03/28/2024

Why Most Workplace Wellness Benefits Actually Don't Work

Some say we need to fundamentally rethink workplace culture

Once, at a previous job, just after our annual insurance re-enrollment presentation, I noticed that mental health deductibles were no longer offered in my insurance renewal options. I contacted my HR rep to see if my therapy would no longer be covered. It wouldn't—a session that previously cost me $35 out of pocket would now cost $175.

I asked to meet with her and explained how detrimental I felt this would be for myself and my colleagues. She put on her best concerned face, told me she really valued my input, and pivoted to a new company benefit she hadn’t touched on in the re-enrollment presentation: Certain plans came with two monthly coaching sessions. I asked whether or not these were personal coaches or certified therapists. She said she’d look into that and get back to me. She never did.

A recent study by Oxford fellow William Fleming in the Industrial Relations Journal found that workers who participated in company-sponsored “wellness benefits”—including sleep apps, mindfulness seminars and even the sort of 1-on-1 coaching sessions this HR rep offered—were no better off than their fellow workers who opted out of these initiatives.

Please select this link to read the complete article from Fast Company.