40 Finance Monthly. Bank i ng & F i nanc i a l Se r v i ce s programmes offer confidential, professional support for a wide range of personal issues, including alcohol and substance misuse, financial or legal problems, stress and burnout, and mental health problems. Many offer a referral service to help direct employees to the support they need, while also offering direct counselling and treatment. Often, EAP services are also available to other family members in the employee’s household – helping to support their whole family’s health and well-being. While many companies offer an EAP, employees are often unaware that it’s available to them – either because they were never told or have forgotten. So, to get the most out of the programme, be sure to communicate to employees what’s available and how to access the programme. 4. Gym Memberships Encouraging employees to exercise more frequently through a gym membership can help improve both their physical and mental wellbeing. There are a few options for offering gym membership as an employee benefit: • Fully fund employee gym memberships such as through an employee benefit that grants access to various gyms and fitness brands, or by agreeing a corporate membership with a specific gym. • A set contribution towards a gym membership, whereby both the employer and employee make payments towards the membership fee. This might be suitable for businesses with a lower employee benefits budget. • Make contributions to gym memberships. Businesses can allow employees to pay for their memberships through a salary sacrifice scheme. Employees can choose their own gym, and themonthly charges are deducted from their pre-tax salary to save themmoney on tax contributions. 5. Meditation and Mindfulness Helping employees to practice meditation and mindfulness can deliver several mental well-being benefits, including reduced stress and increased focus and emotional intelligence. Businesses could consider: • Hosting mindfulness and meditation sessions, either at the workplace or offsite. There are
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy Mjk3Mzkz