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Wellbeing & Fitness

Time to invest in your team's wellbeing

Go beyond generic perks. Give your team a flexible wellbeing budget for the gym, therapy, classes and recovery, so they can look after body and mind, their way.

FSA 936x936 (14)

Support the whole person, not just the employee

When your team can choose the care they truly need, they don't just feel better. They bring their best, most energised selves to work. That's the power of flexible wellbeing.

Fitness and Movement

Fitness & Movement

Gyms, fitness classes, personal training

Mental Wellbeing

Mental Wellbeing

Therapy, counselling apps, meditation

Recovery and Care

Recovery & Care

Massage, physio, sports therapy

Sleep and Nutrition

Sleep & Nutrition

Sleep apps, nutrition coaching

Custom Wellbeing Plan

Mix and match what your team needs.

Build Bundle

Three ways to support wellbeing, and how HMRC sees each one

Most wellbeing support is taxable. A few things aren't. Here's the difference in plain English, and where SideUp fits in.

Their choice

Wellbeing budget

Lifestyle benefit

Taxable

What it covers

Any gym, class, app, therapist or physio your team chooses.

How it works

You set a monthly budget. Employees pay eligible providers with their SideUp card.

SideUp's role

Runs the whole benefit for you.

On your own site

Workplace facilities

Section 261 ITEPA 2003

Tax-free, if the conditions are met

What it covers

An in-house gym or sports facilities you provide yourself.

The conditions

Available to all your employees, and not open to the public. Memberships at public gyms don't qualify.

SideUp's role

Sits alongside your facilities, for everything they don't cover.

Once a year

Health checks

Section 320B ITEPA 2003

Tax-free, one of each per year

What it covers

One health screening and one medical check-up per employee each tax year.

Worth knowing

Anything beyond that, or any medical treatment, is a taxable benefit.

SideUp's role

Talk to us about adding health checks to your programme.

Also worth knowing. Welfare counselling that falls within HMRC's accepted range isn't a taxable benefit either.

A summary, not tax advice. Check your arrangement with a tax adviser.

See How SideUp Works in 4 Easy Steps

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FSA 936x936 (22)
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01.

Choose your benefits

Decide which benefits you want to offer and who they apply to.
02.

Implement your policy

Set your budget, eligibility rules, and spending limits. Our platform handles the compliance and guardrails automatically.

03.

Connect to payroll

Seamlessly integrate with your existing payroll provider. We handle the tax implications and reporting for you.

04.

Join the SideUp platform

Invite your team. They get their cards, you get the credit for being an amazing employer. Everyone wins.

Set it up once. Your team feels it every week.

Most spending happens on the card, so there's almost nothing to chase. Here's how it works, from day one.

  1. 1

    Add your employees

    Sync your team from your HR system, or add them manually. Either way, it takes minutes.

  2. 2

    Set up your programme

    Choose your benefits, decide when they're paid out, and pick how your company funds them.

  3. 3

    We invite your team

    SideUp emails each employee an invitation to the app. Once they've completed onboarding, their card is issued.

  4. 4

    Manage it month by month

    Track spend and take-up, and keep your compliance information in one place, ready whenever you need it.

SideUpWellbeing
Alex Morgan•••• 7731

Gym membership

Monthly

£34.99

Yoga class pack

Five sessions

£60.00

Wellbeing budget this month

£94.99 of £100

Illustrative example

REAL IMPACT, MEASURED IN RESULTS

The numbers don't lie

Based on SideUp’s internal research comparing clients with vs. without flexible stipends. When you give employees choice, the numbers speak for themselves.

eNPS Points
+35
eNPS Points
Clients using SideUp consistently score +35 points higher than those relying on standard perks.
Is your culture healthy or at risk?
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Profit
+ 23%
Profit
Employees who are happy with their benefits are more productive and can increase a company’s revenue by up to 23%.
ROI
10x
ROI
For every $1 spent on SideUp stipends, companies save $10 in retention costs and productivity gains.
ROI Calculator

Calculate your True ROI

See exactly how much time and money you'll save by switching from manual reimbursements to SideUp's automated platform.

50
10 1,000+
10 hrs
1 hr 100 hrs

Did you know?

Manual expense reports cost companies an average of $58 per report to process. SideUp automates this completely.

Admin Savings
$5,400
saved annually in admin costs
Time Reclaimed
96 Hours
saved annually for strategic work

Unlock Your Full ROI Report

Reveal your potential Turnover Savings & Total Business Impact.

Reveal My Savings
The SideUp Marketplace

Every pound goes further. And stays local.

Our marketplace brings your team closer to the independent cafés, gyms, shops and services in their own neighbourhood. When they spend their SideUp budget there, they unlock exclusive discounts and freebies, so the same benefit buys more.

✓

Exclusive discounts for SideUp members

✓

Freebies and extras from local partners

✓

Your benefits budget, backing local businesses

A Saturday on the high street

The Corner Café

£8.95

Marketplace discount

−£1.35

Northside Yoga Studio

£12.00

Free mat hire

Freebie

Saved this month

£9.60

Illustrative example

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about wellbeing and fitness benefits in the UK.

What counts as a wellbeing and fitness benefit?

Gym memberships, fitness classes, personal training, therapy and mental health apps, meditation subscriptions, massage and physio.

Is a wellbeing benefit taxable?

Yes. Wellbeing & Fitness is a Lifestyle benefit, so it's treated as a taxable benefit, in the same way as an employer paying for a gym membership directly. In return, your team can choose the support that actually works for them.

Are there cases where wellbeing support isn't taxable?

Yes, a few. Sports and recreational facilities you provide yourself are exempt when they're available to all your employees and not open to the public (section 261 ITEPA 2003). One health screening and one medical check-up per employee per year are also exempt (section 320B), as is welfare counselling that falls within HMRC's accepted range.

Can employees choose how to spend it?

Yes. Employees choose from eligible categories and providers, rather than being limited to a single gym or app picked by the company.

How much should we offer?

You decide. Set a monthly budget per employee, and choose who it applies to.

Does it help with retention?

Yes. Employees who feel supported in their wellbeing are more engaged and less likely to leave, especially when it sits alongside other flexible benefits.

How does SideUp handle it?

Employees pay eligible providers with their SideUp card, within the budgets and categories you set. Every payment is tracked automatically.

Build a healthier team

Ready to modernise your benefits?

Join hundreds of forward-thinking companies using SideUp to attract and retain top talent. Book a demo to see Wellbeing & Fitness in action.