Palo Alto, CA, November 1, 2021 – Organizations continue to battle the great resignation with multi-tiered benefits in this ongoing and global pandemic. With return-to-workplace, remote, and hybrid office environments, human resource teams seek to adopt wellbeing programs to create parity of wellness benefits that meet employees wherever they are.
Making wellbeing a global and inclusion tactic
“Over 80 percent of mid-size and enterprise companies offer wellness programs” discussed Dr. Alex Shubat, CEO of Espresa. “Our goal has been to create an effortless path for HR teams to deliver truly meaningful care to employees,” Dr. Shubat continued. “Les Mills provides next-caliber-quality workout programs we can now deploy directly to employees online and in-app, regardless of location.”
Espresa has integrated Les Mills directly into its mobile-first platform, adding its highly produced content for customers in multiple languages. “Being a global company requires delivering native language content,” spoke Dr. Shubat. “We focused on delivering reimbursements (LSAs) in every currency and language – now, we’re delivering platform content in multiple languages, and with content that is globally relevant and inclusive to all.”
Pandemic-led positive change
Based on the pandemic, physical and mental health have become paramount. Espresa chose Les Mills based on its commitment to excellence with cinema-quality fitness, mindfulness, and meditation classes, and its ongoing research and partnership with Penn State University to ensure programs are scientifically proven and will deliver results.
“Increasingly companies are investing in employee fitness, which is exciting because the more we can get people moving on their own, the better,” said Dan Hoskinson, Les Mills Business Development Director. “With this partnership we reach Espresa’s expansive global audience of innovative companies. For us, it’s one huge step forward in creating a fitter planet.”
According to a 2021 Aflac study, 70 percent of employees enrolled in wellness programs reported higher job satisfaction. Incentivizing healthy behavior in the workplace also reduces health risks and chronic disease, which has significant impact on healthcare costs and business outcomes.
“Companies have to answer the question, “what can you do for me,” spoke Susan Lovegren, former Chief People Officer for Medallia, Juniper Networks, and Plantronics. She continued. “With the epic levels of stress that employees are experiencing, wellbeing and mindfulness, along with lifestyle spending accounts are meeting the moment in supporting the whole person – body, spirit, and mind. Espresa and Les Mills’ relationship delivers on the distinct care that a company can provide. Empathy wins at keeping employees engaged and loyal, it’s not a one-sided relationship, it’s bi-directional.”
On the Espresa platform, Les Mills fitness classes are available standalone and integrated with the full suite of Espresa’s Culture Benefits’ modules. Les Mills content also complements Espresa’s additional workplace employee engagement offerings, including reimbursements and Lifestyle Spending Accounts (LSAs), challenges, and its partner network for live programs to create an overall employee wellness strategy.
“Wellbeing benefits beyond typical healthcare is a successful retention strategy,” discussed Dr. Shubat. “With Espresa and Les Mills, we are expanding on our mission to deliver inclusive benefits for every employee, globally.”
About Espresa®
Espresa, Inc. is the world's first Culture Benefits® platform offering a modular ecosystem of non-traditional benefits and employee experience programs within a single SaaS and mobile solution that makes hero’s out of HR teams. Espresa is a global organization supporting all languages, time zones, and currencies. More information is available at www.espresa.com/product/wellbeing-fitness/
About Les Mills
Les Mills is the global leader in group fitness. Les Mills programs include the world’s first group exercise resistance training workout BODYPUMP™, BODYCOMBAT™ (martial arts), RPM™ (indoor cycling), LES MILLS GRIT™ (30-minute high-intensity interval training) and the revolutionary immersive cycle experience, THE TRIP™. Each workout is refreshed and updated with new choreography and music every three months.
Founded in New Zealand in 1968 by four-time Olympian Les Mills, the company has grown over the past 52 years to become the world-leader group fitness. Les Mills workouts are delivered by 140,000 certified instructors in 20,000 clubs across 100 countries. More information is available at www.lesmills.com.
