Here's a scenario that plays out in organisations up and down the country every year.
HR team spends months designing a benefits package. They include a gym benefit - probably a subsidised membership to one specific provider - tick the wellbeing box, and move on. Employees receive an all-staff email. A handful sign up. Most don't. Nobody's quite sure why. The gym benefit sits there, quietly not working, year after year.
Sound familiar?
You're not alone. Around 6 in 10 employees say they are not using the benefits available to them. And wellbeing benefits - despite being one of the fastest-growing areas of investment - are often among the worst offenders for low uptake.
The reason isn't that employees don't care about their health. The reason is that the benefits weren't designed around who employees actually are.
In our webinar, we introduced the concept of the 'average employee' — the fictional composite that most benefits packages are quietly designed around. Mid-thirties, full-time, office-based, broadly healthy, probably near the head office location.
When it comes to wellbeing benefits, this average employee assumption is particularly damaging. Because what works for one person is completely irrelevant to another.
Take fitness. Jamie, 28, lives in central Manchester and wants access to boutique fitness studios and yoga classes that fit around shift patterns. Kieran, 41, is based in a market town in Somerset — the nearest branded gym is a 35-minute drive away. Aisha, 34, works remotely and needs something flexible enough to use whenever she can carve out the time, not a fixed membership tied to one location.
Same benefits package. Three people who can't use it.
If your gym benefit only works for employees who live near the right postcode, prefer the right type of workout, and can get there at the right time — it isn't really a benefit for most of your workforce. It's a benefit for some of them. And increasingly, employees know the difference.
Here's the uncomfortable bit. Most organisations are increasing their wellbeing investment. Our research shows 77% of HR leaders say their business is now investing more into health and wellbeing benefits than before. That's significant budget.
But only 24% of employees feel their wellbeing is taken seriously where they work.
That is not a small gap. That is an almost complete disconnect between what employers think they're providing and what employees are actually experiencing. And it points to the same root cause as low benefits uptake in general: investment without insight.
56% of employees say the quality of their benefits package has a direct impact on their morale at work. Wellbeing support that doesn't feel relevant doesn't just fail to help - it actively signals to employees that their employer doesn't really understand them.
The shift happening in wellbeing benefits right now is away from one-size-fits-all provision and towards flexible, accessible, genuinely useful support. And nowhere is this clearer than in fitness benefits.
The old model - a corporate membership to one gym chain, usually near head office, take it or leave it - is finally on its way out. And about time.
Because a gym benefit that only works for employees who live near the right location, prefer the right kind of exercise, and can get there at the right time isn't really a benefit for most of your workforce. It's a benefit for some of them. And increasingly, employees know the difference.
55% of employees say they'd be more likely to exercise if their employer offered a discounted gym membership or passes to classes. The demand is there. The question is whether what you're offering is flexible enough to meet it.
Epassi's approach to wellbeing benefits is built around the same principle that should underpin every benefits decision: different employees need different things, and a benefit that doesn't fit someone's life won't get used.
Through GymFlex and MyGymDiscounts, Epassi gives employees discounted access to the UK's largest fitness network – a choice of thousands of gyms, leisure centres, studios and classes across the country. Not one gym. Not one type of workout. A genuine choice that works whether you're in a city centre or a market town, whether you want weights or yoga, whether your schedule allows a lunchtime class or an early morning swim.
GymFlex
GymFlex is a salary deductions scheme, offering employees and their partners exclusive corporate discounts on 12-month gym memberships. With discounts available at a choice of thousands of gyms, leisure centres, health clubs, bootcamps, studios and more, it offers something for everyone, no matter their location, budget or fitness preference. And with partner and child memberships available, the benefit extends beyond the employee and the whole family can take advantage of great savings.
MyGymDiscounts
MyGymDiscounts is a self-paid discount scheme giving employees and their partners access to discounted gym memberships at a choice of fitness facilities across the UK and Ireland. Whether you prefer hitting the gym, working out from home with digital fitness options, or just starting your fitness journey with a flexible membership, there's something to suit everyone — with no admin burden for HR teams.
HealthiFlex
HealthiFlex is a salary deduction scheme giving employees and their partners access to discounted health assessments across a network of clinics throughout the UK — from in-clinic screenings to at-home test kits. The cost is spread over 12 months, making it an easy way for employers to shift from reactive to preventive healthcare and reduce absence before it happens.
MyHealthDiscounts
MyHealthDiscounts is a self-paid discount scheme giving employees and their partners access to savings on health assessments, at-home test kits and digital health services — including remote GP appointments and online counselling. No payroll input, no admin burden. Just a flexible option that works across a varied workforce.
MyActiveDiscounts
MyActiveDiscounts is a retail discount platform giving employees instant access to savings at big-name brands — from activewear and fitness trackers to healthy meal deliveries, spa breaks and days out. With unlimited usage and new offers added monthly, it's one of the most inclusive benefits going: something for everyone, whatever their lifestyle.
And because Epassi provides the insights and reporting to connect wellbeing investment to outcomes, HR teams can finally answer the question leadership always asks: is it working?
One more thing worth considering. Employees with high benefit satisfaction are significantly more likely to still be with their employer in two years. The link between feeling genuinely supported at work and choosing to stay is well established.
Our research found that 63% of employees would now leave their role if another company offered them a better benefits package — rising to 71% of Gen Z employees and 70% of Millennials. And with 62% saying a company's benefits package is the most important consideration when choosing an employer (up from 42% in 2023), the stakes have never been higher.
Wellbeing benefits that employees actually use - that fit their lives, feel relevant to their circumstances, and make a tangible difference to how they feel - aren't just a nice addition to a benefits package. They're one of the most powerful retention tools available.
But only when they're designed around who employees actually are. Not the average. The actual.
Find out more about Epassi today