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Companies implementing return-to-office (RTO) policies are increasingly pairing them with wellness benefits to support employees adjusting to in-person work.
As office attendance climbs back to pre-pandemic levels in cities like New York and Miami, businesses are experimenting with incentives such as additional paid time off, workplace wellness centers, and flexible scheduling.
According to Fortune, which ranked the best companies to work for this year, major employers are prioritizing “recharge days” to help workers manage stress. Hospitality giant IHG now offers three paid recharge days annually, while tech firm ServiceNow provides six additional wellbeing days. HP, known for its flexible workplace initiatives, grants employees a designated “me day” each year.
At Jackson Healthcare, Intuit, and Sheetz, workers have access to wellness centers featuring fitness programs, nutrition consultations, and counselling services. Wellstar Health System has gone further, creating 16 relaxation spaces equipped with massage chairs, healthy snacks, and soothing music.
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Flexible scheduling and wellness incentives
Beyond paid recharge time, some companies are adjusting work schedules to enhance work-life balance. Employees at Florida’s Breakers resort benefit from a four-day work week when staffing levels allow, while financial firm Fannie Mae permits early Friday departures at 1 p.m. Similarly, Ryan, a tax services company, shuts down operations for a full week each July, mirroring Vertex Pharmaceuticals’ biannual companywide closures.
Incentives also extend to financial support for personal wellbeing. Intuit offers employees a $1,300 reimbursement for wellness-related purchases, including gym equipment and fitness programs.
The initiatives align with a broader corporate shift toward emphasizing mental and physical health amid the ongoing transition to office-based work.
Workplace trends reflect changing attitudes
The renewed emphasis on worker wellbeing follows years of workplace trends which emerged in response to pandemic-driven burnout and the rise of flexible work arrangements.
Concepts such as “quiet quitting” and “quiet vacationing” gained traction as employees sought to set clearer boundaries between work and personal life. More recently, “The Great Detachment” has reflected growing dissatisfaction with traditional corporate structures.
Yet some employees returning to the office remain disengaged. A trend known as “task masking” or “fauxductivity” has surfaced among Gen Z professionals, where workers create the appearance of productivity without taking on additional responsibility.
Strategies include scheduling unnecessary meetings, delaying tasks, or even using mouse-movement software to simulate activity.
According to career expert Amanda Augustine, companies pushing for full-time office attendance may be reinforcing a perception that physical presence equates to productivity.
“Young professionals increasingly believe that time spent at work does not necessarily reflect their true impact or contributions,” she told Fortune.
As businesses refine their RTO strategies, leaders are balancing operational needs with employee expectations. The success of those efforts may depend on how effectively companies integrate wellness programs with a changing workplace culture.
