The wellness stipend is a popular perk in today’s workplace. These stipends, typically ranging from a few hundred to a thousand dollars annually, are intended to encourage employees to prioritize their health and well-being. But are wellness stipends the optimal solution for employee health?
While the intention behind these initiatives is commendable, they may not be the best investment to improve employee health. Discover the top reasons wellness stipends don’t always work and learn about a more effective and affordable alternative.
Wellness: A Key Part of Compensation
In today’s competitive labor market, employers need outstanding benefits packages to recruit and keep top talent. While salaries and traditional benefits like health insurance and retirement plans are still crucial, employers are increasingly turning to wellness benefits as a key component of their compensation packages.
At first glance, wellness stipends might appear to be a cost-effective solution to improving employee health. While stipends can be a great perk, there are some limitations to consider.
Top Three Downsides of Wellness Stipends
1. Administrative Burden
One of the primary challenges with wellness stipends is the administrative burden they place on the HR and finance departments. Processing reimbursement requests, verifying expenses, and ensuring compliance with company policies can consume significant time and resources. This administrative overhead can divert HR’s attention from other initiatives that could provide greater returns for the company.
2. Lack of Measurable Impact
There’s little evidence to suggest that wellness stipends translate into lasting improvements in employee health. Stipends can cover a wide range of services and products considered wellness. Weight-loss program memberships and fitness classes may be options, but some companies offer stipends for blenders and air fryers, massages, meal delivery subscriptions, dietary supplements, and even mattresses.
Additionally, it can be difficult to track the use of wellness stipends. For example, an employee may sign up for a gym membership but never use it.
Furthermore, while stipends offer a financial reward, they may not motivate someone who isn’t already interested in fitness. Some employees may view it simply as extra cash and not an incentive to exercise.
3. Inclusivity and Accessibility Concerns
Beyond administrative hurdles, some employees may not be able to use certain wellness stipends due to mobility challenges or other physical limitations. For those employees, it’s important to offer alternative wellness support, such as meditation and sleep programs.
Physical Activity: A Proven Alternative to Wellness Stipends
Instead of offering a scattered menu of wellness stipends, promoting consistent physical activity is the most cost-effective way to improve employee health. Research overwhelmingly shows the benefits of regular exercise. Better weight management, reduced risks of hypertension and diabetes, lower chronic disease risk, and improved mental health are just some of the proven benefits of exercise.
Aaptiv: An Easy, Cost-Effective Fitness and Wellness Solution
Aaptiv’s all-in-one wellness solution offers seamless administration, tracks employee engagement, and delivers personalized programs tailored to every fitness level —all at a monthly cost significantly lower than that of traditional wellness stipends. With an extensive selection of over 9,500 on-demand classes spanning 16 fitness and wellness categories, plus access to a network of over 19,000 national and local gyms, employees get exactly what they want and need to improve their health and well-being.
Learn more about Aaptiv employee fitness and wellness benefits.
