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Wellness: Working on wellness
Julie Cramer looks at what health and fitness providers, companies and employees can expect to gain from the changing world of workplace wellbeing
While adoption of workplace wellbeing programmes has been steadily growing over the past few decades, it took the global pandemic arriving in 2020 to really bring the importance of the concept into sharper focus.
With large numbers of employees having to shift to remote working or self-isolate during that time, many suffered from increasing levels of stress, anxiety and depression – problems that needed a better corporate strategy once people started returning to ‘normal’ work.
But what should a workplace wellbeing programme look like in this post-pandemic world? What can health club operators offer to companies and what should the corporate world be asking of health and wellness providers?
At the heart of the industry lie a number of leading workplace wellbeing aggregators – the all-important connectors – who bring the worlds of health and fitness and big business together for mutual benefit.
From the perspective of the health clubs, aggregators say their deals can decrease or eliminate acquisition costs, although not everyone agrees.
As for corporates, they can benefit from the frictionless delivery of services that will bring the desired benefits to their employees and ultimately to the company as a whole.
A growing marketplace
In 2024, workplace wellbeing is certainly a big deal. Across Europe alone, revenues from the workplace wellness market are predicted to expand with a CAGR of 6.5 per cent over the period of 2023 to 2032, according to the recent Europe Workplace Wellness Market Forecast by Inkwood Research. This growth is predicted to be accompanied by a revenue share of US$43 billion over the same period.
According to corporate wellbeing company Epassi UK, which works with over 2,000 corporate clients, recent figures showed that 83 per cent of employers in the UK had reported a rise in wellbeing benefit requests from their employees.
So it seems that people are continuing to invest in their wellbeing in all areas – from holistic therapies to nutrition services to health club memberships – and are increasingly relying on their employers to help them with this.
And according to The Return on Wellbeing Study launched by workplace wellbeing provider Wellhub [formerly Gympass] in May 2024, companies can look forward to ever-increasing returns on their investment in wellbeing programmes.
The report, based on a survey of 2,000 HR leaders across nine countries, revealed that 99 per cent of leaders found their wellbeing programme increased productivity, while 98 per cent said it reduced employee turnover and 97 per cent claimed that greater engagement in a programme drove higher ROI.
With this in mind, we asked three workplace wellbeing aggregators –Wellhub, Hussle [now part of Egym Wellpass] and Epassi – to talk about what’s currently working in this sector, what advice they’d give to companies looking to introduce or up-level an employee wellness programme and what fitness trends and wellbeing services are likely to be in demand over the next five years.
Our platform connects employees to fitness, mindfulness, therapy, nutrition, and sleep partners through a single subscription, which is more cost-effective for them than buying individual services.
We support over 18,000 companies with exclusive gym and studio partnerships, bespoke wellbeing coaching, and seamless integration with HR systems. Wellhub promotes employee engagement, productivity, retention and reduced healthcare costs. Our network also benefits partner organisations by attracting new members and generating incremental revenue.
Traditional gyms remain popular, but digital and integrated wellness solutions are trending. There’s a clear shift towards holistic and virtual wellness. Habit-tracking use is up 111 per cent, emotional health services by 74 per cent and use of virtual trainers has risen by 44 per cent. Additionally, pickleball check-ins have surged by 214 per cent, showing a growing interest in diverse, innovative fitness options.
Start by assessing employee needs through surveys or focus groups. Choose a provider that aligns with your company culture and offers a broad range of services, including fitness, mental health, and nutrition support.
Ensure integration with HR systems, have tools to drive engagement and monitor the data. A well-tailored wellness programme boosts employee wellbeing, engagement, and overall success. Lastly, gaining buy-in from leaders and champions early on is crucial for fostering a culture of wellbeing./p>
We’ve seen tremendous benefits for corporate clients and their employees: from 99 per cent of HR leaders saying their wellbeing programme increases employee productivity, to 98 per cent saying their wellbeing programme actively reduces turnover. We detailed these findings in our 2024 study, The Return on Wellbeing.
We’ve shown with our partners that we’re an efficient channel for them to attract members from the corporate wellness market. Since the pandemic many operators have had to scrutinise every penny they spend on acquisition and by working with us they have a plug and play system.
We’ll see growth in digital solutions. Expect increased integration of AI and personalised wellness plans, expanded focus on mental health and a rise in virtual and hybrid wellness offerings.
Companies will also emphasise data-driven insights to tailor plans and enhance employee engagement, reflecting a shift towards more comprehensive, accessible, and customised wellbeing solutions.
More: www.wellhub.com/p>
Hussle, which is now part of Egym Wellpass, provides employers with an inclusive, multi-venue gym membership package, with services catering for employees’ physical fitness requirements regardless of location, price point or facility-type preferences.
We secure, on average, more than 50 per cent contribution from employers to subsidise employee gym membership packages and this brings new, incremental investment to the fitness industry for the benefit of operators.
