‘Game changer’ | Padel courts & office gyms: Are fitness perks back in vogue?

With the corporate wellness wave tapering in recent years, fitness perks have perhaps become the proverbial punching bag of workplace benefits.

A mid and post-Pandemic emphasis on offerings such as gym discounts, access to physical and mental health-related apps, and nutritious office snacks initially resonated with workers looking to get a healthier handle on their work-life balance.

But as financial pressures on workers and employers have increased, the conversation has shifted. There is a shared agreement that individual perks must work harder, delivering tangible value to staff and measurable impact for the business, to maintain their place in benefits packages. Experts, meanwhile, have consistently called for a shift to more deeply embedded health and wellbeing strategies.

Accordingly, boilerplate fitness perks – such as discounted or free access to a gym – have been scrutinised over their relevance and worth.