As many as 86.5% of employees expect health-supporting initiatives from their employers.

Back pain, chronic stress, and the early signs of burnout do not end when the workday begins. That is why measures helping employees respond earlier and access available support are becoming increasingly important. What role can benefits conducive to prevention play in this, and what might such an approach mean for the employer in the long run?

14/09/2026

In a survey involving 1,030 full-time employees, which was published in the Frontiers in Public Health journal, 86.5% of respondents claim that employers should implement health promotion activities at the workplace. The most frequently mentioned areas included the prevention of professional burnout and spinal or musculoskeletal disorders, as well as learning how to cope with stress. Respondents also mentioned the promotion of physical activity, healthy eating, and screening tests conducted at the workplace or during working hours.¹

Data from Multi.Life also illustrates the scale of health-related concerns: 88% of respondents stated that they worry about their condition, and more than four in ten experience stress because of this often or very often. At the same time, 43% would like to learn how to better take care of their physical health, and 36% gain more knowledge regarding the prevention of mental health disorders.²

The scale of sickness absenteeism remains an important context for employers. In 2025, the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) recorded 27.5 million medical certificates of temporary incapacity for work. They were issued for a total of 290.5 million days of absence. In the case of time off due to one’s own illness, the highest number of days – 42.4 million – was attributable to musculoskeletal disorders. Mental and behavioural disorders accounted for 34.1 million days.³

Preventive healthcare from the employer’s perspective

Gallup data indicates that employees who strongly agree that their employer cares about their overall wellbeing are:

69% less likely to actively seek a new job,
71% less likely to report frequently experiencing burnout,
three times more likely to be engaged in their work,
five times more likely to strongly recommend their company as a good place to work,
five times more likely to express strong trust in the company’s leadership.⁴

– Benefits alone will not solve health or organisational issues, but they can be one of the elements of risk mitigation regarding factors that affect the company’s operations over time. The employer does not replace the physician and does not assume responsibility for the employee’s private health-related decisions. However, it can facilitate access to preventive care, physical activity, knowledge, and specialists. From an organisational perspective, what matters is not only the cost of absenteeism but also work continuity, engagement, and team stability – says Izabela Nasiłowska-Włodarek, Business Development Director at Benefit Systems S.A.

Preventive care as part of the benefits package

In a survey on the employee benefits market commissioned by Benefit Systems, 72% of companies identified supporting a healthy lifestyle and physical activity as a key role of employee benefits. At the same time, one in four respondents working in companies employing at least nine people believes that the employer should provide the broadest possible package of benefits.⁵

– From an employer’s perspective, the mere availability of benefits is not enough. The offer should genuinely address employees’ needs, cover the widest possible range of support, and be useful in everyday situations. Clear and approachable communication, ensuring employees know what assistance is available to them and where to find it, is equally important – says Małgorzata Tokarz, Head of the Human Resources Department at Wawel Royal Castle.

Which areas of health do employers consider?

The global “2024 Wellbeing Diagnostic Survey” by WTW shows that emotional and physical wellbeing rank highest among employers’ priorities for the next three years: 66% of the surveyed organisations identified emotional wellbeing, while 52% – physical wellbeing as the two most important areas.⁷

Physical health benefits include programmes that support physical activity. An analysis by the Institute for Structural Research, prepared for Benefit Systems, shows that in 2024, over 17 million people – approximately 77.3% of the working-age population – did not meet the physical activity standards recommended by the WHO.⁸

According to estimates presented in the analysis, if one in two physically inactive residents of Poland were to start exercising, the annual number of deaths could fall by 13.7%. Savings resulting from reduced sickness-related absences, on the other hand, could reach PLN 1.9 billion.⁸

The MultiSport Index 2025 indicates that 84% of MultiSport Programme users engage in physical activity at least once a week. Among all respondents, 48% report such a frequency.⁹

MultiSport focuses on access to sports and recreational activities, whereas Multi.Life also encompasses other areas, including mental health, nutrition, education, and access to consultants.⁶ ⁹

– The value of preventive benefits does not lie solely in their inclusion in the offer. What matters is whether they help employees attend to their health and seek assistance early on, before the problem begins to result in prolonged absence or affect daily functioning. In the long term, this may mitigate risks associated with absenteeism, turnover, and declining productivity, although the effect cannot be attributed to a single benefit or assessed solely in the short term. MultiSport and Multi.Life address different areas and can function as complementary elements of such an approach – emphasises Izabela Nasiłowska-Włodarek.

^¹^{Olearczyk A., Sękowski K., Jankowski M., Gujski M., Grudziąż-Sękowska J., “Employee expectations towards employer-provided workplace health promotion and mental health support: a 2025 cross-sectional survey,”}^{Frontiers in Public Health}^{, vol. 14, 2026.}

^²^{Multi.Life survey, Benefit Systems, Ariadna National Research Panel, August 2025.}

^³^{ZUS, “Sickness absence in 2025,” 2026.}

^⁴^{Gallup, “Leaders: Ignore Employee Wellbeing at Your Own Risk,” 6 July 2023.}

^⁵^{Survey on the non-financial benefits market conducted by Minds&Roses on behalf of Benefit Systems, June–September 2023; Benefit Systems, “The non-financial benefits market in Poland is worth nearly PLN 16 billion,” 23 April 2025; Benefit Systems, “Benefits in the era of pay transparency,” 7 August 2025.}

^⁶^{Multi.Life, official product information regarding support and consultation areas; Benefit Systems, official product information regarding the MultiSport Programme.}

^⁷^{WTW, “Employers are shifting their focus to embed wellbeing in their culture – and it’s paying off. Findings from the 2024 Wellbeing Diagnostic Survey,” 3 September 2024.}

^⁸^{Institute for Structural Research, commissioned by Benefit Systems, “Benefits of physical activity among Poles: An assessment of the impact on health, the economy, and the labour market” report; Benefit Systems, “The impact of physical activity on health, the economy, and the labour market,” 2025.}

^⁹^{MultiSport Index 2025, Benefit Systems.}

Multi.Life is a digital employee benefit developed by the creator of the MultiSport Programme. It helps companies support employee health, wellbeing, and development in a single digital space. It was created for organisations that want to go beyond individual benefits and build a more conscious, long-term approach to caring for their teams. The platform supports employees in taking care of themselves on a daily basis, covering health as well as personal and professional development. Its users can benefit from expert knowledge, online consultations, educational materials, and partner services available through the platform. An important element of the solution is also the AI Wellbeing Assistant, which provides round-the-clock support.

Multi.Life is also a tool for HR departments. Thanks to the Wellbeing Score – Benefit Systems’ proprietary solution – employers can better understand their teams’ needs and design data-driven wellbeing initiatives. The platform also supports the achievement of development goals, helps monitor educational activities, and facilitates the building of an organisational culture based on care for people.

Multi.Life is part of the Benefit Systems ecosystem, alongside the MultiSport Programme and the MyBenefit cafeteria platform. It supports companies in creating a work environment that fosters employee health, engagement, and long-term effectiveness.

More information at multi.life/en and benefitsystems.pl/en.