People are beginning to understand that a one-size-fits-all approach to wellness benefits doesn’t work. But how does an organization offer a broadly appealing program while also managing its own administrative resources? You can’t do everything.
The pandemic pause brought us to a moment of collective reckoning about what it means to live well and to work well. As a result, employees are sending employers an urgent signal that they are no longer willing to choose one — life or work — at the cost of the other. Working from home brought life literally into our work. And as the world now goes hybrid, employees are drawing firmer boundaries about how much of their work comes into their life. Where does this leave employers? And which perspectives and programs contribute most to progress? In our newest interview series, Working Well: How Companies Are Creating Cultures That Support & Sustain Mental, Emotional, Social, Physical & Financial Wellness, we are talking to successful executives, entrepreneurs, managers, leaders, and thought leaders across all industries to share ideas about how to shift company cultures in light of this new expectation. We’re discovering strategies and steps employers and employees can take together to live well and to work well.
Cassidy Rouse is Senior Vice President of Growth Partnerships & Corporate Wellness at Peloton. He oversees product, sales, account management, marketing, and operations for Peloton’s commercial partnerships and its emerging Corporate Wellness business. Prior to joining Peloton, Cassidy was the first employee and head of Business Development at Streetcred, a location services startup based in NYC, and was formerly at Samsung, where he held a number of roles across strategy and business development, including Chief of Staff to the President.
Thank you for making time to visit with us about the topic of our time. Our readers would like to get to know you better. Tell us about a formative experience that prompted you to change your relationship with work and how work shows up in your life.
Thanks for having me. Probably like many of your readers, my relationship with work changed dramatically when I started a family. When your priorities multiply so quickly, everything becomes a trade-off.
For me, it’s forced a healthy prioritization of what’s important and what can wait. I’ve also learned that prioritizing myself is not selfish. We all know what we need to be in a good place, mentally and physically. For some, it’s a workout and for others maybe it’s some quiet time with a book. If you don’t fight for that, you’re not being your best self at work or at home.
Harvard Business Review predicts that wellness will become the newest metric employers will use to analyze and to assess their employees’ mental, physical and financial health. How does the Corporate Wellness business define wellness, and how does the program measure it?
Even before the pandemic, numerous studies have shown that burnout, stress, and other mental health challenges were drastically increasing within the workplace — and occurring across all industries. Workplace stress and burnout not only affect the worker, they also have adverse effects on company culture and performance. So, it’s vital that organizations look at wellness holistically — mental, physical, and financial — and make it a priority.
“Wellness” is difficult to measure, because everyone’s approach to wellness is different. At Peloton, we want people to be the best version of themselves so everyone is able to live a happier and healthier life. That’s why we ultimately launched Peloton Corporate Wellness, which helps organizations play an active role in the physical and mental wellness of their people.
Measurement is a top priority for us and our Members. There is no greater value than hearing from Members about how Peloton has impacted their lives. 97% of Members who activated their benefit through Peloton Corporate Wellness noted that their well-being has improved, with nearly 80% reporting that they worked out more after joining. And as a bonus, 90% of these Members ranked Peloton Corporate Wellness as one of the top three benefits offered by their employers — ranking above financial wellness, mental health and therapy offerings — highlighting Peloton’s influence within and outside the workplace.
Based on your experience or research, how do you correlate and quantify the impact of a well workforce on an organization’s productivity and profitability?
It’s hard to perform your best as an employee when you’re not feeling healthy, engaged and even appreciated. We believe that begins with offering a comprehensive wellness solution that is accessible, intuitive, and fun.
We started Peloton Corporate Wellness to enable other companies to grow into their best selves — beginning with the wellness of their team members. Based on our latest data, Members have experienced an overall boost in productivity at work, with 81% feeling more focused throughout their day. Additionally, an overwhelming number of respondents have experienced an overall feeling of efficiency and achievement — with 92% having a greater sense of accomplishment and 90% having more energy throughout the day.
