Dive Brief:
- Millennials are prioritizing their own wellbeing but said they feel their employers are missing the mark, according to a new survey from Welltok. More than half are employer flight risks due to work-related stress, the survey noted, but only 20% know how to access resources that may be available to them. Almost three-quarters believe their company is responsible to help manage and reduce stress in the workplace.
- Now more than ever, millennials expect workplace wellness to be personalized to them; 85% of those surveyed said they would more likely participate in wellness programs if their employer provided more relevant support. A majority, 62%, said they've been offered resources irrelevant to their needs at least to some extent.
- Millennials said benefits such as extra vacation time, gym memberships and flexible work schedules motivate them to "take health actions."
Dive Insight:
While nearly half of businesses offer some form of wellness initiatives, employees may remain unaware of what's available, how to use the services and how to get the most out of programs — a problem for employers since wellness programs are a strong consideration in deciding whether to work for a company for the majority of job seekers, an OfficeTeam survey noted earlier this year.
Employers have been slammed in the past for offering subpar wellness programs, but for many, wellness has taken on a more holistic meaning that encompasses more than just biometrics. More initiatives are focused on employees with mental health issues, fatigue and stress that may impact their overall health and include facets like financial education and more robust employee assistance programs. In response to this trend, the U.S. Department of Labor recently offered up a mental health toolkit to help employers understand issues and provide support.
The push toward personalization is part of a broader HR tech shift into building better employee experience. Personalizing benefits through data collection and making them accessible through simple tools could enhance engagement on a number of initiatives, experts have previously said.
