How employee benefits can help support your workforce’s physical health

Our report Mind, Body, and Wallet: Workforce well-being in the pandemic era found that even though 3 in 4 working Americans believe that maintaining a healthy lifestyle is important, only 1 in 4 workers feel that they are successfully doing the things that support their physical health — like exercising or eating a healthy diet.1

As an employer, you can help support the physical health of your workforce through:

Benefits that incentivize healthy behaviors that build resilience
Building a plan, so you know how to respond if an employee is sick or injured
Adopting strategies that support your employees’ recovery and return to work

Building workforce resilience

While more than 3 in 5 companies report that they are doing a good job supporting employees’ physical health — encouraging fitness, weight management, and healthy eating habits — fewer than 2 in 5 employees say that their organization’s current benefits address their physical health well. Employers have an opportunity to build a resilient workforce by encouraging healthy habits and offering workplace benefits that promote physical well-being and prevent disability and illness.

Watch: Designing a healthy home workspace

Video transcript

Have a plan to respond if something should happen to your workforce

Every year, around five percent of US employees will experience a short-term disability due to illness, injury, or pregnancy.  In 2021, more than 2 out of 4 full-time US employees (54 percent) don’t have disability insurance. Platforms to help you manage the complicated legislation around employee leave, and benefits like disability insurance — which can help your employees to manage if they became sick or injured and were unable to work — can help keep your workforce prepared.

Support your employees’ recovery and return to work

Employee benefits and workplace strategies that support physical health can help your employees to have a smooth transition back to the office following an illness or injury.  

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Disclaimer

1 Unless otherwise noted, all data is sourced from Guardian’s 10th Annual Workplace Benefits Study, 2021.

Material discussed is meant for general informational purposes only and is not to be construed as tax, legal, investment or medical advice. Although the information has been gathered from sources believed to be reliable, please note that individual situations can vary. Therefore, the information should be relied upon only when coordinated with individual professional advice. Links to external sites are provided for your convenience in locating related information and services. Guardian, its subsidiaries, agents and employees expressly disclaim any responsibility for and do not maintain, control, recommend, or endorse third-party sites, organizations, products, or services and make no representation as to the completeness, suitability, or quality thereof.

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