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Many employers like to give presents to their staff, whether to mark a special occasion or simply to say “thank you” for a job well done. With increasing awareness of issues around mental health, employee gifts are a great opportunity to show your staff that their wellbeing is important to you and to the organisation. 

So, here, we look at some of the best health and wellness gifts for employees to give you inspiration the next time you want to reward your team.

The Importance of Wellness Gifts for Employees

Traditionally, employee gifts might include staples like flowers, wine or chocolates. More recently, vouchers for Amazon or Etsy have become a popular option as they give staff the chance to choose their own reward. However, the trend is now towards buying health and wellness gifts for employees.

This wellness trend feeds into a wider appreciation of the need to be mindful of employees’ overall wellbeing. From ergonomics to discounted gym memberships, there is increasing awareness among employers that they need to take a holistic view of their staff’s mental and physical health.

According to a health and wellbeing at work survey carried out in 2023 by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and Simplyhealth, 53% of the organisations who took part had a wellbeing strategy in place.

A workplace which takes steps to boost employee wellness and team happiness can reap rewards.

For example, a survey from 2024 by financial services firm Deloitte found that for every £1 spent on supporting employees’ mental health and wellbeing, employers get back an average £4.70 in increased productivity.

Other potential rewards include increased employee loyalty, reduced absenteeism and lower levels of staff turnover.

Why Wellness Gifts are a Good Choice for Employees

Wellness gifts are a great way to boost your employees’ mood and happiness levels. As well as the gift itself, the gesture alone shows employees that you take their wellbeing seriously.

Other reasons for considering corporate wellness gifts for employees include:

Encourage relaxation: A thoughtful wellness gift can help your employees to get more from their time away from work.

Meaningful reward: If your team has met a specific target or achieved another goal, a wellness gift is a valuable reward.

Effective incentive: Give your employees an incentive to achieve a future target with a meaningful wellness gift.

Mark an event: Appropriate wellness gifts are also a good way to mark a personal or professional milestone.

Team-building: Social wellbeing is a vital element of wellness, so a gift that encourages team-building benefits staff and employers.

When choosing an employee health and wellness gift, it is important to strike the right balance between personal and professional.

You want to show your staff you care about them as individuals without making them feel uncomfortable. Plus, the whole point is to give them something they will use and value. So, it’s best to err on the side of caution.

7 of the Best Wellness Gift Ideas for Employees

To help you reward your staff, we’ve put together a list of the best gift ideas for health and wellness, which your employees are sure to love.

1. Gift boxes

Wellness gift boxes for employees are a great idea as they can be tailored to suit each individual. Boxes feature a selection of products, usually on a certain theme. You can buy a ready assembled gift box or choose the contents yourself.

Wellness gift basket ideas for employees include things like:

  • scented candles
  • herbal teas
  • fruit and healthy snacks
  • skincare products
  • indoor / outdoor gardening products

While wellness boxes for employees are personal in nature, they are great corporate gifts as they can be filled with neutral products which anyone can enjoy. They also have that all-important “wow” factor when you present them to the lucky recipients!

For a premium employee wellness gift, consider a box containing spa goodies from one of the leading product houses, such as Elemis or ESPA.

2. Catered lunches

The obvious corporate wellness gift is something individual presented to each employee. However, another way to go is to provide some type of catered lunch offering, such as a buffet. Choose a selection of healthy foods or ask staff for suggestions.

Not only will employees tuck into a delicious lunch, they can enjoy some valuable time socialising with their colleagues and managers in a relaxed environment. This can do wonders for mental wellbeing, especially if your team is on a variety of flexible, hybrid and remote working schedules – they’re sure to all show up for a free lunch!

So, think about rewarding staff by making a group catered lunch a weekly, monthly or quarterly appointment in the calendar. Just be mindful of any dietary restrictions or allergies.

For an even more indulgent gift, treat your staff to a group lunch or afternoon tea at a nearby restaurant or hotel.

3. Spa vouchers

A monetary spa voucher is one of the best wellness gifts for employees, as it allows each person the freedom to choose their own experience. Spa vouchers work like any other type of gift voucher, offering products and services up to the stated value. Vouchers usually start at around £25.

With a spa voucher, the recipient can enjoy a massage or facial, if they so choose, or simply go for a swim or relax in the sauna. The voucher might cover all or part of a spa day or treatment.

