Employee Benefits poll: More than 90% of organisations intend to introduce new wellbeing benefits this year, as employers begin to look beyond the pandemic yet recognise health and wellbeing will remain a priority for many employees.
Of organisations surveyed in an online poll, almost all (91%) agreed that they would be introducing new wellbeing support benefits for staff for the new year. A further 6% of those polled said they were considering doing so, while just 3% said this was not something on their agenda for 2022.
This focus on health and wellbeing support is already being seen in moves by a number of employers as a way to drive engagement and employee wellbeing.
Earlier this month global technology firm Wise announced new leave policies for all of its 3,000 employees across the world.
All workers who have been at the organisation for more than one year will have access to 18 fully-paid weeks of parental leave for birth or adoption. A total of 10 days leave on full pay will be available for any employees affected by pregnancy loss.
In addition, staff will have 33 days annual leave per year including local public holidays, three ‘me’ days per year to help them manage their life and six weeks of paid sabbatical leave available every four years of service. Those located in the UK and Australia will receive an extra five days of fully paid sick leave.
Hayley Bucur, senior people leader at Wise, said at the time: “Time and again we see people wanting real workplace benefits that truly enhance their work life balance. It’s not about office gimmicks any more, but creating a genuinely better place to work. We hope that standardising our global minimums will create a better, and fairer, balance for our Wisers regardless of where they are.”
In the run-up to Christmas, West Lothian Council in Scotland agreed to introduce a menopause policy for staff, which will include flexible working, an employee assistance programme and an initiative to support attendance.
And retail bank TSB unveiled a support package for new parents, those affected by parental or pregnancy-related bereavement and those experiencing menopause or infertility.
Its policy will enable new primary and co-parents, as well as adoptive parents, to take up to a year of leave to spend with their child, with 20 weeks at full pay.
