Introduction
It’s no secret—our people make our businesses go round.
As business leaders and executives, we’re only as good as our people. And it’s a fascinating time indeed to be an employer in the labor market. Jobs are being reinvented by new technologies (👋 ChatGPT), remote work is democratizing access to talent, unemployment is low, and uncertain macroeconomic headwinds have businesses running lean. All these factors swirl together to create an environment where great people have many options, and the onus is on employers to earn employee loyalty each and every day.
More and more these days, those same great people expect their employers to not just offer a salary, but to contribute to the employee’s overall wellness—at work and home. From mental & financial wellbeing to physical & emotional health (and beyond!), employees expect their employers to invest in benefits that lead to wellness for their employees.
Famously, Big Tech companies took wellness offerings to the umpteenth degree in the form of massages, nap pods, and on-site dry cleaning, childcare, community gardens, barber shops, acupuncture—you name it, they offered it. But these extravagant offerings, while jealousy-inducing, aren’t reasonable options for the average business’ budget. That’s why we wrote this book.
In just a few pages, we’ll detail 47 benefits any business could begin offering their people this quarter to improve their wellness. Every single one of these benefits is:
- Affordable, usually less than $50 per employee per month.
- Unique, not something usually found in a benefits package. Benefits like insurance, PTO, equity, retirement plans, etc., are amazing—they just didn’t make the cut for this book.
- Meaningful, something that can actually make employees feel like their wellness is taken seriously by their employer
We don’t expect any business to adopt all of these. But we hope one or two will catch your imagination—and you’ll begin exploring new and creative ways to help your people thrive and be well at work.
Let’s dive in,
Ben
- Give away free books
Reading is not only a great way to decompress, but also level up with new skills and perspectives. Many companies, from Buffer to Drift to Goodreads (of course) offer pathways to get free books. A few ways to do this include an in-office library where employees can request new books, giving a Kindle to every employee and allowing them to expense books, or offering a curated shelf of free books that the leadership team thinks would be beneficial for team reading. No matter what path you choose, employees will love that you’re giving them venues to relax, learn, and grow. - Encourage walking meetings
Whether in-person or remotely via video conference, any meeting can be a walking one! Walking meetings allow employees to get some exercise and fresh air while also knocking out a 1-on-1, listening to a group call, or participating in an all-team meeting. This benefit can help to improve employee health and increase productivity by stimulating the brain after hours at a desk. If walking meetings aren’t overtly encouraged or supported by leaders in the group, there may be a stigma that walking while meeting is a cultural “no-no”. Leaders should model the walking meeting when they can, celebrate those who do it and accept the occasional background noise as a small price to pay for all the benefits of getting their workforce on their feet and moving more often. - Hold synchronized coffee breaks
Having solid coffee options in your office is table stakes for most employers—but coordinating synchronized coffee breaks takes your average chat around the water cooler to the next level. By scheduling a group break at a set time, it not only opens up permission to employees to truly take a guilt-free break but also creates a time for connection by colleagues who might not usually see one another. Even just 15 coordinated minutes can lead to greater feelings of belonging at work. - Offer unlimited sick days (separate from PTO)
Being sick is a bummer, but feeling the pressure to work while sick is even worse. When PTO and sick days are commingled in one bucket, employees often feel pressure to work when sick so that they don’t put their vacation days in jeopardy. Companies that want to truly prioritize a culture of wellness should consider offering sick days separate from PTO to ensure that employees can take time off when they're unwell without having to sacrifice their vacation time. - Bring in an onsite yoga instructor
You don’t have to be a big, well-funded tech company to offer yoga or meditation in-house. Find your largest conference room, and call a local yoga studio to see if they can connect you to an instructor who might be interested in stopping by to lead any interested team members in a yoga break. Or perhaps one of your employees is a passionate or aspiring yogi—ask them to lead! There are many mental and physical benefits to yoga that will improve your team’s wellness at work. - Set up a recurring day with no meetings
Our relationship with meetings is complicated. Sometimes they’re wildly helpful, but too often, they proliferate and crowd out time and space for deep work—leading to longer hours and more stress. Encouraging your organization or team to set aside one day a week with no meetings is a game-changer (I’m partial to “no meeting Wednesday”). This uninterrupted day can quickly become a team favorite—and can help to reduce stress and improve productivity. - Allow pets in the office
