5 ways to strengthen employee health in the company with benefits and wellness

For employers, it is important that investment in employee health in the company is as efficient and effective as possible. But what does that mean in practice?

Investing in employee health is a profitable investment, and if you have a clear strategy for working with employee health, both healthy attendance and attraction value for new recruitment increases. In short, everyone benefits from having a workplace that is healthy and takes care of our physical as well as mental health. Here are our five best tips on how you can strengthen employee health with benefits and wellness!

First on the list of popular benefits that strengthen employee health is of course the wellness allowance. But when it comes to exercise such as wellness, it is not only the classic gym membership that is included in the wellness allowance, but it can be anything from swimming and climbing to riding lessons and yoga. When it comes to different activities, there is a whole lot to choose from and the activities can be both for exercise and to act as a stress reliever.

We’ve all heard that healthy employees are happy employees. And biking to and from work is an excellent way to get in daily exercise. In addition, since January 1, 2022, benefit taxation has been completely (or partially) removed for benefit bikes. For employees, this means that a bike up to a value of SEK 20 000 can be purchased tax-free. Not surprisingly, this has become a very popular benefit for employees of all ages.

In recent years, mental health has become one of the biggest health problems in the workplace, and sick leave due to mental illness continues to increase. Its place at the top as the most common cause of sick leave in Sweden testifies to how important it is for companies to take the problem very seriously. Offering meetings with a psychologist or counselor where employees receive individual conversations can be an invaluable help. And it can help catch and address early signs of ill health. Another popular solution is a meeting or conversation with a life coach who can help more generally with how to work on your mental health and maintain balance in life.

One of the most appreciated benefits is massage. And regardless of whether you have a very physically active job, or mostly sit still at a desk all day, relief in the form of a massage is something few say no to. Massage is also a benefit that can be used preventively by teaching exercises that help with strain injuries and other problems that may arise in one’s daily work. Massages, like acupuncture, balance training and herbal baths, are included in the wellness agreement, although they do not include any direct exercise.

The easiest way to offer employees wellness care and benefits is to arrange a wellness portal specially designed for the company. For employers, it will be a clear and smart way to show which benefits you offer. And many services already have thousands of purchased benefits ready to offer. Give your employees the opportunity to calmly see what benefits are offered and then let them take responsibility for booking and rebooking themselves.

Together, we can strengthen employee health

Something that has become increasingly common as a benefit in workplaces is offering private health insurance. And in recent years, many companies have begun to offer regular health screenings by bringing in outside healthcare professionals.

There are also many examples of companies using anonymous surveys to explore how the atmosphere in the workplace is experienced. Common questions in anonymous surveys are to measure stress levels in the workplace – for example, if it has been particularly stressful in the last period – and to ask employees what their wishes and views are on the everyday work and the atmosphere in the workplace.

Yes, employee health is clearly more than just a discount on the gym membership. It is also about mental health, ergonomics, about science, finding the right techniques and offers. This is regardless of whether it is about benefits that are directly linked to improving various aspects related to the working environment, or benefits that are used outside of working hours. The most important thing to have with you when it comes to strengthening employee health is to review and offer various benefits that help employees feel good and maintain their ability to work.