Worker Wellness

Time to recharge eases the growing demands of a return to the office.

- Orianna Rosa Royle

HENRY FORD brought the 40-hour work-week to the Western world nearly a century ago, believing that giving workers eight hours of labor, eight hours of recreation, and eight hours of rest would improve retention and morale.

However, between commutes, school runs, and last-minute holdbacks at the office, it took a pandemic-induced global shutdown to realize that 8-8-8 had slowly morphed into something more like 12-6-6. Working from home briefly allowed workers to claw back some of that time.

Now, as leaders increasingly order staff back to the office, they're sweetening the deal by giving them some time back.

Jackson Healthcare (No. 99), Intuit (No. 78), Sheetz (No. 40), and many others provide workers with wellness centers where they can exercise, receive nutrition advice, or even talk through their mental health struggles.

Nonprofit health care provider Wellstar Health System (No. 93) has an extensive range of benefits aimed at giving its 28,000 workers a breather, including 16 “wellness rooms” across major locations.