Even though most leaders have good intentions when it comes to employee wellness, programs that require funding are beholden to business cases like any other initiative. The World Health Organization estimates for every $1 invested into treatment for common mental health disorders, there is a return of $4 in improved health and productivity. That sounds like a great ROI. And, yet many employers struggle to fund wellness programs that seem to come “at the cost of the business.” What advice do you have to offer to other organizations and leaders who feel stuck between intention and impact?
There is ample research outlining the financial benefits of wellness programs. According to the CDC, when workplaces implement wellness programs properly, they can return a 25% savings on healthcare and associated costs. The key word here is “properly.” ‘
For a program to be successful, a few things need to occur. First, it must be broadly accessible to your target population. No matter your work schedule, workout preferences, or even your taste in music, there needs to be something for everyone. For example, workouts that don’t require any equipment or those that can be done at your desk have grown in popularity with our Corporate Wellness audience.
Second, people must regularly engage. Our entire platform is optimized to help people own their own fitness journey — no matter their fitness level. Through features like corporate challenges and programs like the Power of Sleep, Beginner Yoga, or Your First 5k, we make it easy to find the right offering for you.
Lastly, your program must be data-driven. If you’re investing in a program, then you should have rich insights about how it’s performing. Peloton is rooted in data, so we’re able to deliver aggregate and anonymized data back to our clients about performance and engagement. This is very powerful.
It’s also important to humanize the impact. While we can all cite studies that help prove ROI, we’re motivated by the stories our Members share about how Peloton has positively impacted their lives. Recently, a Member wrote to us about how she was diagnosed with liver disease and dedicated herself to regular Peloton workouts. She’s completed 700 workouts, helping her lose weight, gain cardiovascular strength and even gain some new friends through the Peloton community. Stories like this bring to life the impact we’re having on peoples’ lives.
We’ve all heard of the four-day work week, unlimited PTO, mental health days, and on demand mental health services. What role does fitness play in boosting overall employee wellness? We would benefit from an example in each of these areas.
The idea that exercise is good for you is not new, but I don’t think people realize just how big a role it plays across a number of dimensions:
- Mental Wellness:
- According to a recent study in JAMA Psychiatry, when individuals exercise just half of the recommended weekly amount (~75 min), they are lowering their risk of depression by 18%. That number jumps to 25% when individuals exercise for at least the minimum recommended physical activity level of 150 minutes, at moderate intensity.
- Emotional Wellness:
- We know that exercise is an evidence-based strategy that reduces stress. Research shows that exercise impacts brain chemistry by reducing stress hormones like cortisol. It also increases the body’s natural endorphins, which help with mood. Our recent survey backs this up — 89% of Peloton Members say that our Corporate Wellness program helps them improve their mindset and manage their stress more effectively.
- Social Wellness:
- Social connections and communities are enormously powerful. Scientists have found that our connection to others can have powerful effects on our health — both emotionally and physically. If you’re a Peloton Member, you’ve most likely heard the phrase “Together We Go Far” during one of your classes. Our community is one of the key motivating factors that help Members build their wellness habits.
- Physical Wellness:
- Regular physical activity is one of the most important things you can do for your physical health. It can significantly reduce the risk of diseases such as Type 2 diabetes and certain cancers, strengthen bones and muscles, and even help you live longer. Even 10 minutes more a day makes a difference!
- Financial Wellness:
- It may come as a surprise, but regular exercise has an impact on your wallet. In addition to helping keep you out of the doctor’s office, research has shown that engaging in regular exercise yields a 6 to 10% salary increase, compared to those who don’t partake.
Can you please tell us more about a couple of specific ways workplaces would benefit from investing in your ideas above to improve employee wellness?
People are beginning to understand that a one-size-fits-all approach to wellness benefits doesn’t work. But how does an organization offer a broadly appealing program while also managing its own administrative resources? You can’t do everything.
Not only are we hearing from our Members directly, but we’re learning from our Peloton Corporate Wellness clients just how much this benefit stands out. One client mentioned that they had higher enrollment in just one day with Peloton Corporate Wellness, than they ever did with another wellness offering they had for multiple years. Another one of our clients mentioned that they have weekly competitions and challenges that allow thousands of their team members to support each other — some of whom haven’t interacted with each other in more than a year.
Employees are people. They’re consumers who prioritize convenience, accessibility, and innovation when engaging with a product. And wellness programs are no different.
