Nowadays, you can meet companies that offer numerous different memberships to increase the health level of their staff and, as a result, their productivity. However, not everyone agrees with this concept. In my humble opinion, it is a great point when the employer decides to provide financial compensation instead of a particular membership. In this essay, I will share the pros and cons of both approaches.
On the one hand, when you have access to specific amenities such as gyms, swimming pools or sports clubs, it makes your life easier. You do not need to research the best option that is convenient for you or negotiate to send an invoice directly to the company. You just have to register to use some specific bonus and that is it. I remember how the employees could visit a ski arena of one of their employers’ partners, it was amazing.
On the other hand, if companies transform these benefits into money and include it in the salary, this will give an opportunity to their staff a choice of what they want without restrictions. People will be able to decide what they need more, to improve their health or to have a good rest to work more effectively. For example, I had a situation when I wanted to join a yoga group, however, there were only memberships to a local conservation area and a climbing club.
In conclusion, I would like to say that whilst subsidized memberships have their own charm, people can make a decision themselves about what is the best option for their health in a particular period of their life and what can move their job to a new level. I know a human resources department is responsible for the investigation of staff happiness, and I hope they will periodically collect feedback from colleagues to better understand their needs.