In the past 20 years, there has been a steady decline in workplace wellness programs and benefits, a large survey found.
The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), the world's biggest society of human-resources professionals, analyzed the declining trends in certain wellness or health-related benefits.
A poll of 3,490 human resources professionals showed that in the past year, benefits such as on-site flu shots, insurance premium discounts for not using tobacco products, health coaching and round-the-clock nurse hotlines have all declined.
Only 37 percent of companies involved in the survey offered health coaching to their employees. This type of counseling is created to help employees make healthier choices in terms of lifestyle. In comparison, almost half of the employers offered health coaching last year.
About 54 percent of employers offered on-site seasonal flu shot. In contrast, about 61 percent of them offered the health benefit last year.
While annual salary increase is not disappearing, the survey found that the pay is changing as well. As companies try to limit payroll expenses, more employers are giving bonuses to top performers instead of rolling out annual salary increase.
The survey found that more workers are now eligible for a wide variety of bonuses. Last year, 43 percent of employers rolled our spontaneous spot bonuses. In 2012, only 38 percent offered the same.
According to Evren Esen, survey programs director at SHRM, employers "may be taking a step back" as they start to analyze participation data and their investment returns.
The survey's two decades of data revealed significant changes in the rise of telecommuting (work from home) as a work benefit in many companies. Since 1996, the number of employers that offer telecommuting surged to 60 percent from a mere 20 percent.
Despite the scale back, the survey saw the rise of other benefits such as nap rooms, fitness centers and standing desks options. The SHRM said that the changes could be a sign that employers are becoming more deliberate in their selection of employee wellness programs.
"Strong and effective wellness programs can help reduce the costs of health care and improve employee health," wrote SHRM [PDF].
They survey also highlighted that in the past four years, more employees have participated in wellness programs. Moreover, 82 percent of the companies with wellness initiatives said their programs were "somewhat or very effective" in helping employees improve their state of health.
Lastly, 77 percent of the companies said their wellness programs were "somewhat or very effective" in lowering the company's health care expenses.