Spa vouchers are also open-dated, with around 12 months validity. So, the recipient can enjoy their wellness escape at a convenient time.

You can buy a voucher for a specific spa, a spa chain, or – for the ultimate in flexibility – from a trusted spa booking agency, like SpaSeekers, which works with hundreds of spas across the country.

4. Wellness days

One option for a valuable wellness gift for employees is the gift of time. This might be time alone, with their own family and friends, or with their colleagues. Dedicated “wellness days” can take different forms, such as:

  • devoted staff team-building day
  • wellness retreats
  • experience day the employee enjoys on their own time
  • day of charitable work / volunteering
  • extra day off on an employee’s birthday
  • letting employees leave early on a Friday

The idea behind these gifts is to encourage employees to take some bonus time away from the daily grind to focus on aspects of their wellbeing, whether mental, physical or social.

For team-building or experience days, it’s a good idea to ask your employees what they would like rather than just arrange it without notice. You want them to enjoy the day, not see it as an unwelcome surprise.

If in doubt, you might prefer to give wellness gift cards for employees to give people the flexibility to choose their own experience.

Another great wellness gift idea is a group spa day, which gives everyone a few hours to unwind and relax in a calm setting.

5. Plants

Plants can make great health and wellness gifts. A dash of greenery and colour boosts mood, while plants purify the air by absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen.

It’s no coincidence that you can find many spas and wellness retreats surrounded by nature.

Rather than bouquets of flowers, which have a short lifespan, growing plants in a decorative pot or vase can brighten up a workstation or home. For the maximum wellness benefits, choose low maintenance, indoor plants, such as:

  • succulents (i.e. cactus)
  • rubber plants
  • snake plants
  • spider plants
  • ferns
  • English ivy

While people might wish to take their gift home, you may like to encourage staff to keep their plants in the office. This way, the gift is both a benefit to employees and to the workplace, improving air quality and giving everyone a greener environment to enjoy every day.

6. Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy and essential oils have a role to play in helping people to find balance. They are associated with relaxation, improved sleep, and a general state of wellbeing.

So, if you’re looking for employee wellness gift ideas, consider one of the many options out there which offer people the chance to harness the benefits of aromatherapy.

Examples include essential oil sets, diffusers and aromatherapy beauty products. Many spas also use aromatherapy oils as part of a soothing massage or holistic treatment.

There are lots of essential oils, each of which is said to influence different moods and conditions. Essential oils traditionally associated with positive mental health include:

  • rose geranium
  • patchouli
  • sweet basil
  • peppermint
  • lemon
  • lavender
  • ylang-ylang
  • bergamot 

One thing to think about if giving an aromatherapy-themed employee wellness gift is that the use of essential oils is restricted during pregnancy. So, if any of your employees are expecting, you may wish to avoid giving them a gift which includes undiluted essential oils.

7. Sleep-related gifts

With the quality of sleep a key component of wellness and good mental health, you may wish to explore wellbeing gifts for employees which focus on getting a good night’s shut-eye.

Sleep-related gifts are great as they are thoughtful, suitable for men and women, and can help you to see positive returns in the workplace. A well-rested workforce is more likely to be focused and productive.

The types of products you can find to improve sleep range from eye masks and pillow sprays to body lotions and balms. You can also find gifts which include slippers, sleep trackers, and ear plugs. Another option is gifting a relaxing head massage, which promotes wellbeing and healthy sleep.

Employee wellness gifts are just the start…

Wellness is a wide-ranging term which is essentially all about a balance of mind and body to achieve a feeling of wellbeing. People spend around 90,000 hours at work over their lifetime, so employers have an important part to play in helping their staff attain – and maintain – this balance.

At a minimum, employers should make sure the day-to-day work environment supports staff wellbeing. Encourage workers to take their full quota of time for breaks and to go outside, if possible, and stock vending machines with healthy options.

You should also consult your in-house or an external occupational health advisor to make sure desks and the office layout provide a healthy workplace.

Overall, while it is important for employers to give staff access to appropriate support, we hope our health and wellness gift ideas for employees have inspired you to remind your staff that their efforts are valued and their wellbeing is your priority.

SpaSeekers’ flexible spa vouchers are a great way to show your employees that their wellbeing is important to you. Purchase our vouchers online or contact us today to learn more about our full range of spa gifts and corporate incentives.