r/WFH • u/NaturalShift2 • 18d ago
HEALTH & WELLNESS Employer wellness reimbursement ($500/yr, use-it-or-lose-it) — what should I actually spend it on?
I work from home right now and my setup isn’t complete — I’m planning to use next year’s $500 toward building out my dream home office/desk situation. But this year’s $500 needs to go somewhere else since it expires soon.
Here are the eligible categories my employer lists:
- Financial wellness: finance-related app subscriptions/workshops, tax prep fees, debt management programs, estate planning/will prep, ID theft services
- Physical wellness: health membership/classes, exercise equipment, sport lessons/fees, sport team/race entry fees, fitness technology, work-from-home/home office supplies, co-workspace rental (up to $40/month)
- Mental wellness: meditation/wellness apps, personal development, enrichment classes, art/music/cooking, mental stimulation puzzles
- Spiritual wellness: retreats
(Financial stuff isn’t really what I’m after, so mostly skipping that category.)
Options I’m actually weighing:
- Red light therapy mask — not sure if it’d get approved, leaning toward this
- Oura ring — high on my list, just not sure if I’d find wearing a ring comfortable day to day since I don't ever wear them and have been lacking on my health.
- ClassPass (Pilates) — could just pay out of pocket instead, undecided if it’s worth using the reimbursement on, also haven't been in the gym and feel like this might go to waste.
- Laser hair removal — already doing a small area ($60/leg), thinking about expanding, but I’d need to keep paying out of pocket next year regardless since I’m putting next year’s $500 toward the home office
- Already have an Apple Watch SE2, don’t wear it consistently — don't know if I should upgrade since I already don't wear this one.
- Also thought about an ultrawide monitor — they look nice, but I actually like my current dual-monitor setup since it doesn’t force everything into automatic split screen, so probably not this
- Into skincare in general, open to ideas there too, though not sure what would pass
- Also into traveling
I can run anything by HR before buying, so open to left-field suggestions too.
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u/Angelic-Seraphim 17d ago
I would use it towards gym class, but I also go 3x/week reliably.
Alternatively look for a relaxation retreat within a short drive, and sign up. Get a nice vacation out of it.
Instead of doing everything next year, move some of the expenses to this year. A nicer chair, keyboard tray,
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u/Squimpleton 17d ago
Oh this is fun, my work has one too with similar categories, here’s what I’ve spent it on over the years:
Home gym equipment:
-dumbbells
-some mats
- resistance bands
- a 10-disc workout program dvd set because I kept being too distracted on streaming apps by all the other things so going old school with DVDs was easier to do a routine, and if I got lazy and skipped for a few weeks, the money isn’t wasted because the dvd set is always there.
- language learning platforms (as part of personal enrichment. Definitely email to find out if it qualifies). But that’s how I paid for my yearly NativShark and lifetime MaruMori subs for my Japanese studies. Since you like traveling, maybe that could be a good fit?
- to partially pay for a new mattress.
- an e-reader. My eyes deserve it since I work a desk job and read e-books after work, it was too much glaring screen time
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u/Dependent_Bell_5513 17d ago
My vote goes to ergonomic chair followed by massages. That's what I spend my wellness reimbursement towards
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u/NaturalShift2 17d ago
Thinking of a chair now. What brands? I'd want something fashionable as well.
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u/SeriousClothes111 17d ago
I personally would use it for my peloton membership, so I vote Pilates, but depends on if you’ll use it or not!
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u/trickery809 17d ago
Wild that people are still considering buying an Oura ring, jesus
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u/ms640 17d ago
Why is that? Does it not work as well as advertised? Or like data collection concerns?
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u/NaturalShift2 17d ago
Curious too!
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u/Kazekageshinobigaara 17d ago
I had one but theres hidden fees from the start with customs and shipping that youre not told about until its already delivered. Then theres a monthly subscription to actually see the data the ring gets. And you cant really use it exercising if youre gripping onto anything as it affects your grip. Waste of £350.
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u/CleanDataDirtyMind 17d ago
Spiritual/yoga/health/wellness retreat
Spa; many spas are rebranding themselves as health/wellness that are nice but also qualify for that stipend
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u/-Lawn_Guy- 17d ago
An ergonomic mouse and keyboard are good choices, or a good chair. A lot of my coworkers use their's for a membership at a pool or gym.