If your office situation permits it—pets can be a fetching addition to any office. Not only does it alleviate the stress of employees with fur babies at home to spend time in the office with the concern or expense of taking care of their pets, but it’s a win for those without pets too. Tossing a ball or petting a cute dog can reduce stress and boost employee morale—and it adds a congenial, homey, welcoming feel to the office. One note, you will need to consider employees with allergies and possibly stagger bringing certain pets on certain days. - Invest in unique desk setups
Providing standing desks, exercise balls, and walking pads can significantly improve an employee’s office experience. First and foremost, it can help employees reduce the negative effects of sitting for long periods of time. But in addition to the physical benefits, this level of intentional customization for each employee communicates belonging and helps them feel more comfortable and at home at work. - Give your team your product for free (or at least at cost)
Your team has devoted this season of their working life to your company and products—give them a chance to enjoy them! Giving your team your product for free or at a significant discount fosters loyalty, pride in the company's mission, and employee engagement. Whether providing access to an app, offering free meals, flying on standby, or anything else under the sun, ensure your employees can easily use your product. And you may be surprised at the ideas and innovations they’ll be able to bring back after using the product for themselves. - Encourage mindfulness with meditation apps
Mental health is a key and underlooked area of wellness in work and life. Employees increasingly expect their employers to go beyond physical health to financial or mental health as well. With that in mind, consider offering access to meditation apps like Headspace or Calm. Meditation can provide employees with resources to reduce stress and improve focus as they juggle tension and business. In addition, this benefit can also help to promote a corporate culture of greater mindfulness within the workplace. - Offer flexible working hours
The traditional 9-5, in-the-office standard of American business has been under constant challenge, particularly in the wake of COVID-19. While each business must decide where they fall along the remote/ hybrid / in-office spectrum (that’s a whole ‘nother book!), whatever you land on—consider making the hours as flexible as your business allows. Offering flexible working hours can help employees to better balance their work and personal lives for many reasons, from supporting children to juggling a busy season in their personal life to simply recognizing that each of us thrives at different hours of the day. Many employees report that increased flexibility is a meaningful contributor to their retention and job satisfaction. - Synchronized time off
PTO is great—but do you ever dread the mountain of “catch-up” work that awaits when you return to the office? Consider mandating certain weeks where the whole company (or perhaps certain teams) all take time off together. This should be in addition to PTO, for example, we know many companies that offer a winter “shutdown” for a week around the holidays or a summer “shutdown” around the 4th of July. Other companies offer a day off to employees after the close of a successful project or quarter. The synchronicity of everyone being off together allows employees to fully detach from email, Slack, and Teams and truly rest without any real or imagined pressure to work. - Offer a WFH/Technology Stipend
Our work and home lives are more integrated than ever before. In many companies, we use our personal devices to contact one another, home internet to do our work, and/or are expected to set up a professional WFH setup somewhere in our place of living. Some companies go whole hog and offer hundreds or thousands of dollars in WFH or device reimbursement one-time when an employee onboards, while others supplement with a smaller monthly stipend added to their paycheck. Either way—don’t ask employees to bear the full cost of remote work. - Add a few bikes to your office
If your workplace is in any sort of urban area or has nearby destinations for lunch or errands, consider purchasing a few bikes as options for your team to use as they need them. Providing bikes can encourage employees to get some exercise during the day and also make it easier for them to get to a nearby meeting or lunch spot quickly. You can even buy them in your brand colors or add a logo sticker to them to add a brand experience to seeing your bikes around town. This benefit also has the added benefits of reducing carbon emissions and promoting sustainable transportation. - Encourage volunteerism—together and individually
Supporting volunteerism is a great way to help employees feel like they're making a positive impact and are giving back to their local community. We’ve seen a few great ways to do this. One option is setting up team opportunities to volunteer together—these events can improve team morale and camaraderie. Alternatively, you could offer paid time off for employees to volunteer on their own for a cause that’s of the most interest to them. Or, do both! Either way—more employees volunteering and giving back will increase goodwill toward and engagement with their employer. - Offer matching donations
