Employer-sponsored health and wellness benefits declining

A new report has found that Canadian companies may need to refocus their efforts to make their employees healthier.

In a new survey of Canadian HR managers, staffing firm OfficeTeam reported that 57% say their organization has decreased their health and wellness offerings in the past five years. In contrast, 22% reported an increase in benefits, 12% said they don’t know, and 9% gave no answer.

The survey also found that numerous office perks may actually hinder workers’ health and wellness goals. That includes food at office celebrations (29%), snacks brought by co-workers (26%), and free meals (12%). With regards to eating habits, 30% of employees say they eat healthier when they work from home, with male employees (37%) and employees aged 18-34 (32%) saying this most often.

When asked what innovative offerings they’ve heard companies do to support employee health and wellness, they cited the following examples:

• Offering onsite exercise, meditation, yoga and healthy cooking classes
• Providing free massages
• Having trained healthcare providers in the office
• Providing additional days off for mental health
• Offering onsite personal trainers
• Contributing healthy onsite snack and meal options

“As expectations for workplace well-being evolve, companies have an opportunity to significantly impact their employees' overall health and happiness at work,” said Koula Vasilopoulos, a district president for OfficeTeam. “Organizations that make wellness a priority, and empower staff with resources that encourage healthy-living at and outside the office, ultimately promote an attractive work environment, and a more productive and loyal workforce."


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