Lululemon Athletica Inc. is helping employees maintain physical and mental well-being amid the coronavirus pandemic with a series of wellness initiatives.
In an emailed statement to Benefits Canada, Angela Wright, vice-president of health and wealth and organization planning at Lululemon, said the company increased its focus on employee well-being during the pandemic, with many existing programs moving online as employees moved to remote working arrangements.
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These initiatives include shifting the company’s daily workout schedule to a digital format, offering a variety of virtual fitness classes and sessions that focus on mental well-being and personal development. For store-based employees, Lululemon also introduced pay protection and created an employee assistance fund — which Wright said will be extended beyond the pandemic — along with two meetings-free afternoons per week.
Earlier this year, the company released results of a survey that found only 15 per cent of employees feel their employer is offering enough resources to support well-being during the coronavirus pandemic.
Lululemon’s benefits package also includes paid sick leave for all North American employees along with several mental-health benefits, such as real-time psychological support for critical incidents, as well as mental-health first-aid training for managers to ensure they’re equipped to support mental well-being conversations.
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Wright said the digital wellness offerings have been a success. “It’s allowed us to offer more variety across more time zones and work with [employees] around the globe. . . . We’re continuing to monitor the ongoing changes and will build out programming that reflects what our employees need most — whether that is sweat, connection or mindfulness or a combination of all forms of well-being.”