“Our wellness program was off to a great start at the beginning of the year, and now, numbers are flat.” Sound familiar? Many companies implement comprehensive wellness programs that focus on changing lifestyle choices — increasing physical activity, eating healthier, reducing stress and quitting tobacco — which lead to increased productivity, decreased absenteeism and lower health care costs in the long run.
But no matter how great your wellness program is, you have to promote it throughout the year to keep employees engaged. Remind employees of the benefits of participating in the program. Tell them what they will get out of it.
- Create an Email/Newsletter Article — Write an article listing the top resolutions for 2017, then direct employees to your company’s specific HR and benefit programs that can help. It may be your EAP, your company wellness programs, the wellness programs available through your medical plan, your 401(k) vendor’s financial advisor tools or the legal services available through your life insurance plans. Do your research. You may have to remind yourself of what’s available. Then use links within the email to take employees directly to each program website or to where they can find more information.
- Distribute a Flyer — Engage employees who don’t have a desk. Take the email/newsletter content from above and turn it into a flyer that you can distribute at employee meetings, stuff in employee mailboxes or hang in the company cafeteria or breakroom. You can even post one inside each bathroom stall.
- Set Up a “Tell Me Your Goal, I’ll Tell You How to Stay on Track” Booth — Yes a booth. Set up within your company cafeteria, general gathering area or at your building’s front door during lunch hours (catch employees on their way to restaurant row). All you need is a table, poster, printouts of program materials (all vendors have information online) and a laptop. You’ll be fully equipped to talk about the relevant HR and benefit programs.
- Update Your Intranet/Internet — Be sure the homepage of your employee and benefits website includes links and features of all your health, wellness and financial programs.