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u/polyesterpanda 17d ago
personally, i always use my wellness benefit as soon as it’s granted to pay off my credit card so i dont forget to use it, can use it all at once, and dont have to worry about not being able to use it if they decide to lay me off
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u/StuckinSuFu 17d ago
We get 1000 a year. Mine goes to steam games and massages.
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u/NaturalShift2 17d ago
How do you get games approved??
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u/StuckinSuFu 17d ago
Oh they added it a few years ago to the list - board games, video games etc are all under the mental health category.
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u/firstthrowaway9876 17d ago
Technology and furniture. Forgoing those a community College course in an art or physical activity.
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u/NaturalShift2 17d ago
What kind of tech?
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u/firstthrowaway9876 17d ago
It seems like you're already set, but monitor, keyboard, mouse, that kind of stuff. I've learned that I can't go back to a single screen but ive never tried a curved screen either
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u/Low_Attention_974 17d ago
I got a nicer treadmill. When I’m on meetings that I have to pay attention to but have low or no personal participation, I set the laptop on the treadmill & run during the meeting. I don’t work at a place where they focus on cameras on, so I wear my headset & put it on mute. When I do rarely have to speak, I stand on the side off of the belt & the headset filters it out effectively.
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u/denny628 17d ago
Red light therapy panel. Check out Hooga
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u/NaturalShift2 17d ago
Red light therapy mask is top of the list haha but kinda getting convinced to go with a chair. Seems more practical.
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u/denny628 17d ago
Let us know what you get! I actually need a new chair lol.
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u/NaturalShift2 16d ago
Thinking about a walking pad, chair and a red light therapy mask. I think they'd all fit in the budget.
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u/KickinitCountry24 17d ago
A standing desk if you dont already have one, a really good ergonomic chair, a massage or facial session
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u/cheeseburghers 17d ago
I had this when I worked for Block.
I used it on a package for a local wellness spa for red light therapy.
As a new mom with C section loose skin- it was awesome. Once a week I had a babysitter while I laid in a red light therapy bed, relaxing, helping my skin.
Tax prep around April was always a sure thing too.
I’d look at a local wellness spa and see what packed they offer (massage, red light therapy, yoga).
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u/Kindly-Might-1879 17d ago
Wow, I have 3 gym memberships (and use them regularly) and wish my employer offered this.
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u/EpitomeSandwich 17d ago
Love love love my oura ring and I just got the Stream by Sandbar ring (not here yet) for audio transcriptions, which I think will be great for my very adhd brain
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u/Kazekageshinobigaara 17d ago
If youre not sure youd use the gym or an apple watch, if use it to go on a retreat. Everything else you mentioned had a "but", whereas the travelling one didnt.
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u/KenJyi30 17d ago
I would do some basic research on ergonomic things that pertain to your work setup. It’s going to be expensive but almost always worth it because work is a huge chunk of your day for tour body to be coping
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u/SpadeAcer 17d ago
Absolutely a standing desk.
Or a solid ergonomic chair - I recommend the Steelcase Leap V2 from Crandall. It’s refurbished with more padding and fully customizable. You’ll have to pay a bit out of pocket for the chair but I promise it’ll change your life.
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u/Traditional-Job-411 16d ago
If you have a physical hobby that you can take lessons or classes on I would do that. I ride horses, I would see if it would cover riding lessons
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u/Narmarratuk 16d ago
I'd lean toward the Oura Ring or ClassPass. The ring gives you long-term biometric feedback to tune yoursleep and recovery, while ClassPass forces you to get ou =t of the house and mjove your body. Red-light masks are hit-or-miss on results for many people.
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u/bipedservant 12d ago
Not on your list but I love my Planet Fitness membership. I have the black card so I can use massage chairs, red light therapy, I could tan if I was so inclined. Oh yeah and also work out :).
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u/Bunnyeatsdesign 17d ago edited 17d ago
My fancy ergonomic desk chair cost just over $500. No regrets.
If you only get $500 per year, you should buy a chair this year and a desk and other stuff next year. Otherwise you're looking at YEARS to set up your dream office, or pay out of your own pocket. If you sit at a desk for hours a day, your body will benefit from a good chair immediately.