Wellness benefits have become a mainstream offering formost large companies. Smokingcessation, nutrition, fitness and health screenings allhave been embraced by employers as a way to address health carecosts and improve employee loyalty.

But as wellness programs become the norm, a new way of lookingat wellness has emerged, and nontraditional wellness programs arenow seen by many employers as a way to get an edge on recruitmentand retention efforts. The envelope is being pushed in manydirections, but the good news is that an expansive view of wellnesshas paid off for employers, in attracting young workers, retainingolder ones, and even in seeing a good return on investment.

Paul Terry, chief science officer at StayWell, a Minneapolis-based companythat provides wellness programs to employers, said a holisticapproach to worker wellness and nontraditional offerings arehallmarks of successful companies.