"The best option is to use a mix of communication methods, both online and in person, delivered frequently, to help to ensure that details reach all employees and that they land at the time when they are needed."
- Debra Clark, head of wellbeing at Towergate Health & Protection
Of those surveyed (500), the most common method of promoting employee support was ‘directing them to it on request’, followed by promoting the support available via the company intranet which was utilised by nearly a third (31%) of employers.
29% of employers reported that they have health and wellbeing champions to promote the support available. This active approach to health and wellbeing can help to encourage employees to engage with the support available. Meanwhile, a quarter (25%) of employers said they run in-person events with health and wellbeing specialists, 22% organised webinars and 21% ran regular promotions to encourage employees to utilise the benefits available. Towergate Health & Protection highlighted that this develops an ethos of appreciation and utilisation.
However, a staggering 14% of employers don’t actively encourage utilisation of support, despite waiting for employees to request support rarely resulting in a good outcome. Towergate believes that communication of benefits is “vital” as employees must know what support is available and understand how to access it. Not all employees will need or want support all the time, so employers need to regularly communicate the options so that they can be accessed when the time comes.
Commenting on these findings, Debra Clark, head of wellbeing at Towergate Health & Protection, has said:
“Health and wellbeing support must be more than just reactive or passive. The best way for employees to thrive is when a company takes a proactive stance and actively promotes the support on offer.
“A company that provides support but does not encourage employees to make the most of it must question why they even have support in place. To get the most value from the support on offer, employers need to proactively promote it.”
Clark continued: “Implementing health and wellbeing support is just the first step in the process. For it to benefit the employees and, therefore, the business, support must be regularly and widely communicated, and easily accessible.
“The best option is to use a mix of communication methods, both online and in person, delivered frequently, to help to ensure that details reach all employees and that they land at the time when they are needed.”
