Wellbeing is not just a buzzword. It is rooted in employee needs that impact the business.

September 8^th marks World Wellbeing Day.¹ It is a good opportunity to ask not whether wellbeing is needed today, but rather what it should look like to genuinely support employees while also making sense from an organisational perspective.

Health as a starting point

In a nationwide survey conducted among 1,030 full-time employees, which was published in the Frontiers journal, as many as 86.5% of respondents stated that employers should implement health-promoting initiatives, while 71.1% believe that they should actively support employees’ mental health.²

It is difficult to regard these expectations as detached from labour market realities. In 2025, there were 27.5 million sick leave certificates registered in Poland, which translates to 290.5 million days of absence. Mental and behavioural disorders accounted for 34.1 million days of absence, 12.4% more than the previous year.³

– For the company, the health and wellbeing of employees are not merely a matter of image. Employee absenteeism entails real costs. Consequently, companies are increasingly focusing on this aspect of team wellbeing. In Poland, as elsewhere in the world, this is currently one of the most actively supported areas of employee wellbeing. An employer, of course, does not assume responsibility for an individual’s private health decisions, but can create conditions that make it easier to take care of oneself early on, before a problem begins to affect daily functioning and work. That is when well-designed support begins to deliver value to both parties – say Kinga Kołodziej, Customer Relations Director at Benefit Systems.

Supporting does not mean “fixing” the employee

– Employees’ needs vary and change over time. For some people, physical activity will be the most important thing, while for others it might be talking to a specialist, or improving their sleep or diet. Someone else might need rest the most. A Multi.Life survey illustrates this well: 43% of respondents would like to learn how to better care for their physical health, while 36% wish to gain more knowledge regarding the prevention of mental health issues.⁴ In another Multi.Life survey, 28% of respondents indicated a desire to learn the principles of mindful and healthy eating.⁵ For HR, this signifies an important shift in perspective: it is not about imposing wellbeing goals and solutions on employees from the top down, but rather about properly designing a wellbeing strategy that accounts for their diversity. It is therefore a matter of access to various options and leaving the choice to the individual. Flexibility is the key here – explains Kinga Kołodziej.

This is particularly important because the organisation is made up of people of various ages, at different stages of life, and with completely different needs.

Flexibility also matters from the perspective of employer attractiveness: 40% of employees at companies with at least nine staff members state that the benefits package could influence their choice of employer when changing jobs.⁶

– That is why it is becoming increasingly logical to move away from thinking in terms of a single benefit and toward an ecosystem of support, in which various solutions address different aspects of wellbeing – adds Kołodziej.

From physical activity to a broader approach

Physical activity remains one of the foundations of wellbeing. In 2024, approximately 77.3% of working-age people in Poland did not meet the recommended physical activity standards. An analysis by the Institute for Structural Research indicates that if one in two physically inactive residents of Poland were to start exercising, potential savings related to sickness-related absenteeism could reach PLN 1.9 billion annually.⁷

Companies are recognising this potential. According to the Hays Salary Guides 2026 report, a sports card is the most offered benefit in the country, provided by 71% of the nearly 1,100 organisations surveyed. It ranks ahead of life insurance and private medical care.⁸ This trend aligns with employee expectations. The MultiSport Index 2025 report shows that 64% of respondents would like to increase their level of physical activity. Among physically active Poles, 77% recognise the positive impact of physical activity on the performance of professional duties, while 93% note its benefits for mental and physical health.⁹ Physical activity remains one of the key pillars of wellbeing, and support for mental health is also gaining increasing importance alongside it.²

As their wellbeing strategies evolve, companies can expand support to include additional areas that align with their team needs, while simultaneously giving employees the freedom of choice. The employer’s perspective best illustrates what such a model might look like in practice.

– As a company with a diverse team, we were looking for a solution that would accommodate the varied needs of our employees. Thanks to the MyBenefit platform from Benefit Systems, our employees decide how to use their benefits budget for themselves. We began our partnership with Benefit Systems with the MultiSport Programme and subsequently expanded our offering to include other areas, such as Multi.Life, which enables employees to access various forms of support connected with mental health, nutrition, personal development, and access to experts across different fields. It is not just a platform for issuing points, but also a motivational tool that helps us build the image of a modern and flexible employer – says Agnieszka Kozioł, HR Project Specialist at Sobiesław Zasada Automotive. ​

Supporting employees is also in the company’s interest

However, the business dimension of wellbeing extends beyond absenteeism. In WTW’s latest 2026 Wellbeing Diagnostic Survey, covering 454 U.S. employers representing nearly 6 million employees, 60% of organisations report having a fully integrated wellbeing strategy linked to total rewards. At the same time, WTW points out that employers link investments in wellbeing to such factors as higher engagement, lower levels of burnout, and reduced productivity loss. Amid rising cost pressures, companies are simplifying programmes, consolidating suppliers, and focusing resources on activities they deem to have the greatest impact.¹⁰

This is even more evident in the 2024 global survey by WTW. Organisations that rated the effectiveness of their wellbeing programmes highly were significantly more likely to report outperforming their industry peers than those with low-effectiveness programmes: 69% versus 28% for employee engagement, 68% versus 26% for productivity, and 66% versus 43% for overall financial performance.¹¹

WTW data does not directly relate to the Polish market and does not demonstrate a simple cause-and-effect relationship. However, it points to a significant trend: wellbeing is increasingly becoming part of a broader people management strategy, and organisations are attempting to assess its importance through the lens of engagement, productivity, and business results as well.

