Organizational Wellness

The Ultimate Guide to Fitness Benefits for HR Leaders

Last Updated Dec 9, 2024

Time to read: 14 minutes

Does your employee benefits package stop at the basics — health insurance, vacation time, and a retirement plan? If so, you’re missing out on a powerful opportunity to boost employee engagement and performance.

Offering a well-rounded fitness benefits package — like gym memberships, wellness challenges, or access to fitness apps — can turn that into reality. It’s not just about physical health, but also about boosting productivity, reducing stress, and increasing job satisfaction. They help you build a workplace where your team is energized, motivated, and healthier.

So how do you make this transformation? Let's explore what fitness benefits are, how they can elevate your benefits program, and how you can start implementing them to create a happier, more productive workforce.

What Are Employee Fitness Benefits?

Employee fitness benefits are an exciting opportunity for organizations to actively invest in the physical wellbeing of their teams. These perks can include access to gym memberships, on-site fitness classes, or wellness challenges that keep employees motivated to stay active. It’s all about helping employees prioritize their health, which leads to a happier, healthier, and more productive workforce. Not only do these benefits reduce stress and increase job satisfaction, but they also have the potential to boost energy and focus!

These benefits are even more powerful when integrated into a comprehensive wellness program that addresses physical, mental, social, and financial wellbeing. When you offer a well-rounded fitness package, employees can pursue their health goals more effectively, resulting in a more energized and engaged workforce.

You can tailor a fitness benefits package to align with your organizational brand, employee preferences, and budget. It's not one-size-fits-all. In fact, bespoke benefits typically increase worker participation, according to Wellhub research.

The Power of Fitness Benefits: Why HR Leaders Should Care

There’s an undeniable connection between employee fitness, top-notch performance, and sky-high workplace satisfaction. Imagine the energy boost and productivity surge when your team feels their best! You can see everything from see fewer sick days to higher engagement when your team is thriving. Check out some of the gains employers see from a comprehensive fitness benefits package.

Increased Employee Engagement and Retention

Engaged employees thrive in the workplace. They love their jobs, put their best effort into every assignment, and don't hesitate to share ideas. You'll see them chatting with fellow colleagues and leading the charge on the next big project. And an engaged worker is far less likely to jump ship for a new opportunity. Instead, they'll stick with your organization because they know it's the best place for them.

Wellness benefits can help you achieve this boosted employee engagement and retention: Nearly 90% of employers investing in employee wellbeing programs saw increases in engagement and overall worker satisfaction, according to BrightPlan LLC.

Reduced Healthcare Costs and Absenteeism

Your fitness benefits plan can encourage employees to lace up their shoes and get moving. And once they reach the recommended allowance of 150 minutes of moderate exercise, you should see a drop in doctor's visits, according to a University of Washington study.

That can directly impact the cost of your healthcare plan. In fact, 91% of employers see a decrease in healthcare costs after introducing a wellbeing program. That's a win for your employees and your company.

Improved Productivity and Performance

When employees feel tired, massively overwhelmed, or physically unwell, productivity takes a nosedive. That's completely natural. A bad night's sleep, relationship issues, or financial problems can all contribute to declining performance — and those are just a few examples.

But employee fitness benefits can help resolve some of the issues that lead to decreased productivity. For instance, offering a free gym membership might encourage employees to do more physical activity, improving sleep quality.

Enhanced Company Culture and Employer Branding

Fitness benefits are an opportunity to brand your organization as a visionary, supportive place to work. You go beyond traditional benefit stalwarts like medical insurance, vacation time, and a 401(k) to support the expanded needs of today's workforce.

You can embed fitness benefits as part of the company's culture. Display them proudly on your hiring page and talk about them in meetings. As workers associate wellbeing with the workplace, it becomes an extension of your brand.

Attracting and Retaining Top Talent

Job boards are full of employers offering conventional benefits. So why not shake things up a little? Throw in some unique offerings, like an in-house mentorship program or a four-day workweek. Benefits that help your workplace stand out attract more eyeballs (and applicants) to your job postings. And, when employees see just how good your total compensation package is, they won't want to leave.

In fact, nearly 90% of HR leaders say their wellness benefits package positively impacts retention.

Improved Employee Wellbeing

Promoting an employee's overall wellbeing — their happiness, health, and overall satisfaction — goes hand-in-hand with fitness benefits. When you offer a broad range of benefits tailored to physical, mental, social, and financial fitness, you can support every aspect of your team's wellness.

And your efforts won't go unappreciated. Over 90% of employees feel their wellbeing is just as important as their salary, so by offering fitness benefits, you're meeting their needs!

