Affordable employee benefits with business ROI
Business owners can track the success of their employee benefits package in two ways: tangible stats, and anecdotal data. The latter is less measurable, but just as important to morale, culture, and employee wellbeing.
5 low-cost employee benefits for organisations of all sizes
Affordable employee benefits doesn’t just mean the cost of initial outlay, or cost-per-employee. You also need to consider the time and systems necessary to implement and run the scheme. Here are 5 quick wins that should be affordable and scalable for any size of business.
EAP (employee assistance programmes)
Offering a confidential, independent advice and support service can have a measurable impact on mental health, physical wellbeing, healthy habits, work/life balance, stress, and other lifestyle factors that may otherwise impact employee health.
Wellbeing champions
Setting up a peer-led wellbeing services that leads from the front is a low- or no-cost way of creating a positive culture of health and wellbeing in the workplace. Wellbeing advocates should be team members who encourage healthy habits and spearhead initiatives such as walking meetings and other activity.
Discounted or free gym access
Gym access is consistently in the top-three most requested employee benefits. The gym is no longer the domain of younger men, in fact women accounted for 57% of gym-goers according to IHRSA 2022.*
The most affordable way to offer your employees discounted gym membership is through a flexible scheme like Hussle’s gym pass. Giving employees Hussle as part of their benefits opens up access to 1000s of gyms, leisure centres, spas, pools, and fitness facilities around the country, making this the most affordable way to extend truly flexible fitness to a hybrid, work from home, or multi-site workforce.
Volunteering
Research tells us that volunteering has significant benefits on mental, physical, and social wellbeing. Giving your employees a volunteering day (individually or as teams) is a win-win way of boosting wellness, community spirit, creativity, and reputation.**
Wellness education
The topic of wellbeing spans so many factors that directly affect employee physical and mental health in and out of the workplace. As well as offering healthy choices at work, why not add free workshops or education sessions to your employee benefits scheme?
Partner with local experts or charities to run short, regular, in-house sessions on relevant topics like healthy eating around shift work, reducing back pain for desk workers, or managing stress in a retail environment.
Tracking business outcomes of employee benefits
Investing in employee benefits is investing in your people, and you don’t need us to tell you that this becomes an investment in your organisation’s future. In a modern (often hybrid) working environment, there are key benefits you can’t overlook. Affordable wellbeing employee benefits (like discounted gym membership) contribute to:
- Productivity – regular activity typically results in more energy, better sleep, and an upward spiral of positive health decisions that lead to more productive people.
- Retention – competitive benefits reduce turnover, and healthier employees are less likely to leave careers early due to long-term health or musculoskeletal issues.
- Recruitment – the majority of job seekers and top talent want health and fitness benefits as part of their package, and a good low-cost fitness option can give your company a competitive edge.
Cost savings of employee benefits for employees
Employee benefits don’t have to be costly or complicated to make a big difference. Affordable workplace benefits can significantly reduce the financial burden on employees, which is a big win as cost of living continues to challenge many.
- Healthcare savings – low-cost wellness benefits can impact the bigger picture of healthcare costs by acting as a preventative tool. Educating employees about nutrition, exercise, stress, and sleep, providing opportunities for movement throughout the day, and offering gym access can reduce the risk of long-term health issues.
- Free or discounted gym membership – gym membership can be really expensive, and many employees simply won’t prioritise this spend for themselves. By offering gym membership as a benefit, you make it so much easier for all staff members to engage in regular exercise that they enjoy.
- Travel cost savings – bike schemes and similar commuter benefits can make a big difference to employees who would otherwise pay for fuel and car costs.
Making affordable employee benefits inclusive
The ideal benefits package is accessible, flexible, and inclusive. Here’s how to design an employee wellbeing benefit that works for everyone.
Make sure that your benefits are:
- Cost effective – discounted gym membership, in-house movement or relaxation sessions, easy wellness challenges
- Inclusive – flexible and varied enough to be accessible to all employees, regardless of their fitness and physical ability levels
- Flexible – access to a wide range of gyms, fitness facilities, and leisure centres so individuals can choose where they work out.
Affordable employee benefits are a win/win for businesses and their staff, helping support healthier, happier people. Take a look at Hussle’s discounted gym pass to see how our network of 1000s of gyms can help you offer fitness as a low-cost benefit.
*https://www.healthandfitness.org/publications/the-2022-ihrsa-global-report/
**https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10159229/
