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The COVID-19 pandemic has changed everything—and how employers approach fitness and wellbeing for their employees is changing too.  A growing number of companies are recognizing this and finding resourceful ways to keep employees safe as they return to work.


We recently surveyed several of our clients across industries—from insurance, financial services, manufacturing and pharmaceutical to technology, energy and retail—about their top concerns. Here’s what they said:

Top 10 concerns related to employee wellbeing

1. Mental health, resiliency, stress, anxiety, emotional wellbeing
2. Returning to work safely
3. Helping employee stay physically active and engaged in health
4. Reopening fitness facility safely
5. Supporting employees caring for kids at home
6. COVID-19 prevention
7. Offering hybrid health and fitness programming that includes virtual and on-site
8. Access to testing and quick COVID-19 results
9. Ergonomics
10. Communications

Supporting employees as they return to work safely
Survey results of our clients show that the teams responsible for determining employee re-entry include HR managers, the business continuity teams as well as medical directors and clinicians. Here are the top ways they are supporting employees:

Boosting benefits
Throughout the pandemic many companies are helping employees by providing enhanced benefits that include reimbursing or waiving costs associated with the diagnosis and testing of COVID-19.
 
Masks and training
To support employees returning to work, a growing number of companies are moving toward contact tracing, temperature screenings as well as mandatory masks, and a health questionnaire as employees enter the building to make sure that they haven't been exposed. Employees also receive online training prior to being allowed back onto the corporate campus.

One company uses thermal image cameras and social distancing technology that buzzes when employees are closer than six feet of each other. Another manufacturing company uses a thermal image camera that reads an employee’s temperature when they come into the facility.

A growing number of companies are restricting access of who goes back to the office including doing specific groups that will be alternating days, some will be in the office on Tuesday, Thursday, and some will come to the office on opposite days.

Reopening offices is about more than just physical health for employees
Our Senior Director, Program Management & Engagement James Aranowski shares six ways our clients are tackling the emotional and mental health of their employees as they consider how to reopen their offices and onsite fitness centers. Read the article in BenefitsPro.

Connect with us to learn more.