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Opinion

Wellbeing is the new salary: Why fitness benefits now hold key influence for jobseekers

Pauline Alonso, employee benefits expert at Hussle, discusses how wellbeing has become a critical component of modern employment decisions.

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Wellbeing is the new salary: Why fitness benefits now hold key influence for jobseekers
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Salary will always be one of the most important factors in job choice. It determines financial security, shapes lifestyle choices, and reflects how organisations value their employees’ skills and experience. But it is no longer the only measure candidates use when deciding where to work.

Increasingly, wellbeing support, particularly access to fitness and mental health resources, is becoming part of how employees define the true value of a role. What was once considered a ‘nice-to-have’ perk is now influencing decisions at the point of hire, reshaping how employers compete for talent and how work itself is evaluated.

This shift reflects a broader change in how people view their relationship with work. Employment is no longer seen purely as a financial exchange. It is something that must coexist with health, energy, and long-term sustainability.

Employees are more aware than ever that their ability to perform, progress and remain in work over time depends heavily on their physical and mental wellbeing. As a result, candidates are looking beyond salary alone and assessing whether employers actively support their ability to sustain their health alongside their careers.

This is particularly evident among younger workers, especially with Gen Z entering the workforce with different expectations, shaped by witnessing burnout, economic instability, and widespread conversations around mental health during formative years. For many in this generation, wellbeing is not an optional extra or a nice-to-have benefit offered after joining.

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It is a fundamental part of what makes a role viable and attractive in the first place. Recent research reflects this growing confidence in wellbeing-led approaches, with 97% of Gen Z business leaders saying they feel confident prioritising employee wellness. This signals a clear shift in workforce culture, where wellbeing is becoming embedded in how organisations define their responsibilities to employees.

Benefits have always served as a form of communication between employer and employee; they signal priorities, values and intent, and increasingly, wellbeing support is one of the clearest signals that organisations can send.

When employers provide meaningful access to fitness and health support, they demonstrate an understanding that employees are not simply resources to be utilised, but individuals whose long-term capability and wellbeing matters.

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This communicates a commitment to sustainable performance, not just short-term output. In contrast, the absence of such support can unintentionally signal that wellbeing is considered separate from work, rather than something that enables it.

The type of support provided also matters, as many traditional approaches to workplace fitness often fail to reflect the realities of modern working life. Hybrid working patterns, longer commutes and more varied personal schedules mean that convenience and accessibility are critical.

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When wellbeing support is inflexible, participation tends to be limited to those who already have the time, proximity, and confidence to engage. This creates a gap between intention and impact, where employers offer benefits that exist in theory but are underutilised in practice.

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Flexible fitness access addresses this challenge by removing practical barriers. It allows employees to integrate physical activity into their existing routines rather than forcing routines to adapt around fixed benefits.

This flexibility recognises that employees live and work in different ways, and that meaningful support must reflect that diversity. When employees are given accessible, adaptable options, wellbeing becomes part of everyday life rather than something reserved for those with ideal circumstances. This not only improves engagement but also strengthens the perception that employers genuinely care about how people live, not just how they work.

For HR leaders, this represents an important evolution in how total reward is understood. Compensation is no longer defined purely by salary, bonuses or traditional financial benefits. It increasingly includes the support systems that enable employees to remain healthy, engaged and capable over time. Wellbeing, particularly physical activity, plays a crucial role in this equation.

Regular exercise is strongly associated with improved energy levels, reduced stress and better mental resilience, all of which contribute directly to sustained performance. When employers enable this consistently, they are investing not only in individual wellbeing but in organisational stability and productivity.

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This shift is also changing how organisations position themselves in the labour market. Employer branding is no longer shaped solely by pay, job title or progression opportunities. It is influenced by whether employees believe an organisation understands the realities of modern working life.

Wellbeing support signals empathy, foresight and responsibility. It shows that employers recognise performance is not unlimited and that sustaining it requires proactive support. In competitive hiring environments, this can be a decisive factor, particularly when candidates are choosing between roles with similar financial packages.

Importantly, this is not about replacing salary with wellbeing benefits. Financial compensation remains fundamental. Rather, it is about recognising that wellbeing support has become part of the broader value equation employees use when assessing opportunities.

It reflects a more holistic understanding of what makes work sustainable. Employees are not simply evaluating what a job pays today, but whether it enables them to continue performing and progressing in the future without compromising their health.

As careers lengthen and workforce expectations continue to evolve, this shift is likely to accelerate. Employees are becoming more selective, and employers are recognising that supporting wellbeing is not only beneficial for individuals but essential for building resilient, productive organisations.

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Fitness and wellbeing support are no longer peripheral perks offered to enhance culture. They are becoming part of the infrastructure that enables work to function effectively.

The organisations that recognise this will be best positioned to attract and retain talent. They will understand that wellbeing is not separate from compensation, but an extension of it.

Increasingly, employees are not just asking what a role pays. They are asking whether it allows them to sustain their health, their energy and their future. In this sense, wellbeing is becoming more than a benefit. It is becoming part of the foundation on which modern employment decisions are made.

Pauline Alonso is employee benefits expert at Hussle

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