About the Employee Wellbeing Program

The University of Minnesota offers flexible and meaningful ways to help you live a healthy, balanced, and fulfilling life based on your goals and needs. 

We provide offerings organized around six dimensions that have been shown to positively influence wellbeing: career, physical, emotional, financial, community, and social. These six dimensions serve as a guide to support you holistically.


Discover Wellbeing

Wellbeing Program wheel with six dimensions: Financial, Social, Emotional, Community, Physical, Career

Here are definitions of each dimension and some questions to help you think about your wellbeing:

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Career

Your daily work gives you a sense of purpose.

  • Do I enjoy my job overall?
  • Are the challenges I face at work more exciting or exhausting?

Social

You have positive relationships in your life.

  • Do I have friends, family, and coworkers who I enjoy spending time with regularly? 
  • Can I have honest conversations with people I’m close to?

Financial

Your financial decisions create security and freedom of choice.

  • Can I cover my basic expenses with some money left to spend on hobbies or other fulfilling uses?
  • Am I saving for future emergencies and my retirement?

Physical

You feel energized, nourished, and rested.

  • Do I eat foods that make me feel good every day?
  • Do I often feel tired? 

Community

You live in a neighborhood you enjoy.

  • Do I feel safe in my community? 
  • Do I actively participate in groups or support causes in my neighborhood?

Emotional

You can recognize, express, and manage your emotions.

  • Do I feel optimistic most days?
  • Do I feel equipped to deal with daily stress?

How you answer these questions can point to areas that you may want to spend time exploring. Plus, what you do in one dimension can positively affect another dimension. For example, if you help out in your community, you may find your mood improving.

What the Wellbeing Program Offers


For All Employees

All full- and part-time employees can now use the resources on the U of M’s wellbeing portal hosted by Virgin Pulse. You’ll find wellbeing resources, activities, and events on the Virgin Pulse portal with nearly all of them free for you to use. 

Highlights include:

  • On-demand video fitness classes (yoga, high intensity interval training or HIIT, kickboxing, cycling, and more) 
  • Mindfulness and meditation practices
  • An event calendar with upcoming webinars
  • Recipes and nutrition resources

How to Sign Up

For Employees Enrolled in the Medical Plan

Employees enrolled in the University’s medical plan can earn points toward a discount of $500 or $750 a year on their 2025 medical plan rates.

If your spouse is covered on your medical plan, they are also eligible to use the resources. They will need to earn 2,500 points toward your total if they participate. 

The Wellbeing Program year runs from September 1, 2023, to August 31, 2024. 

If your medical coverage is:You need to earn at least:To save this amount in 2025:
Employee only5,000 points$500
Employee and children5,000 points$500
Employee and spouse with or without children7,500 points (spouse participation is optional)$750

If you earn the required number of points by the end of August, you’ll find your rate reduction under “Before-tax Deductions” on the left side of your first full paycheck the following January.

How to Sign Up