Keeping employees engaged and knowing how to keep up morale are challenges many companies face. During the pandemic, many companies tried to come up with fun and interesting ways to keep their employees happy. However, one company has been offering extracurricular activities and generous benefits to its employees for years.

Google is one of the biggest companies in the world, and working there can be a lucrative job, not only because it’s a well-known brand, but because of its wellness programs and lavish office spaces.

Along with a generous benefits package, Google’s on-site activities are the star of the show. Google offers bikes to get employees around campus and in some offices, has on-site chiropractors, physical therapists, and masseuses.

However, during the pandemic, Google’s offices closed down and many of the fun activities and health-centered perks were not available to employees anymore. 

Lauren Whitt, Google’s wellness manager and resilience lead, sought out strategies to help Google’s employees deal with stress and anxiety from the pandemic. Google created a “resilience training” video series which focuses on sleep, breathing, handling anxiety and more. 

“Video content around breathing and sleep are the most meaningful ways we can rest and recover as well as momentary detachment throughout the workday,” Whitt said.

Over 30,000 Google employees have engaged with the series and have used the tools and resources available to focus on their mental health.

Along with the video series, Google expanded on its pre-pandemic check-ins called “TEA check-ins,” which is an acronym for thoughts, energy and attention. These check-ins give employees a chance to speak with their managers and colleagues to address burnout, anxiety, and stress.

Before the pandemic, Google offered on-site fitness centers and classes to get employees moving during the day. In the time of virtual work, Google started offering virtual dance classes, cooking demonstrations, and even virtual yoga with your pet. 

Google’s wellness program creates a unique work environment that focuses on fostering productivity. However, Google has been in the hot seat for masking unrealistic work expectations with lavish programs.

When implementing wellness initiatives, it’s important to remember that its purpose is to rejuvenate and help employees, not shower them with gifts and exciting activities and then expect longer work hours and/or more responsibilities.

In recent years, more people are taking benefits and wellness initiatives into account when applying for a job. The benefits can be just as important as the job itself, so it’s important for companies to listen to their employees to see what would be the most beneficial so they can do their jobs efficiently without fear of burnout.

Google is setting an example for how companies can support their employees through difficult times. Offering mental health resources, virtual yoga and workout classes, and opportunities to check-in can be the difference between a mass exodus from a company and a company that can stick through tough times and come out stronger on the other side.