Types of Fitness Benefits You Can Offer

What, exactly, rolls into a comprehensive fitness benefits package? Pretty much anything that supports your worker's wellbeing can be part of the program! Let these ideas get you rolling.

Gym Memberships and Discounts

Signing up for a gym membership on your own can be a little overwhelming. What if you don't like the place, and you're stuck in a contract? Or, maybe you worry you won't use it enough? Or you get tired of that kind of workout?

Enter the work-provided gym membership. By giving your employees a free membership, you eliminate the excuses and encourage them to get their workout groove on. And if you pick a holistic platform that's partnered with multiple providers, employees can choose the location and workout style that best suits them, boosting the benefit's usage rates.

Access to Digital Fitness Apps and Platforms

In-person workouts aren't for everyone. Some people really are too busy to visit the gym — family care responsibilities can make it hard to carve out regular time for a sweat session. Or, maybe there's no local fitness center where your employees live.

That's where a digital fitness app or platform can help. Employees who can access their favorite workouts from home can work out whenever they please. And, since many online classes don't require special equipment, there's no need for you or your employees to invest in expensive treadmills, cycles, or weight machines.

Nutrition Support

The journey to lose weight or tone up can sometimes push employees toward unhealthy habits—often because they’re missing useful information about how to streamline healthy eating habits. That’s where you can make a real difference.

Consider adding health education to your benefits package to empower your team with the knowledge they need to make healthier choices. Whether it’s a local community college offering cooking classes for nutritious meals or subscriptions to healthy meal deliver services, there are countless opportunities to support their wellbeing. From apps to online courses, on-site lunch-and-learns, or community workshops, you can provide resources that enrich their food prep know-how.

Ergonomic Workspaces

Does your workplace provide equipment to support your team's physical comfort, or could you do better? To find out, perform an ergonomic assessment. Look at the workplace equipment and see whether it supports employee's physical and mental wellbeing. Some things to look out for include back-supporting chairs and eye-level monitors.

If you have remote employees, consider offering a stipend they can use to purchase comfortable home office equipment. Providing comfortable equipment that keeps your team feeling good throughout the day can be a part of your fitness benefits.

Mental Wellness Resources and Stress Management Programs

Forty-seven percent of employees say work stress degrades their mental wellbeing, making it the leading cost of emotional issues — more than bad sleep or inflation anxiety. That's probably not the reputation your organization wants.

Why not do something to fix the issue? Give employees resources to alleviate those feelings. You might partner with a teletherapy provider that offers counseling services, or launch a corporate meditation program. Even benefits like mental health days or stress leave can alleviate some of your team's worries. Knowing they have an out if they're feeling overburdened reduces pressure on workers.

Another option is employee assistance programs (EAPs). These types of programs offer free, confidential help for employees who need someone to talk to. You can set one up in-house or partner with a third-party to provide EAP services.

Fitness Benefit Legal Considerations

Making sure your fitness benefits are inclusive and compliant with privacy laws can help you avoid any unnecessary legal penalties.

ADA Compliance

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires employers to make benefits accessible to everyone, including those with disabilities. Whatever benefits you offer, make sure anyone can join in, regardless of any physical or neurodiversity. This directly benefits your company, because when you design benefits with inclusion in mind, you’re fostering a healthier and more engaged workforce.

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)

Health-related data is sensitive, and employees need to feel secure sharing their information. Understanding your responsibilities under HIPAA and other privacy laws is crucial. By law, employers must protect every employee's sensitive health details and records, including benefit enrollment information. By safeguarding employee privacy, you build confidence and show your team that their wellbeing is your priority.

How to Launch a New Employee Fitness Benefit (Step-by-Step)

You’ve got some exciting ideas for new employee fitness benefits—now comes the game-changing part: bringing them to life in your benefits program. This is where those ideas turn into real, tangible results for your team’s health, happiness, and productivity.

Step 1: Set Your Goals

What do you hope to accomplish from employee fitness benefits? Maybe you want to reduce absenteeism or see employee productivity skyrocket. Try brainstorming a few key objectives, then use the SMART system to define them.

This involves setting goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-based. Using SMART keeps goals keeps you focused and helps you quantify your progress.

As an example, you might set a SMART goal of reducing average employee sick days from six to four over the next year. That's a reasonable goal, it's easy to measure, and you can start tracking it once you introduce your new benefits.

Step 2: Budget Planning

Here's the deal about benefits: they can be costly. That's something you're probably well aware of, being the HR guru you are.