As a brand, we’re constantly innovating and becoming more accessible to ensure we’re meeting our Members’ needs and expectations — they’re at the center of everything we do. That’s why Peloton Corporate Wellness is able to make such a significant impact on the workplace — we meet our Members (your employees), where they are — no matter their interests, location, or fitness level.
How can Peloton Corporate Wellness help business leaders cultivate and nurture a “Work Well” culture at their organizations?
Peloton Corporate Wellness helps cultivate and nurture a culture prioritizing wellness because we’re rooted in a community. If you’re a Peloton Member, you’ve likely heard the phrase ‘Together We Far’. It’s one of our core values that guides our organization, and ultimately the best Member experience in wellness.
There are features already in place that can make it easy for organizations, business leaders and teams to support each other through high-fives, corporate-based #tags and more. Just recently, Peloton launched ‘Invite Friends’, one of our most requested features where you can invite colleagues, friends and family to join you for a certain workout.
In addition, Peloton Corporate Wellness develops company-specific challenges. For example, during Mental Health Awareness Month we encourage team members to set aside time throughout their day or evening to reflect — whether it be a 5-min meditation before sleep or yoga during lunch.
Ideas take time to implement. What is one small step every individual, team or organization can take to get started on these ideas — to get well?
Start with your own team and make it part of your routine! For example, the Peloton Corporate Wellness team starts their weekly meeting with a 5 minute meditation or desk yoga. It helps us leave other distractions behind and be more productive together. Sometimes all it takes is those five minutes to reset your day.
What are your “Top 4 Trends To Track In the Future of Workplace Wellness?”
When it comes to keeping workers happy, healthy and productive, business leaders will need to take an individualized holistic approach to employee wellbeing. That means intertwining mental, physical and financial wellness and offering the ability to tailor the experience for employees at every level of the business.
- The growth of the multi-generational workforce.
- For the first time in history, four generations of employees are represented in the workplace. With this in mind, it’s no surprise that different generational groups have vastly different perspectives and attitudes around workplace wellness, presenting a need for wellness programs that account for this multigenerational diversity.
- The omni-location workplace.
- Remote and hybrid workplaces are here to stay, which means that the office gym or stipend is no longer going to cut it when it comes to wellness programs. Employees are beginning to have more autonomy and how, and where, they spend their workday — which means that wellness programs will need to meet them where they are — office, gym, at-home or even on vacation.
- Full-body and mind approach.
- With workplace burnout and stress continuing to rise across all industries — organizations need to prioritize not just the physical health of their employees, but also their mental wellness. Healthier and happier employees have more energy, increased productivity and greater workplace engagement.
- Hyper-personalized wellness programs.
- Not everyone is in the same stage within their wellness journey — some love running, others enjoy working out at the gym and for people like me, I prefer a strength class in the privacy of my home. Employee benefits are starting to be seen as consumer products that need to meet the needs of each individual.
- Wellness culture is workplace culture.
- It’s been reported that over a lifetime, an average person will spend over 90,000 hours at work. In order for people to live happier and healthier lives — wellness needs to be prioritized within the workplace. We anticipate that the workday will become ever more centered around your own personal health and lifestyle needs.
What is your greatest source of optimism about the future of workplace wellness?
Individuals are prioritizing their work-life balance, and physical/mental health above compensation and work ‘perks’, making their wellbeing a requirement versus an option. And employers are responding.
Organizations are embracing employees as individuals and are offering more customized benefits that will actually meet the needs and interests of their employees. In only one year, Peloton Corporate Wellness has made such an impact for companies and grown into the golden standard for wellness programs. We have so much more in store and I look forward to helping shape the future of workplace wellness through our platform.
Our readers often like to continue the conversation with our featured interviewees. How can they best connect with you and stay current on what you’re discovering?
If you’re interested in hearing more about Peloton Corporate Wellness and/or if you think you’re organization would be interested in providing this as a benefit for your team — please be sure to check out https://www.onepeloton.com/corporate-wellness
Thank you for sharing your insights and predictions. We appreciate the gift of your time and wish you continued success and wellness.