Seven in 10 large companies say they find it difficult to ensure communication of health and wellbeing support is always relevant to employees, according to research from Towergate Health & Protection.
The survey of 500 HR decision makers also found this figure was 50% among SMEs – meaning the majority (55%) of employers admitted difficultly in making communications relevant, struggling to target specific messages at specific groups of the workforce.
Over the last 12 months, 42% of companies have changed their health and wellbeing communication programme, and nearly two-thirds (62%) said that they now communicated the support they offered their people more regularly.
Almost half (48%) of companies surveyed said they had found it more difficult to communicate the support they offered to staff because many employees now worked from home either some or all of the time.
In likely response to this, 55% of employers now concentrate more on digital health and wellbeing communications.
Debra Clark, head of specialist consulting at Towergate Health & Protection, (pictured) said: “Where employers are finding it hard to ensure that communications are relevant, the answer is often as simple as asking employees what they want, and not just making assumptions.
“This applies to the health and wellbeing support being offered, but also to the type of communications being used.
“The last few years have seen a sea-change in employment models, with working from home and hybrid working becoming commonplace. This means that the communication of health and wellbeing support has become more difficult and, arguably, more important.
“Health and wellbeing support is a constantly changing landscape and so is its communication. Employers must ensure they listen to the needs of their employees and remain current and flexible in what they offer and how they convey this.”