Providing matching funding for donations is a win for many of the same reasons as volunteerism. Many employees have causes they love to support financially, and even a small matching donation from the company to the tune of a few hundred dollars can communicate, “we care about what you care about.” It also demonstrates the company's commitment to social responsibility and community engagement. This benefit can also enhance employee engagement and satisfaction, as employees feel their contributions are recognized and supported. By promoting a culture of giving back, the company can improve its reputation and attract top talent along the way. - Offer an in-office meal here and there
You don’t have to have a world-class kitchen onsite to take advantage of the benefits of breaking bread together. Consider providing occasional in-office meals to create moments for employee connection away from the grind of meetings and day-to-day work. You could set a standard time (e.g. the first Wednesday of every month) or just spontaneously offer to buy lunch. Flagging this ahead of time is a small incentive to encourage remote workers to come to the office on the same day—after all, everyone loves free food! But more importantly, this small and inexpensive gesture helps employees feel appreciated and cared for and creates moments of team bonding. - Go above and beyond parental leave
Stepping into a new role as a parent is a life-changing moment in an employee’s life—and is a massive opportunity for employers to show up and build immense employee loyalty. In addition to offering parental leave to all parents, consider some of the following additional benefits around parental leave:some text- Offer quota relief to sellers
- Ramp the employee back into work from leave with a flexible work schedules
- Send a care package with diapers, a company onesie, or a gift card to order to support the family in their early weeks.
- Setting up dedicated areas at the office for mothers to nurse upon return
Supporting parents is an investment in your workforce—but dining it well will endear these employees to you for years to come.
- Connect employees with 1:1 coffee meetups
Offering to set up and even fund 1:1 coffee meetups between team members is a great wellness benefit because it allows employees to connect with each other on a more personal level. This could be organized manually, or you could use a tool like Donut to automatically connect employees who opt-in. These informal meetings can foster a sense of community and connect employees to people they might not have otherwise met in your organization. In addition to the benefit that taking a break can have on decreasing work stress, these newfound connections will likely pay meaningful dividends for your company in improved coordination across departments, innovative new ideas, and greater loyalty toward the company. - Offer Career shadowing or micro-mentorship
In a related vein—also offer to connect employers to others in the organization who can help their career growth. While a formal mentorship program may feel like too much to manage or too much for senior employees to take on, consider offering career shadowing or micro-mentorship. Career shadowing is the opportunity for employees to shadow someone in the business who has a role they are interested in—this could be as simple as inviting them to a meeting they might not normally attend as an observer to see what other roles talk about or do every day. Micro-mentoring focuses on smaller, one-off mentoring experiences rather than an ongoing relationship. So rather than needing an hour from the CFO once a week for a year, you might instead just spend 30 minutes learning about a specific project or problem they worked on. You’ll be surprised how much you can learn in a short period of time—and how appreciative employees will be for the learning opportunity.
- Bring in guest speakers
Bringing in guest speakers can provide employees with valuable insights and inspiration, and it doesn’t have to be an expensive endeavor. It’s likely that your executives already have people in their networks who would make for fascinating learning opportunities for your team. Think creatively—you could ask a fellow CEO to share leadership lessons, a local nonprofit to share their mission, a local artist to speak about creativity, or a local counselor to share about mental health at work. Some amazing speakers might already be hiding within your organization and have amazing insights to share. In short—bringing different perspectives and new ideas to your employees regularly will make them feel up-to-date with what’s going on in their community or industry and can help employees think about problems in innovative ways.
- Set aside budget to care for employees during hard moments
We all have days, weeks, or seasons where things don’t go our way. Perhaps an employee was sick, a family member was hospitalized, or a relative passed away. Sending flowers or a gift card to order dinner are an effective way to promote wellness among employees and communicate care during a time of need. This funding could be centrally managed by HR, or each executive or manager could have a dedicated budget for their teams. Regardless of how you manage it, this cultural perk can foster a sense of gratitude and appreciation for the company’s care during hard times—which can improve employee satisfaction and engagement.