The employer is not responsible for the health or happiness of their employees. It can, however, create conditions that make it easier to take care of oneself proactively through physical activity, preventive care, access to professional support, or the ability to choose benefits that meet current needs.

For employees, this means greater agency and the ability to take care of themselves on their own terms, and for organisations – integrating wellbeing into areas related to team health, absenteeism, engagement, productivity, and work capacity.

Wellbeing, therefore, is not just another HR initiative. If well-designed, it becomes part of a work environment that makes it easier for people to take care of themselves, and that is precisely why it matters to business, too.

^{¹ Gdańsk University of Technology, “8 September – World Wellbeing Day;” Kalbi, “World Wellbeing Day.”}

^{² 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.}

^{³ ZUS, “Increasingly frequent and prolonged sick leaves,” 28 April 2026; ZUS, “Sickness absence in 2025.”}

^{⁴ Multi.Life / Benefit Systems survey, Ariadna Nationwide Research Panel, August 2025.}

^{⁵ Survey commissioned by the Multi.Life brand, Ariadna Nationwide Research Panel, 2025.}

^{⁶ Employee benefits market survey conducted by Minds&Roses on behalf of Benefit Systems, 2023.}

^{⁷ Institute for Structural Research, commissioned by Benefit Systems; “Benefits of physical activity for Poles;” Benefit Systems Press Office: “The impact of physical activity on health, the economy, and the labour market.”}

^{⁸ Hays Salary Guides 2026, Hays Poland, 2026.}

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

^{¹⁰ WTW, “Building a sustainable wellbeing strategy: Insights from the 2026 Wellbeing Diagnostic Survey,” 2026.}

^{¹¹ WTW, „Employers are shifting their focus to embed wellbeing in their culture - and it’s paying off”, 2024 Wellbeing Diagnostic Survey results, 2024.}

^{¹ Politechnika Gdańska, „8 września - Światowy Dzień Wellbeingu”; Kalbi, „Światowy Dzień Wellbeingu”.}

^{² 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.}

^{³ ZUS, „Coraz częstsze i dłuższe zwolnienia lekarskie”, 28 kwietnia 2026; ZUS, „Absencja chorobowa w 2025 r.”}

^{⁴ Badanie Multi.Life / Benefit Systems, Ogólnopolski Panel Badawczy Ariadna, sierpień 2025.}

^{⁵ Badanie wykonane na zlecenie marki Multi.Life, Ogólnopolski Panel Badawczy Ariadna, 2025.}

^{⁶ Badanie rynku benefitów przeprowadzone na zlecenie Benefit Systems przez Minds&Roses, 2023.}

^{⁷ Instytut Badań Strukturalnych na zlecenie Benefit Systems; raport „Korzyści z aktywności fizycznej Polek i Polaków”; materiał Biura Prasowego Benefit Systems „Wpływ aktywności fizycznej na zdrowie, gospodarkę i rynek pracy”.}

^{⁸ Hays Poland, „Raport Płacowy 2026”, Hays Poland, 2026.}

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

^{¹⁰ WTW, „Building a sustainable wellbeing strategy: Insights from the 2026 Wellbeing Diagnostic Survey”, 2026.}

^{¹¹ WTW, „Employers are shifting their focus to embed wellbeing in their culture - and it’s paying off”, wyniki 2024 Wellbeing Diagnostic Survey, 2024.}

Izabella Rzymowska

Senior PR Specialist, Benefit Systems

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

^{Multi.Life to cyfrowy benefit pracowniczy, opracowany przez twórcę programu MultiSport. Pomaga firmom wspierać zdrowie, dobrostan i rozwój pracowników w jednym cyfrowym miejscu. Powstała z myślą o organizacjach, które chcą wyjść poza pojedyncze benefity i budować bardziej świadome, długofalowe podejście do troski o ludzi.}

^{Platforma wspiera pracowników w codziennym dbaniu o siebie - zarówno w obszarze zdrowia, jak i rozwoju osobistego oraz zawodowego. Użytkownicy mogą korzystać z wiedzy ekspertów, konsultacji online, materiałów edukacyjnych oraz usług partnerów dostępnych w ramach platformy. Ważnym elementem rozwiązania jest także Asystent Dobrostanu AI, który zapewnia wsparcie 24/7.}

^{Multi.Life jest również narzędziem dla HR. Dzięki Wellbeing Score, autorskiemu rozwiązaniu Benefit Systems, pracodawcy mogą lepiej rozumieć potrzeby zespołów i projektować działania wellbeingowe w oparciu o dane. Platforma wspiera także realizację celów rozwojowych, pomaga monitorować aktywności edukacyjne i ułatwia budowanie kultury organizacyjnej opartej na trosce o człowieka.}

^{Multi.Life jest częścią ekosystemu Benefit Systems, obok Programu MultiSport i platformy kafeteryjnej MyBenefit. Wspiera firmy w tworzeniu środowiska pracy, które sprzyja zdrowiu, zaangażowaniu i długofalowej efektywności pracowników.}

^{Więcej informacji na multi.life oraz benefitsystems.pl.}