One day in 2020, a company asked its employees to not show up in the office the next day, and, instead, work from home for "as long as it takes." Little did they know it would take them months to return to the office - if ever. And business would never be "as usual."

Employee burnout, low morale, work-life (im)balance. These were not just buzzwords anymore. And well-being at work was no more a nice-to-have or a perk to promote your open roles.

The recent pandemic has taken an emotional toll on employees. With mandated lockdowns and nowhere to go, people ended up working long hours. At the same time, they were struggling to juggle between work and home life. The overall stress, a result of this healthcare crisis, has a long-term impact on their mental health, too.

Luckily, many companies have taken note and introduced initiatives to take care of their people. But also to remind employees to take care of themselves. Because mental health impacts us in all aspects of our lives. Employees, now more than ever, expect to find well-being at work.

A recent study on remote work and employee wellness from Virtual Vocations found that 77.64% of respondents feel that overall health, including mental and physical health, is extremely important to work success. Plus, more than 42% consider access to fitness classes, like yoga and Pilates, their most desired employer-provided wellness benefit. However, only 5.65% said their current employers offer access to such benefits.

This is a good starting point if you're thinking about introducing some employee well-being benefits. But it's not the only way to go. Twenty-three companies are sharing how they promote well-being at work and what kind of initiatives they've taken to battle mental health issues, especially amid the pandemic.