- Pay for career or personality testing
Better understanding your strengths and weaknesses is one of the greatest career and success multipliers for an employer. Offering to pay for career testing to help employees determine areas of business they might be well suited for in the future. Alternatively, offering personality testing like DiSC, Predictive Index, or StrengthsFinder can unlock an employee's understanding of themselves and their colleagues. Using these tests in a team or group setting and sharing results can enhance employee self-awareness and boost their confidence and motivation. Additionally, these tests and conversations about them can help employees better navigate workplace dynamics and improve their communication and collaboration skills, which can positively impact the company's bottom line. Just be sure not to pass overt or subtle judgment on certain types—as this can negatively affect your team. - Subsidize online classes
Subsidizing online classes through LinkedIn, MasterClass, Coursera, a school, or another online provider can be a great wellness benefit that promotes employee development and career growth. This benefit can help employees acquire new skills and knowledge, which can enhance their performance and productivity—and allow them to explore areas and skills they might not otherwise have considered. Additionally, this benefit can demonstrate the company's commitment to employee development and can improve employee engagement and retention.
- Get the (wellness) competition flowing
Holding wellness "competitions" can be a fun and engaging way to promote wellness among employees. These competitions could include fitness challenges such as running or walking, healthy eating contests, volunteering, or more. Not only do these incentivize employee health and well-being (which can lead to increased productivity and reduced healthcare costs) but they also create camaraderie and connection among the team. Just be sure to not look down on those who don’t participate and consider ways for those who might be differently abled to participate as well.
- Pay for a subscription that improves their lives
Do you have an app that’s really improved your life? Some that come to mind in our office include a personal password manager, a screen time management app, Peloton, Noom, and more. Why not share the goodness with your employees by offering to pay for a similar app for them as well? These monthly subscriptions are usually very affordable and can be a valuable wellness benefit demonstrating the company's commitment to employee well-being. Whether encouraging fitness, increasing personal security, or decreasing screen time, these small investments go a long way in helping employees feel that their employer supports their total wellness.
- Cater to the kids
Holding regular work events that include invitations to significant others and family is a way to invest in your employees by getting to know and extend care for the people they love most. Whether that’s a holiday party, in-office trick-or-treating, a weekend in-office carnival, or “bring your kid to work” day, this benefit can help employees feel supported in their roles as parents and can improve their overall well-being. Additionally, this benefit can demonstrate the company's commitment to family-friendly policies, which can improve employee engagement and retention.
- Set boundaries around contact outside of work
Setting up expectations and rules around contact outside of work hours is a subtle but game-changing wellness benefit because it helps employees maintain a better work-life balance and decrease stress. By limiting after-hours contact, employees don’t have to worry about delivering for a boss after hours, always needing to check email/Slack/Team, and can have more time for personal pursuits and relaxation. This benefit can also improve employee satisfaction and retention, positively impacting the company's bottom line.
