Wellness Journal

Going with a Wellbeing Agency

Agencies offer a managed, end-to-end solution. They handle scheduling, sourcing providers, and often reporting on engagement too. Many also offer hybrid models, combining in-person activities with digital tools or employee allowances.

Pros: Wide variety of activities under one roof. Scalable for larger teams. Professional account management takes the admin off your plate.

Cons: Higher cost, with agency fees layered on top of the actual service. You may get less flexibility on who delivers the sessions. The relationship can feel transactional, with less continuity for your employees.

Best for: Larger organisations that need variety and have the budget for a managed solution, and who are less focused on building a direct relationship with practitioners or nurturing the community feel that comes with a more tailored service.

---

Working with One Person Who Delivers Multiple Services

An independent practitioner, like me, brings more than one skill to the table. Alongside yoga, I offer breathing exercises, guided meditation, head massage, and sound healing, becoming a trusted, familiar face for your team. Over time this person can take on something close to an internal wellbeing champion role, someone employees turn to not just for sessions but for guidance, recommendations, and honest conversations. People will come to me with questions about wellbeing, suggestions for other activities. It is not just a class, it helps build your team too.

Pros: Consistency builds trust. Employees get to know their practitioner, which increases engagement over time. Often more cost-effective than an agency. Easier to tailor sessions to your team’s specific needs, adapt them over time, and bring in other practitioners to deliver additional services.

Cons: Relies heavily on finding the right person who fits your office culture.

Best for: Small to mid-sized teams looking for a personal, high-trust approach, or larger ones that value not feeling too corporate.

---

A Paid Package Where Employees Source Their Own Activities

Think gym memberships, wellness allowances, or platforms like Gympass or ClassPass, giving employees a budget to spend on wellbeing outside the office. This model is more transactional and tends to feel like a bonus rather than the company taking an active role in looking after its people.

Pros: Maximum employee autonomy. Appeals to a diverse workforce with different preferences. Can feel like a genuine perk rather than a mandated activity.

Cons: Lower visibility on actual usage and impact. Harder to build team cohesion when everyone is doing something different. Without guidance, some employees will not use it at all and the benefit goes to waste.

Best for: Teams with varied needs and a culture of individual autonomy.

---

A Digital or App-Based Solution

Platforms like Headspace for Work or Calm for Business deliver wellbeing entirely online, through guided meditations, sleep tools, stress management content, and more. Easy to roll out at scale, especially across remote or hybrid teams.

Pros: Low cost per head. Accessible anywhere, at any time. Simple to implement with no scheduling required.

Cons: Engagement tends to drop off quickly without active promotion. It lacks the human connection that makes wellbeing feel genuinely supported rather than self-served. For teams already spending most of their day on screens, adding another app can feel like more of the same.

Best for: Remote or hybrid teams looking for a low-cost complement to other wellbeing activities, rather than a standalone solution.

---

So, what’s the right answer?

The best wellbeing strategy is the one your employees will actually use. Before you commit to a model, ask the management team:

• Do we want shared experiences that build team culture, or individual flexibility?
• How much time does our HR team have to manage this?
• Are we solving a specific problem (like MSDs, stress, or burnout) or offering a general perk?

Remeber, wellbeing should be part of wider company strategy and should go hand to hand with your office culture, brand identity and align with your office values.

---

Interested in bringing a consistent, trusted wellbeing practice to your team?

Get in touch https://re-set-pause.com/office-yoga/