Health concerns are stressing Poles. Young adults worry the most.

Multi.Life data also shows that health problems influence how Poles perceive their own fitness and age. Among people who feel older than their age, the most common reason is illness and health problems. In turn, people who feel younger most often associate it with physical fitness and activity.¹ ² ³

Poles increasingly understand that health is not only the absence of illness, but also energy, fitness and a sense of influence on everyday functioning. Health concerns often arise before diagnosis – when someone sleeps poorly, gets tired more easily, puts off screening tests, or feels they need to change something but doesn’t know where to start. If we live longer, we also need to think earlier about the quality of that life. In prevention, it is crucial not only to know what is worth changing, but also to be able to translate this knowledge into the first specific step: exercise, regeneration, healthier habits or contact with a specialist.
​says Agata Olearczyk, Doctor of Health Science from the Healthcare Innovation Unit at the SGH Warsaw School of Economics.

Poles want to take care of their health better

The need for action is evident in declarations regarding development and education. When asked what they would like to learn in 2026, Poles most often indicated taking better care of their physical health (43%). More than one in three respondents, i.e. 36%, would like to gain more knowledge about the prevention of mental health disorders.⁴

One of the most accessible ways to take care of one’s health remains physical activity. Meanwhile, an analysis by the Institute for Structural Research commissioned by Benefit Systems shows that in 2024, over 17 million people, or approximately 77.3% of the working-age population, did not meet the physical activity standards recommended by the WHO. If one in two physically inactive resident of Poland started exercising, the number of deaths annually could decrease by 13.7%, and savings due to sickness absence could reach PLN 1.9 billion.⁵

Health is also a work-related issue

The effects of health problems are also visible in labour market. According to the latest data from the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS), there were 27.5 million medical certificates of temporary incapacity to work registered in 2025. This translated into 290.5 million days of absence, which was 0.5 million days more than a year earlier and 8 million days more than in 2021.⁶

The most days of absence due to illness were caused by musculoskeletal diseases (42.4 million). Mental and behavioural disorders accounted for 34.1 million days.⁷ ZUS data show the scale of the impact of health problems on the labour market and organisations. Absenteeism means not only the temporary absence of an employee, but also the need to maintain continuity of activities within teams.

Employees expect support from employers

Employees’ expectations towards companies in this area are very specific. In a nationwide survey conducted among 1,030 full-time employees aged 18–60, as many as 86.5% of respondents declared that employers should conduct workplace health promotion activities.⁸

The most frequently mentioned area was burnout prevention (35.7% of responses). Almost as often (34.6%) employees chose prevention of spine and musculoskeletal problems. Stress coping strategies were identified by 34% of respondents.⁹ In the same survey, 29.7% of employees indicated support for physical activity, 27.4% healthy eating, and 24.6% screening tests conducted in the workplace and during working hours.¹⁰

Employers are also aware of the importance of health-supporting benefits. Benefit Systems survey shows that 72% of companies realise that an important role of employee benefits is to support a healthy lifestyle and physical activity.¹¹

Employee health is one of those areas where the interests of employees and employers truly come together. Poles want to take care of their health and know how to do it effectively. In turn, organisations need people who can work in good condition, without constant overload, decreased engagement or frequent absenteeism. That’s why we need tools that help us move from awareness of the problem to action: choose a goal, use the support of experts and return to healthy habits when everyday life interrupts them
​says Iza Nasiłowska-Włodarek, Business Development Director at Benefit Systems S.A.

The first step is the hardest

The declared need for better health care shows that the challenge is not only access to knowledge, but also translating it into everyday action.

Physical activity data indicates the difference between MultiSport Programme users and the general public. The nationwide MultiSport Index 2025 survey shows that 84% of MultiSport Programme users engage in physical activity at least once a week, while 48% of Poles in the general population declare such activity frequency.¹²

This is where the complementarity of Benefit Systems solutions becomes clearly visible. MultiSport has been supporting prevention through exercise and regular activity for years while Multi.Life helps you go a step further: organise your health goals, use expert knowledge, and build habits that are easier to maintain every day.

Both employees and employers need practical tools that make it easier to respond to health and wellbeing needs. That is why at Benefit Systems, in addition to the MultiSport Programme, which has been supporting prevention through exercise for years, we are developing Multi.Life. This tool helps you organise your health goals, leverage expert knowledge, and build habits that are easier to maintain every day. It also responds to the need indicated by Poles to expand their knowledge about taking care of their physical and mental health
​emphasises Iza Nasiłowska-Włodarek.

This is how personalisation works in Multi.Life. Users may have access to over 300 consultants, over 150 courses, and many functionalities, but without a clear path, it’s easy to get lost. Therefore, they first select a goal and then receive recommendations tailored to their situation. Multi.Life supports this process by combining personalisation, expert knowledge, and progress monitoring tools.¹³

However, prevention does not mean transferring responsibility for employees’ health to the employer. It means creating conditions that help people take care of themselves sooner. In a situation where health care is a source of stress for many people, solutions that not only provide access to services but also help people take the first step and maintain healthy habits in their daily routine are becoming increasingly important.

^{¹ Multi.Life survey, Benefit Systems, Ariadna National Research Panel, August 2025, N=1060. Data on health concerns, related stress, and differences between age groups and areas of study in 2026.
​² Multi.Life survey, Benefit Systems, Ariadna National Research Panel, August 2025. A group of respondents feeling older than their age, N=129.
​³ Multi.Life survey, Benefit Systems, Ariadna National Research Panel, August 2025. A group of respondents feeling younger than their age, N=410.
​⁴ ​ Multi.Life survey, Benefit Systems, Ariadna National Research Panel, August 2025. A group of respondents feeling younger than their age, N=410.
​⁵ Institute for Structural Research commissioned by Benefit Systems and the “Benefits of physical activity of Poles” report, material from the Benefit Systems Press Office titled “Impact of physical activity on health, economy and the labour market”.
​⁶ ​ ZUS, Increasingly frequent and longer sick leaves, April 28, 2026.
​⁷ ​ ZUS, Sickness absence in 2025.
​⁸ 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, 2026.
​⁹ ​ Ibid.
​¹⁰ Ibid.
​¹¹ Benefit market survey by Minds&Roses commissioned by Benefit Systems, 2023.
​¹² MultiSport Index 2025, Benefit Systems.
​¹³ Benefit Systems, Multi.Life data on platform functionality, goal personalisation and scope of expert support.}

Izabella Rzymowska

Senior PR Specialist, Benefit Systems

• i.rzymowska@benefitsystems.pl
• 880 126 912

^{Multi.Life is an employee benefit developed by the creator of the MultiSport Programme. It helps companies support employee health, wellbeing and development in one digital place. It was created for organisations that want to go beyond individual benefits and build a more conscious, long-term approach to caring for people. The platform supports employees in taking care of themselves every day, both in the area of health as well as personal and professional development. Users can benefit from expert knowledge, online consultations, educational materials and partner services available on the platform. An important element of the solution is also the AI Wellbeing Assistant, which provides 24/7 support. Multi.Life is also a tool for HR. Thanks to the Wellbeing Score, Benefit Systems’ proprietary solution, employers can better understand the needs of their teams and design data-driven wellbeing activities. The platform also supports the implementation of development goals, helps monitor educational activities, and facilitates the building of an organisational culture based on caring 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 promotes employee health, engagement and long-term effectiveness. More information at multi.life and benefitsystems.pl.}