- Keep computers at the office
If you really want to nip work-life balance in the bud, mandating or encouraging employees to keep computers at the office is the so-called nuclear option. This is a great wellness benefit because it helps employees radically separate work and personal life. By having a clear boundary between work and home, employees can better manage their time and reduce the risk of overworking or burnout. This benefit can also improve employee well-being and productivity when they are in the office. Our research only turned up a few companies that did this—but the reviews were very positive. - Don’t just get snacks—get THE snack
We all love snacks, and having snacks available in the office is a great office perk. But if you want to go above and beyond, ask each employee at onboarding to identity some candy, drinks, or snacks they love most. Then stock that thing either regularly or occasionally for the team to use. Some examples I’ve seen include Goldfish crackers (okay, I’ll admit—that one’s me), a certain soda or tea, or peanut butter M&Ms. By catering to individual preferences, the company can demonstrate its commitment to employee well-being and appreciation—it’s a tiny little reminder that “we see you” and “you matter here.” - Offer a wellness stipend
This one isn’t the most unique benefit—but when all else fails, give the employee full control of how they want to utilize the company’s investment in their wellness. Companies that do this often allow employees to spend on various wellness-related expenses, such as gym memberships, fitness classes, therapy sessions, certain websites, etc. The downside is that it creates an additional burden to the company to manage the program and vet employee expenses. But it’s an easy way to cap your wellness investment and support all the many and diverse ways that employees are pursuing wellness. - Send a care package
There are few things that bring joy like receiving old-school snail mail. Sending employees a random care package is a great way to create some surprise-and-delight among your team. These packages could include items like swag, healthy snacks, stress-relief tools, or personalized gifts. By showing a little intentionality in your appreciation and support for employees, the company can improve employee satisfaction, engagement, and retention. - Buy TSA PreCheck or Clear for travelers
If you have road warriors on your team (oftentimes, this is true for sales teams), consider buying TSA PreCheck or Clear for them. Not only is this a low-cost investment for a lot of reduced stress and decreased annoyance for employees who frequently travel, but by reducing wait times and security hassles, employees can better manage their time and focus on their work responsibilities. In short—the math on this one is easy: A couple hundred dollars a year to get hours and hours of productivity back from your salesforce? Well worth it. Your traveling teammates will be very grateful. - Online therapy apps
Mental health is an essential component of wellness—and offering online therapy apps like Betterhelp and Talkspace is a great wellness benefit that helps employees manage stress and mental health concerns. Giving them access to a licensed counselor is a surefire way to ensure they know where to turn when they face internal struggles, big and small. By offering these resources, the company can demonstrate its commitment to employee well-being, with the additional possible benefits of reducing stress at work and even team healthcare costs. - Give every employee a fitness tracker
Offering a one-time wellness purchase like a Fitbit, Whoop, or Apple Watch is a great wellness benefit that can promote physical activity and well-being. While this upfront cost is nontrivial, by encouraging employees to track their fitness and health goals, the company can allow employees the tools to focus on their goals, improve their health, and, again, possibly, reduce healthcare costs. These trackers also pair well with our earlier suggestion to run wellness challenges. If everyone has the digital tools to compete for the most steps—it makes it easy for everyone to participate and measure success. - Offer a free pair of tennis shoes every year
In my first adult job, this benefit brought me great joy every year. Buying employees a free pair of tennis shoes every year is a simple but fun wellness benefit that can encourage physical activity and promote employee health. One possible downside to this benefit is managing expenses and compliance with buying a “tennis shoe” rather than any shoe the employee likes most—and having a limit is essential for success. But by promoting an active lifestyle, this benefit can also demonstrate the company's commitment to employee well-being and support an employee’s physical health goals. - Offer a telehealth service
Many insurance plans come with a telehealth option—and this a meaningful additional wellness benefit that can provide employees with convenient and affordable access to medical professionals. By promoting preventive care and early intervention, employees can get the care they need quickly and without having to leave their homes or even take significant time off work. Telehealth can improve employee health and reduce healthcare costs, and it’s a no-brainer to add as an option for employees.
- Buy an Audible subscription
An Audible subscription is a great wellness benefit that can promote employee well-being and personal development. By offering access to a wide range of audiobooks and giving employees a monthly credit, employees can engage in continuous learning and personal growth. Reading physical or digital books isn’t for everyone, and oftentimes listening is an approaching medium for a greater population of employees. There are many ways to actualize this—you could simply let the employee choose the book every month, or your executive team could suggest certain books that you think are important for employees to be reading to level up their skills. Either way, this benefit helps employees feel supported in their personal and professional development.