However, you don't need to introduce pricey fitness benefits to make a difference in your employee's wellbeing. The trick is to figure out what your company's comfortable paying, then design a plan that fits within the budget. That's it. And here's the thing — your investment in wellbeing may actually pay for itself. In our survey of companies offering wellness programs, 95% saw a positive ROI from their benefit offerings!

Step 3: Secure Leadership Buy-in and Budget

Receiving the green light from management gives you support for your plan, and confirms you have the funds to pay for it. Try setting up a meeting to discuss your ideas. During the meeting, explain how new fitness benefits can improve employee wellbeing and share the expected costs. If possible, bring some data to support your case.

High levels of executive support can have a major impact on your program's success, boosting employee participation rates to 80% or more. That's up from 44% among companies with low C-suite participation rates.

Step 4: Select a Flexible and Holistic Fitness Program Provider

One of the key elements of a viable benefits plan is accessibility. Every employee has different wellness needs. Some team members may benefit from mindfulness support, while others prefer physical activity and workouts. Try to offer a holistic, flexible plan that workers can tailor to their own needs.

For instance, maybe you have a combination of local and remote employees. You could provide a local gym pass to your on-site employees. However, remote workers outside the area wouldn't be able to join. A more inclusive alternative is membership to a holistic wellness platform like Wellhub that that offers access to in-person gyms, online classes, and personal trainers so employees can create a fitness routine that works for them anytime, anywhere.

Step 5: Launch the Benefit

Once your fitness benefits are ready to roll, it’s time to launch! Get the word out to your team through your usual channels — whether that’s email, an all-hands meeting, or another format that works for your organization. Be sure to create space for employees to ask questions and get excited about the new perks so they can hit the ground running.

Step 6: Continued Communication and Promotion

After the initial promotion period, you may find participation drops. That's a sign you need to engage your team, and keep promoting the benefits.

Try selecting a few ambassadors to promote the benefits. For instance, if you have an employee who absolutely loves her new fitness class, you might ask her to get a few colleagues to join. The extra nudge can remind employees of their benefits and boost utilization.

Step 7: Add Incentive Programs

Why not introduce a little fun and games into the mix with a competition? A fitness challenge can help you do exactly that — while also inspiring your team to think about their health. You might set a goal for employees to work out 150 minutes each week over the next month. If your team rises to the challenge, they might receive a free vacation day, or a gift certificate to their favorite store.

You can play around with different incentives and challenges to see what works best for your team. Try introducing a new one every few months to maintain momentum and employee interest.

Step 8: Program Evaluation

Remember back in step one, when you set your SMART goals? Now's the time to measure results. Take a look at the different metrics you set, and evaluate your progress.

Are sick days down? Make sure to check — Wellhub found that15% of our clients see average sick day use drop by a week or more! Maybe you have an overflowing inbox of resumes from people anxious to work for you. Or perhaps management noticed an improvement in employee productivity. Those are all signs your efforts are paying off — nice work!

Step 9: Celebrate Achievements and Continuously Improve

Implementing new benefits successfully is no easy task, so give yourself credit for your wins and share the good word. Present the results with the management team, so they know the investment is worth it. You can also set new goals to work toward, too. Or set longer-term goals to see lasting results from your organization's fitness benefits.

Wellness Program Best Practices

There are all kinds of fitness benefits available you can incorporate into your wellness program. But, to see results, you want to pick options your employees actually use.

One way to improve program participation is gathering feedback. Try using an anonymous employee survey, and ask employees which wellness benefit your considering they'd most appreciate. You can make the survey multiple choice, so you get clear answers from your team.

Some companies appoint a committee to oversee wellbeing benefits. A committee can get on-the-ground feedback from employees and support efforts to encourage participation in the wellness program. That's very useful to busy HR professionals with a lot on their plate.

And don't forget to track goals and evaluate results! Keeping an eye on those KPIs can tell you whether you're bringing in results, or you need to drum up engagement levels.

Holistic Employee Fitness Benefits for a Forward-Thinking Organization

Introducing a new fitness program offers all kinds of positive benefits for your team. You may see fewer office absences, a boost in productivity, and healthier and happier workers. Those are all wonderful things. The trick is to find a program that supports your entire employee base at a cost within your budget.

That's where Wellhub comes in. Wellhub offers a range of customizable wellness benefits. Choose from plans that include in-person and online fitness classes, dietary support, and even tools to help your team relax and destress from their busy jobs.

Wellhub's a solid investment for any organization, from small businesses to major corporations — 77% of Wellhub clients earn more than $2 from every $1 invested in the program.

Reach out to a wellbeing specialist today to explore how Wellhub can be your one-stop fitness benefit!

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[*] Based on proprietary research comparing healthcare costs of active Wellhub users to non-users.