Top 10 most popular mental health work perks in the UK
In light of World Mental Health Day, Adzuna analysed the vacancies of jobs in the UK offering mental health-related work perks in September 2024 and compared the numbers with last year’s data and the year of wellness boom (September 2022).
The top three wellbeing perks in the workplace are offering mental health support, free or subsidised gym membership and access to mental health apps, according to job search engine Adzuna.
In light of World Mental Health Day, the research analysed the vacancies of jobs in the UK offering mental health-related work perks in September 2024 and compared the numbers with last year’s data and the year of wellness boom (September 2022).
Andrew Hunter, co-founder of smarter job search engine Adzuna, comments: “While many companies are tightening their purse strings on work perks like free meals or free massages, mental health remains a key focus. In September, there were over 25,000 jobs still offering mental health support, and nearly 20,000 jobs provided access to mental health apps. We’ve also seen a shift toward more sustainable work perks that contribute to employee wellbeing, such as work-from-anywhere policies, volunteer days, and enhanced sick pay.”
Here are the top 10 most popular wellbeing work perks
- Mental health support: 26,879 advertised jobs in September (-22% compared to Sep 2023)
- Free or subsidised gym membership: 26,585 (-29%)
- Access to mental health app: 19,728 (-18%)
- Free food: 15,820 (-34%)
- Employee assistance programme: 14,971 (-13%)
- Enhanced paternity leave/maternity leave: 12,592 (-20%)
- Birthday days off: 8,420 (-18%)
- Adoption leave: 6,485 (+16%)
- Four-day work week: 4,840 (-3%)
- Free counselling: 3,972 (-12%)
Say goodbye to free massages, food, and duvet days
Monetary wellness perks are on a steep decline, with the number of advertised ads offering wellness reimbursement plummeting by -67% annually – from 181 vacancies in Sept ‘23. to 59 vacancies in Sept ‘24. Other free perks, including massage (-58%), food (-29%), gym memberships (-29%) are also seeing a year-over-year decline.
Duvet days (mental health days that allow for unscheduled time off) have more than halved since the wellness boom in 2022, dropping from 455 jobs to 187 jobs in just two years.
In place of these perks, employers are turning to work perks like work from anywhere (+88% in demand), wellness wednesdays (+51%), and volunteer day (+40%).
Work perks with the biggest annual drop
Perk
UK vacancies advertising perk, Sept ‘24
Annual drop (UK vacancies advertising perk, Sept’23)
Change compared to wellness boom (Sept ‘22)
Surrogacy leave
15
-96% (408)
-96% (397)
Wellness reimbursement
59
-67% (181)
-62% (156)
Free massage
179
-58% (431)
-80% (907)
Free food
15,820
-34% (23,997)
-15% (18,576)
Duvet day
187
-30% (267)
-59% (455)
Free or subsidised gym membership
26,585
-29% (37,589)
-22% (34,184)
Unlimited PTO
173
-22% (221)
-10% (191)
Early finish fridays, summer hours, WFH fridays
779
-16% (927)
-27% (1,064)
Work perks with the biggest annual growth
Perk
UK vacancies advertising perk, Sept ‘24
Annual growth (UK vacancies advertising perk, Sept’23)
Change compared to wellness boom (Sept ‘22)
Work from anywhere
1,887
+88% (1,003)
+82% (1,040)
Wellness Wednesdays
46
+51% (31)
+37% (34)
Volunteer day
3,235
+40% (2,308)
+62% (1,996)
Unpaid sabbatical
46
+31% (35)
+59% (29)
Adoption leave
6,485
+16% (5,606)
+51% (4,304)
Pawternity leave
126
+10% (115)
+492% (21)
Enhanced sick pay
2,944
+9% (2,697)
+6% (2,769)