- Offer community partnerships/discounts
A discount partnership with local museums, restaurants, and attractions is a great way to not only put a little money back in the pockets of employees, but also to encourage them to support local businesses. Reach out to cultural and dining establishments around your business and ask if they’d consider offering employees a discount in exchange for you promoting that discount to your team. Oftentime, the business is excited about building a nearby base of new customers and is happy to make a deal. Then consolidate these offers and share them with your team so they can begin visiting these places and supporting their growth—that’s a win-win! - Offer pet insurance
Many employees love their pets like members of their family, and pets, like family members, can be an expensive endeavor. Pet insurance is a great wellness benefit that can support an employee’s well-being by not only providing peace of mind about their animal’s health, but also about the financial implications of that animal. By offering insurance for pets, employees can better manage their personal responsibilities and reduce stress related to pet care. This benefit can also improve employee satisfaction and retention—because, for many pet owners, caring for their pets is a way to care for them.
- Support employee activity groups
Employee activity groups like sports teams or book clubs are great wellness benefits promoting employee engagement and work-life balance. By offering opportunities for socialization and recreation both in and out of the office, employees can reduce stress, do something they love, and build workplace relationships at the same time. These don’t have to be formally run by the HR/People team either. Do you have someone who loves Ultimate Frisbee or volleyball? Ask them to captain the team. Know a bookworm? See if they’d want to lead the book club. This micro-leadership roles can also help those employees feel greater investment in co-creating a great place to work; and in turn, fosters retention.
- Offer sabbaticals
This might be the most expensive suggestion on our list—but we think it’s underdone by businesses and is an invaluable benefit to add to your tool kit. Sabbaticals—or giving an employee an extended time off after a certain number of years of service— are a great wellness benefit supporting employee well-being and personal growth. By offering this extended time off work, employees can recharge and engage in personal pursuits that promote physical and mental health. An employee that has served your company for 5 or 10 years has shown immense commitment and likely has made meaningful contributions to your workforce. This benefit can also improve employee engagement and retention, as taking a little break often allows employees to recharge, when they might otherwise have left the business.
- Offer fun classes at work
Holding casual classes at work or digitally is a fun wellness benefit that can promote employee well-being and work-life balance. This could span from cooking or mixology to coding or writing. While you could pay to bring in external teachers for a very affordable fee, you might also find that internal employees have the expertise they would be excited to share free of charge. By offering opportunities for fun (often non-work-related) learning—employers can foster moments of connection for employees and the sense that the employer wants to support employee growth and health outside of work in their day-to-day lives. And for employees that teach a course, they also often gain an increased buy-in to bettering the company and their peers—increasing engagement and retention.
- Pawternity leave
A new pet can be a lot! Offering a small amount of time off or the option to work from home with a new pet can be remarkably helpful for a new pet owner. While this should have nearly the same level of investment and prioritization as parental leave, even a small offering of flexibility around the addition of a new pet goes a long way with pet-owning employees—and can foster appreciation and company loyalty.
- Pay for a co-working space
While remote work is becoming more commonplace, not every employee has the home situation to comfortably work from home. Consider offering a stipend to employees to use a local coworking establishment. By providing the tools and resources for a comfortable and productive workspace, employees can reduce stress and distractions and improve their work performance. This benefit can also improve employee engagement and retention, as employees feel supported in their work responsibilities and build a sustainable WFH routine with your company.
- Offer a company swag store
As the great Michael Scott says, “SWAG!” A physical or online company swag store doesn't have to be an expensive or time-intensive endeavor, and it’s a great way to offer employees branded merchandise and give employees a connection point to the company culture and identity. There are a few ways to do this—some companies offer a “gift card” at onboarding or at special markers like the holidays or work anniversaries. Other companies simply subsidize the swag for their employees to allow them to purchase as close to cost. Regardless, this will allow more employees to rep your brand and feel the pride associated with it.
- Offer free financial coaching
Offering a financial wellness program that includes free financial coaching and software tools can dramatically impact your team’s wellbeing at work and home. A financial wellness tool will help employees to manage their finances, address key issues, improve retirement ability, and build healthy long-term financial habits that will set them up for life-long financial stability. As an employer, this can improve absenteeism, decrease distraction and secondhand financial stress at work, and ensure your employees are on track to retire on time. Call us biased—but we’ve seen thousands of employees transform their money situation from stressed to stable, and they, their families, and their employers are all better off for it.