Publicist Jill Simmons has a demanding full-time job at the Seattle-based real estate information company Zillow.
Yet she still manages to rack up 12,000 steps most weekdays.
The 39-year-old knows this because she tracks them on her company-provided Fitbit, a gift to each new employee.
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“It makes a huge difference in my focus and energy level.”
If her health perks sound surprising, consider this: They’re becoming increasingly common.
A decade ago, “workplace wellness” meant halfhearted smoking-cessation programs and free flu shots.
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Google offers in-house massages.
Tired of your sad salad al desko?
Facebook serves healthy eats at a raw-food bar the company is experimenting with in its New York City offices.
AOL provides nap rooms, where you could catch a rejuvenating hour of shut-eye.
The list goes on: Lululemon pays for employees to take two boutique fitness classes each week.
Burton hands out season passes to local mountains.
Square has discounted on-site acupuncture.
And Sweetgreen hosts a 20-minute meditation break every day at 4 p.m.
Many of these healthy extras are the by-products of start-up culture and its “people operations” departments.
“The people who run these companies are interested in health and wellness.
And the younger generations expect it; it’s not a privilege.”
Cutting-edge wellness programs have been adopted by small businesses and massive consulting firms alike.
Primal Wear, a Denver-based cycling apparel maker, pays entry fees for local races.
They even bought her lunch with coworkers afterward.
“They did everything for me,” says McGuire, 23.
“All I had to do was show up.”
“I’ve seen stingrays and even otters in the middle of a workday.”
But technology has also made it easier for work to follow us everywhere.
Which raises the question: Has wellness become yet another calendar item to stuff into our packed work schedules?
“My CEO walks around urging us to get up and get some fresh air,” she says.
“Without his encouragement, I’d be eating at my desk every day.”
Of course, businesses have plenty to gain from wellness, too.
“It was more important that your company ‘cared’ about your wellness.”
When considering the offer, she weighed the work environment and actual job equally.
“That didn’t just mean beanbag chairs,” she says.
Employees who believe that their employer genuinely cares about their health report higher well-being and engagement with their job.
“It’s not the way this area is moving.”
These innovative programs still represent a small portion of corporate wellness initiatives across the nation.
“But we all need to stop and breathe every now and then.”
This article originally appeared in the October 2016 issue of SELF.
This full issue is available September 27 on national newsstands.
