The company, which Cesar Carvalho co-founded 12 years ago, has come a long way from its roots as a way to make it easier for people to hit the gym in his native Brazil. Originally called Gympass, the New York City-based company was renamed Wellhub earlier this month to more fully reflect the breadth of wellness services it offers to its 15,000 corporate clients and their 2.7 million employees.
In addition to providing ways to keep the body healthy, Wellhub also offers mindfulness training, meditation instruction, sleep assistance and nutritional counseling through partners such as Headspace, Nutorium and SleepCycle. Costs for clients are determined by the number of employees they serve and add-ons such as extending membership to employees’ families.
Carvalho said the comprehensive options allow employees to choose services that fit their needs and support their mental and physical health. Wellhub says the mental health options are crucial. Return of Wellbeing 2024 The report surveyed 2,000 HR executives whose companies have wellness programs, and respondents said that employees value mental health support more than any other employee benefit.
SHRM Online We spoke to Carvalho about why his company transformed and what it means for program participants; answers have been lightly edited for clarity.
SHRM Online: Why did you change your brand name?
Carvalho: Our product evolved. We went from access to in-person gyms and studios to digital fitness, and then we started partnering in the areas of mental health, mindfulness, nutrition, and improved sleep. Our name didn’t reflect that. We had to work really hard to communicate our value proposition. In meetings with corporate clients, we would hear, “You’re more than just a gym pass.” We were forced to change.
SHRM Online: Why did you start branching out into new areas?
Carvalho: Our customers were putting pressure on us. They were saying, “Can you include this app in your service offering? We love this app and we want to offer it. It makes sense for this solution to be included in your plan.”
SHRM Online: What did you think when you found out that mental health benefits were a top priority for employees?
Carvalho: It didn’t surprise me at all. Mental health services are one of the fastest growing services on our platform. What’s really important here is that there are lots of ways to improve your mental health, like sleeping better and eating well. These activities reinforce each other, helping anyone increase their resilience, reduce anxiety, and improve their mental health.
SHRM Online: Was there anything that surprised you during your research?
Carvalho: They are [HR leaders] Earn twice the profit for every dollar of investment [they spent]Mainly, lowering health care costs. That’s a positive sign. 2 is a very good number. What’s really important is employee recruitment. Participation [in wellness programs] When the leadership team promotes the benefits to employees and sets an example, the benefits to employees are tripled. I never realized how big of an impact and influence leaders can have on an organization. [wellness programs].
SHRM Online: How can we eliminate the stigma around discussing mental health in the workplace?
Carvalho: If there’s one thing that can make a dramatic difference, it’s the impact of organizational leadership. They think that everyone can do it, so I think there’s a blind spot. [what they can do]As an organizational leader, you have access to a variety of mental health providers. You can get a gym membership, train with a coach, and fit things around your schedule. [mental health]It doesn’t help to set an example for others, you have to make a plan to help those who may not have access to the same resources as you.
SHRM Online: With so much information available on the web, why do you think people need an app for everything?
There is too much information out there and it’s complicated. If you want to improve your sleep, Google [how]There are 200 ways to improve your sleep, and that’s where we come in. We partner with leading companies in each field to provide a range of solutions to help people develop healthy habits.
