Pulse November / December 2022 | Page 13

Nemacolin offers innovative employee benefits — including a housing community designed to help its associates with physical , financial and mental wellness .
scale acupuncture services for both employees and their families .
Of course , Nemacolin ’ s acupuncture program is only one piece of the larger self-care puzzle . Associates have access to fitness classes , plus a variety of technologies and programs at the holistic healing center , including light therapy and float therapy . While big-ticket items like classes , guest lectures and special events get the most glory , Hatcher advises others not to discount the value of touchless services as an employee benefit . With work schedules and personal lives , not every employee can attend a fitness class or special lecture , but “ the benefits of touchless therapies for guests are just the same as the benefits for employees ,” says Hatcher . In other words , employees can use them at any time and they don ’ t require another service provider to provide the service . A balance of both scheduled events and touchless , evergreen benefits is the best way to ensure every employee gets value from the self-care benefits you offer them .
This balance makes for happier , healthier employees who are more likely to stay at Nemacolin , says Hatcher , but she also views these benefits as one step in building a stronger community overall .“ One thing we understand is that , in working in a remote location , it ’ s important that our associates have a sense of community and connection ,” Hatcher notes .“ So , we developed a series of social events , wellness classes and sports leagues around a year-long calendar . Building opportunities for employees to create bonds with you and with each other is very important .” To that end , Nemacolin is constructing an associate housing development featuring single-family homes and duplexes built around a multimillion-dollar wellness center with recreation facilities , a fresh-food market and a pub .
Offering wellness-centered housing has a twofold benefit on employees : In addition to the health benefits of the classes , programs and perks , the reduced financial and mental stress of finding housing will aid their overall mental wellbeing .
Hatcher has found that employees are increasingly seeking out employers who provide wellbeing-oriented benefits like gym access , free touchless therapies , social events , discounted treatment programs and more . Hatcher attributes this to a larger generational shift occurring in the industry , saying “ younger employees are so incredibly open-minded .” Whereas older spa professionals may express some skepticism about how something like light therapy fits into their overall wellness regimen , young employees have “ a curiosity about all these different modalities and how they come together .” Though this openness is most pronounced in young employees , Hatcher says that the COVID-19 pandemic has made every generation more openminded : “ More employees are genuinely interested in ways to live well , feel well and reduce stress , and there ’ s a lot our industry can do to help them with that .”
SEA ISLAND RESORT Like Nemacolin in rural Pennsylvania , Sea Island Resort ’ s remote location on the Georgia coast can make enticing service providers to work there more challenging than at an urban spa resort . To create a happier team of spa associates , The Spa at Sea Island opens many of its facilities to its employees , says Assistant Director of Spa Kelsey Baatz . Employees can access the spa ’ s Somadomes — technology-enhanced meditation pods — in order to “ decompress and step away from the floor ,” according to Baatz . Last January , the spa launched access passes for employees that allow them to experience all
NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2022 n PULSE 11