The combination of our multi-brand operator network, inclusive price points, variety of gyms, pools and spas and generous employer-subsidised rates means we see three- to four-times the typical employee engagement rates and better ROI than traditional single operator corporate memberships.
Access to physical fitness facilities remains, by far, the most in-demand service for employers and employees. Companies have explored holistic services, virtual offers, apps and bolt-ons and although the ‘sales pitch’ sounds good, employee engagement remains low. We find many companies no longer want to foot the bill for unused services which remain niche compared to the demand for physical fitness venues.
Wellness is a benefit which can get de-prioritised by HR teams who have experienced low employee engagement in the past. This can lead to employers taking the ‘easy option’ with generalist benefit platforms that bury their fitness partners.
As a sector, we need to make a compelling case that things have changed. There are now highly inclusive, expert providers that can achieve high levels of employee participation. On the employer side, they should seek a wellness partner that can provide data which demonstrates the ROI of a healthy workforce – something that is now deliverable through things such as smart gym equipment.
Very simple, employees use it. Workplace wellness propositions are pointless for all parties if employee engagement is low. We achieve 15-30 per cent employee participation thanks to the inclusiveness and simplicity of our service which keeps corporate clients and employees happy. No complicated tiering or confusing credit models. No expensive niche service bolt-ons. Just a simple, inclusive, broad appeal multi-venue gym membership.
Operators incur no acquisition costs using Hussle, but typically get a slightly lower yield than a direct membership. As explained, on average we achieve more than 50 per cent employer contribution towards employee gym use, which brings incremental revenue into the sector and subsidises employee memberships and boosts participation.
UK workplace wellness is just getting started and operators need to position themselves for imminent fast growth in this space.
Google Trends suggests UK demand volume for workplace wellness is 21 per cent of the comparable German fitness market but is growing much faster at 57 per cent year-on-year, compared to Germany at 23 per cent year-on-year.
More: www.hussle.com
We provide corporate wellbeing solutions designed to improve employee health and fitness while helping employers boost engagement, productivity and talent attraction and retention.
We’ve partnered with 4,000 fitness facilities and work with over 2,000 companies across the UK and Ireland to offer their employees discounts on their gym memberships through our two schemes: GymFlex and MyGymDiscounts.
We’re noticing a growing demand for more holistic wellbeing options that blend physical, mental and emotional wellbeing.
Meditation, mindfulness practices and stress management are becoming integral parts of many fitness routines as consumers seek a more balanced approach to health and fitness.
Consumers are also looking for services that address things such as nutrition and recovery to sit alongside their traditional gym memberships. That said, traditional health club offerings are still the most popular choice.
To take an employee-centred approach to find out exactly what their employees want. When a company is considering implementing a wellbeing programme, we recommend they survey employees.
The majority of survey results will identify that employee’s preferences and needs are very different, particularly for a company that has a dispersed and diverse workforce. This is why having a network of fitness options that offers coverage and choice at different price points is so important.
By listening to employees and selecting a provider that suits your company’s values and workplace needs, employers will be more likely to build a wellbeing programme that improves wellbeing and boosts engagement amongst employees.
Corporate clients can reap the rewards of increased employee productivity, reduced absenteeism, improved employee attraction and retention and enhanced company culture.
Clients can give their employees access to thousands of fitness options through one network, which reduces admin and costs. Employees can take advantage of a range of health benefits, improved engagement and motivation at work, stronger social connections and corporate discounts.
Absolutely we do reduce cost of acquisition, but it’s hard to quantify, as our network is diverse and our models deliver members to clubs in different ways.
Clubs can join our network free and we promote them to our corporate clients at no extra cost, so it’s low risk.
We deliver pre-paid 12-month members and free leads, connecting clubs to corporate members, making the member acquisition process smoother through a single corporate channel that manages the relationships, operational processes and marketing, as well as collecting the revenue and renewing the member.
Over the next five years, we expect demand for fitness plans as part of employee benefit packages to keep growing, especially after the surge we’ve seen since the pandemic.
There’s an increasing interest in practices that promote mindfulness, recovery and regeneration, such as yoga, meditation, breathwork, sound baths and cold-water immersion, and we envisage these practices becoming a core part of wellness programmes.
Wearable technology is likely to gain further traction, as advancements continue to enhance the range and accuracy of measurable health insights. Consumers are increasingly interested in quantifying their health metrics, such as sleep quality, stress levels, women’s health, and VO2 max.
Fitness trends, such as Hyrox and pickleball, are getting exposure, so we expect to see a significant rise in interest for activities like these from our customers.
More: www.epassi.com
The three-day event will attract senior-level business leaders from across the region who want to take their wellbeing and mental health strategies to the next level. Delegates will gather to learn from leading companies in the field, connect with peers in their industry, gain access to the latest insights into wellbeing at work, discuss strategies and validate their own ideas about creating healthy culture at work.
Wellbeing at Work was started in 2014 by Chris Cummings, who was inspired by his partner’s mental health condition to make a positive impact on wellbeing in the workplace and drive positive change.
For more information and to book tickets, visit: www.HCMmag.com/WWSE
