness Allowance
I believe in personalized wellness experiences for everyone at Velvet Caviar, so one effective policy is offering an “Individual Wellness Allowance.” Employees can invest this allowance in fitness classes, meditation apps, healthy meals and other things that resonate with them personally. This personalization promotes active engagement, as it respects individual needs and preferences, creating a happier, healthier workforce. – Michelle Aran, Velvet Caviar
6. Donation Funds For A Cause Of Their Choice
We have found a lot of success in providing each employee with funds to make a donation to a cause closest to them. It is a small gesture from the company as part of our community outreach program, but it allows people to share who they support with us. People appreciate the concept, and it helps out an organization they have a passion for. – Zane Stevens, Protea Financial
7. A Budget To Create Their Ideal Work Environment
If you’re looking to revitalize your company wellness program with a perk that’ll make employees jump for joy, trust me, nothing beats letting them build their workspace oasis. Embrace uniqueness, promote well-being and watch your team thrive like never before! One-size-fits-all just doesn’t cut it when it comes to productivity and well-being. So, we went the extra mile to ensure our employees had everything they needed to create their dream workspace, and we let them build it as they desired. Whether someone needs a standing desk, a funky beanbag chair or a desk adorned with cute potted plants, they get it! We provide a budget for each employee to curate their ideal work environment. – Pratik Chaskar, Spectra
8. Wellness Challenges
A fun perk to include in a wellness program is “wellness challenges.” These challenges can be team-based or individual competitions or milestones. There can be activities such as step challenges, meditation streaks or healthy recipe contests that switch off every month. These challenges introduce friendly competition and camaraderie that help strengthen a company’s culture. Additionally, incorporating rewards or incentives for participants or teams who successfully complete the challenges adds an extra element of motivation and excitement. – Jennifer A Barnes, Optima Office, Inc.
9. A ‘Learning And Experience’ Stipend
One of the most impactful perks I’ve seen is the “Learning and Experience Stipend.” Allocate a yearly budget—say $1,000—for each employee to spend on courses, workshops or experiences that contribute to their well-being and personal growth. It’s not just about gym memberships or yoga classes. Allow them to pick up a painting class, learn a new language or even take a culinary course. The ROI? You get an engaged, enriched and more versatile team. People don’t just want to work—they want to grow. Make your company the platform where that growth is not just possible, but celebrated. It’s an investment in their holistic development, and it pays back in loyalty, creativity and morale. – Idan Waller, BlueThrone
10. Group Yoga And Meditation Sessions
We host group yoga and meditation sessions both virtually and on-site, which we’ve found is a great way to combine wellness with team engagement. The sessions are completely optional and, because it’s offered in-person and online, enable people across geographies to easily participate. We also give a budget to team members who want to organize and lead their own wellness sessions. Not only is it fun, but we’ve found it promotes a stronger culture in our organization. – Nanxi Liu, Blaze.tech
11. ‘Flex Time Fridays’
In order to drive participation and engagement, companies can introduce “Flex Time Fridays.” Under this program, your employees are allowed to have a half day off every Friday. But to make use of this benefit, they will have to complete their goals by Friday morning. This will not just generate excitement, but it will also encourage employees to work more efficiently throughout the week. – Thomas Griffin, OptinMonster
12. Week-Long Company Wellness Retreats
Create advocacy around personal wellness through a week-long corporate wellness event or a company retreat where wellness advocates use presentations, cooking contests and fun fitness classes to instill healthy habits. This may include personalized health coaching for team members and the opportunity to explore specialty services like reiki, acupuncture, different massage therapies, sound meditation, breathwork sessions, forest walking and yoga activities. Inspiring venues like lakefronts and forest settings help create an atmosphere where team members feel more connected to nature, can let go of their professional roles and engage fully in wellness programs with their body and minds, increasing productivity, boosting mental health, reducing stress and making it enjoyable. – Brian David Crane, Spread Great Ideas