We believe employee wellness not only reflects Biogen’s purpose and values, but it is also a factor in business success. Research has shown that globally, employee burnout costs companies $322 billion in turnover and lost productivity, and one-third of employee caregivers will voluntarily leave their jobs to attend to their caregiving responsibilities. We regularly review our employee benefit programs to ensure they support employees and promote multiple dimensions of health, including physical, financial, emotional and social well-being.
“Our well-being strategy is embedded in our company culture and not only encompasses benefits but also career, work policies and pay,” said Susan McGowan, Head of Global Benefits at Biogen.
“While we take a data-driven approach to the development of our benefits programs – benchmarking against industry peers and understanding market trends – our offerings are shaped by employee feedback we receive through surveys and focus groups. This approach helps to ensure our programs reflect what’s most important to Biogen employees.”
The last year was a year of transition for Biogen and drove us to advance our employee wellness offerings. Before the U.S. approval of ZURZUVAE™, the first oral medication to treat postpartum depression, we launched our Seeing Depression campaign, which was aimed at helping build greater employee understanding of depression throughout the patient journey, including dynamics of mental health in the workplace. We also expanded Mental Health First Aid to more Biogen affiliates globally.
"Our well-being strategy is embedded in our company culture and not only encompasses benefits but also career, work policies and pay.”
- Susan McGowan, Head of Global Benefits
To support overall employee inclusion, we launched a global gender transition and pronouns guide to bolster employee knowledge of gender affirmation and care. And we enhanced our U.S. physical well-being reimbursement benefit from $200 to $800 per year to further help employees strengthen all facets of their well-being.
Our dedication to expanding employee wellness will extend into 2024. Notably, we will launch Spring Health, a global integrated mental health platform that delivers tailored care, such as digital health support, meditation exercises, coaching, counseling and support for other wellness needs. In addition, we have expanded the list of eligible expenses covered under the U.S. fitness reimbursement program to include personal training and one-on-one fitness classes.
“At the end of the day, we believe meeting employees where they are on their well-being journey, with the tools and resources to achieve their best, contributes greatly to the health and happiness of our employees, the company and our communities,” Susan said.
