Companies are increasingly aware and sensitive to psycho-physical wellbeing of their employees, not only because this can help reduce absenteeism, but also because it can positively impact on productivity as well as on employees’ involvement.
Gympass, a leader in the business benefits industry for health and quality of life, has contributed to a recent global Xerox research on the latest corporate welfare trends.
The survey shows that the first incentive for companies to develop wellbeing programs is the improvement of employees’ productivity (59%), followed by the increase of their engagement and commitment to the company (56%). The ranking is completed by loyalty (54%), promotion of corporate mission and values (49%), reduced health-related costs (45%), and strengthened business branding (38%).
It might be surprising to see how physical activity stands out as the primary goal of 70% of wellbeing programs, but figures show it clearly: sport practice diminishes stress, fights obesity as well as smoking and all the disorders resulting from a too sedentary life. Consequently, wellbeing programs include yoga and meditation courses (32%), programs and lessons on healthy lifestyles (29%), health competitions (25%) and wearable sensors to help employees monitor their lifestyle (25%).
If in 2008 only 36% of companies were committed to promoting employee welfare, in 2014 the percentage increased to 56% and in 2016 69% of multinationals said they had developed global plans to promote the health of their workers.
The Xerox survey, alongside the analysis by Gympass, is available at this link: http://hs.gympass.com/it-it/ebook-tendenze-globali-salute-e-benessere