Employers think if they grace employees with a wellness policy they are looking after their staff. The truth is many do it for show and as a check marking exercise for their HR files. They give the appearance of care without actually offering any real genuine care. That’s tokenism.
I have known people who have worked for a large mobile company who used to offer a “Wellness Wednesday” lunch break which was 2 hours instead of the usual 1 hour. Then they’d be difficult in allowing an employee to leave early on a Friday to catch the early train home to prepare for their holiday the following morning. Doesn’t add up. That’s when you know you are being treated as part of blanket policy they have put in place to look good which has nothing to do with you personally. Wellness is about an individual’s needs not a one size fits all approach.
Other companies give out merchandise as if they were gifts: t shirts, mugs and the like. But that’s just branding and propaganda. If you really care offer staff something they might actually need or appreciate. No one wants to be reminded of their work place when they are at home. A branded mug is hardly likely to make an employee smile first thing in the morning drinking their first cup of tea! Offer them a petrol/store discount card, an allowance for lunch that they can spend whenever wherever they like.
