Weight loss, election anxiety and addiction: Employees need multi-tiered support

The challenges employees face outside of the workplace can have a major impact on their mental and physical health — and they're asking employers for benefits that will help. 

When it comes to weight loss management resources for employees, GLP-1s have become a popular benefit to offer. However, workers want more than just medication, according to a new survey from weight management program provider Wondr Health. Lifestyle guidance and mental health support were some of the options Dr. Tim Church, Wondr's chief medical officer, discussed with EBN.

"It looks like employees really care about lifestyle changes, which makes me happy because it means they know what's critical to the success of these medications," says Dr. Church. "These medications are not one-and-done, but an important tool in the toolbox."

Read what else employees are looking for to round out their weight loss journey: Employees need more than GLP-1s to manage their weight

Today's political climate is taking an emotional toll on many people, but may also be interfering with job seekers' ability to find employment. What was recently a bountiful job market has diminished, and employers are not as eager to hire as they were following COVID, says Emily Levine, executive vice president at recruitment and advisory firm Career Group Companies.

"Hiring managers are taking a lot longer to make hiring decisions and being a lot more cautious when making those decisions," Levine says. "Employers are also being a lot more conservative with their spending, which also affects the amount of money that they're offering, and this all lends itself to a season of unpredictability overall." 

Read Levine's take on the hiring climate and her advice to job seekers: Are the 2024 elections to blame for the current labor market?

Substance use disorders among workers are more prevalent than employers might think, and it is crucial that they are proactive in setting up a recovery-ready workplace to support and engage those struggling with addiction. 

"Broadly speaking, people don't feel comfortable asking for this type of benefit simply because of the stigma associated with it," says Dr. Yusuf Sherwani, co-founder and CEO of Pelago. "The negative implications are a big part of why [they're] not talking about it. Where we have seen employers able to bridge the gap is when they've truly embraced this notion of a recovery-ready workplace." 

Read Dr. Sherwani's advice on how to establish the culture and benefit offerings that give employees what they need to get healthy: 3 ways to establish an addiction recovery-ready workplace

Along with basic benefits, some companies are going all out with unique offerings in hopes of retaining talent. Preply published a list of benefits from companies like Meta, HubSpot and Adobe, which offer their employees perks like breast milk shipments, housing stipends and prolonged sabbaticals. 

See what other benefits are working to retain employees: On site spa and laundry room at work? 20 of the most unusual employee benefits