More than a third (37%) of employers have admitted that employee engagement is becoming harder to achieve, according to new research from Towergate Employee Benefits.
The employee benefits adviser surveyed 500 UK HR decision makers. It found that a third (34%) of respondents choose digital platforms to encourage employees to use the health and wellbeing support available to them.
A quarter (26%) make use of digital options by promoting their support on their intranet. Meanwhile, 22% use written communications such as emails to promote support, and ask benefits advisers and providers to assist with this.
Employers are encouraging employees to use health and wellbeing support by running their own in-person events with health and wellbeing specialists attending (21%), and asking providers and advisers to run in-person events (18%).
Almost a quarter (24%) have wellbeing champions to promote the support on offer, while 22% have a wellbeing calendar of events and awareness days. Regular promotions are run by 18% and webinars are run by 16%.
However, 33% only direct employees to support when requested, and 13% said they are not actively encouraging use of support at all.
Debra Clark, head of wellbeing at Towergate Employee Benefits, said: “New workplace dynamics, including hybrid working and virtual meetings, have come into play over the last few years and are making it increasingly difficult to engage employees. The key is finding more creative and dynamic ways to encourage the use of benefits. Employers who are either not encouraging the use of health and wellbeing support at all, or who are relying on employees making the effort themselves to investigate the support offered, are missing out hugely.
“Health and wellbeing support is of course put in place to ensure that employees are healthy and happy, but this is not entirely altruistic. There are advantages for the business too, including increased loyalty, less absenteeism, greater productivity, but only if employees engage with the support and use it. Otherwise, employers may well be wasting their money.”
