As employee health and wellness continues to become an area of focus for employers across the world, leading companies are making unique and differentiating wellness perks a staple of their benefits package. These benefits are becoming the norm and are critical for companies to recruit, retain, and engage talent. Below are five of our favorite examples currently being implemented by companies.
JP Morgan Chase
Despite the prevalence of autism in the United States (one in 68 children), few companies offer autism benefits. JPMorgan Chase offers autism benefits to its 160,000 U.S. employees, many of which are being affected by the disease. Benefits include coverage for the initial autism diagnosis and the various types of therapies that are often prescribed for the neurobiological disorder. This includes applied behavioral analytics, cognitive behavioral therapy, nutritional counseling, periodic developmental screening, individual or group family therapy, speech and occupational and physical therapy.
Boxed
Boxed takes helping employees with large life event expenses very seriously. It starts with paying for college tuition for the children of employees and includes covering the wedding expenses for all unmarried employees. With benefits like these, Boxed likely enjoys high employee retention. Don’t be surprised when parents tell their children that they spent their entire careers at Boxed!
PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC)
Employers are beginning to see the toll that student debt is taking on their employees. This includes higher stress and personal distractions. PwC responded this summer by helping nearly half of its 46,000 employees pay down their student loans. The company will contribute $100 per month ($1,200 per year) for up to six years (a maximum of $7,200) to help non-management employees pay down their student loans. With an average employee age of 28, the impact will certainly be felt and recognized.
Microsoft
Last year, Microsoft made a number of changes to its benefits package, including doubling the amount of paid time off new parents will receive, adding companywide holidays, and reworking its 401(k) matching program. The company also began to offer one-on-one financial coaching sessions with a Fidelity representative. According to the Microsoft benefits team, one of the goals of the changes was to equalize healthcare and retirement benefits, which highlights the increasingly important role financial wellness is playing in overall well-being.
La Macchia Enterprises
Content is king! La Macchia posts new health and wellness content on their website every day and employees are regularly encouraged to check it out. The company also hosts an annual “Wellness Action Day,” a daylong event for employees and their families that features wellness vendors, healthy snacks, and fitness games. With more than 95% participation in the program, the wellness program must be doing something right.