Employee health and wellbeing communications have never been more important – or more challenging. In a recent roundtable with senior practitioners across sectors including professional services, manufacturing, higher education and finance, one theme emerged clearly: organisations are doing more than ever, yet engagement remains uneven.
From “email overload” to “reaching the hard to reach,” the discussion surfaced both shared frustrations and powerful, practical solutions. Here are the key insights on what’s working, what’s next, and what other organisations can learn.
The biggest challenge: reaching the unreached
Despite different industries and workforce models, participants described strikingly similar barriers. The most consistent issue? Cutting through the noise to engage those who need support the most.
As one participant put it:
“We’re often preaching to the converted. The people engaging are not the ones I’m worried about.”
Whether it’s factory workers, field-based teams, contractors, or disengaged office staff, many organisations struggle to connect with employees who are less visible or less inclined to engage.
Other common challenges included:
- Channel overload: Emails, Teams notifications and intranet posts competing for attention
- Lack of cut-through: Important updates being missed entirely
- Cultural disconnect: Wellbeing messaging clashing with high-pressure work environments
- Stakeholder misalignment: Internal comms teams and wellbeing teams not always aligned
- Credibility issues: Repetitive or “boilerplate” messaging losing impact
One attendee summed it up bluntly:
“You can communicate something multiple times across multiple channels—and people still don’t know about it.”
What’s working: practical tactics that drive engagement
While the challenges are significant, the roundtable revealed a wealth of effective, real-world solutions.
1. Make it easy: remove friction from engagement
Small changes can have a big impact. One simple but effective tactic was shifting from “opt-in” to “opt-out” behaviours.
“Instead of asking people to add events to their calendar, we send the invite directly. It’s just one less step—and that makes a difference.”
Reducing effort—whether through calendar invites, QR codes, or direct links—helps busy employees take action.
2. Meet people where they are
Rather than expecting employees to seek out wellbeing content, successful organisations are embedding communications into existing routines.
- Joining team meetings or town halls
- Presenting in department-specific forums
- Embedding messaging via HR Business Partners (HRBPs)
“Building relationships with HRBPs and line managers is key—they can cascade messaging and resources for us.”
This approach recognises a key reality: attention is already stretched, so communications must fit into existing workflows.
3. Start early: engage at induction
One often-overlooked opportunity is onboarding.
“Wellbeing stalls at induction events can be really effective.”
Introducing wellbeing support from day one helps normalise conversations early and ensures employees know what’s available before they need it.
4. Leverage Wellbeing Champions and peer networks
Many organisations reported strong results from wellbeing champion networks.
These local advocates:
- Share messages within their teams
- Provide peer-to-peer credibility
- Help tailor messaging to specific audiences
“It feels more organic when messages come from within teams rather than centrally.”
However, some noted the importance of keeping these networks active and evolving to avoid stagnation.
5. Use data to target and tailor
Data-driven communication is becoming increasingly important.
One organisation uses sickness absence data to identify disengaged departments and target interventions:
“We can see where people are struggling and go directly to those teams.”
Others highlighted tailoring content by role or environment—for example, adapting wellbeing advice for office workers versus factory staff.
“You can’t tell someone on their feet for 12 hours to ‘move more’—you have to make it relevant.”
6. Bring leadership voices into the conversation
Senior leadership advocacy emerged as a powerful engagement driver—particularly when it’s authentic.
“When leaders share personal stories, people sit up and listen.”
Storytelling from leaders helps:
- Normalise conversations around wellbeing
- Build trust and credibility
- Signal organisational commitment
Some organisations are also embedding wellbeing into performance frameworks, giving it equal weight to productivity.
7. Keep content fresh and visible
Another simple but effective tactic: changing the physical and visual environment.
- Moving posters or signage to new locations
- Rotating campaign materials
- Using screensavers and digital displays
“If something’s always in the same place, people stop seeing it. Move it—and suddenly it gets attention again.”
8. Make it human, not corporate
Authenticity is critical—especially in sensitive areas like mental health.
“If messaging doesn’t match people’s lived experience, they won’t believe it.”
Organisations are finding success by:
- Using real employee stories
- Avoiding overly corporate language
- Ensuring tone reflects reality, not just intent
The future of health & wellbeing communications: personalisation – with caution
Looking ahead, many participants see personalisation as the next frontier.
The vision? A “Netflix-style” wellbeing experience:
“Imagine a platform where content is tailored to you—your role, your needs, your stage of life.”
AI could enable:
- Personalised recommendations
- Behavioural nudges (e.g. reminders to take breaks or log off)
- Insights into working patterns, such as excessive email checking or lack of downtime
As one participant noted:
“Nudges around finish times or working hours could really help people who slip into hyperfocus or overwork.”
However, this opportunity comes with significant risks.
“If employers start analysing every word, click or message, there’s a high chance of backlash—and increased cynicism.”
There was clear concern about:
- Intrusiveness: Monitoring tools feeling invasive
- Trust erosion: Employees questioning organisational intent
- Cynicism: Poorly executed initiatives doing more harm than good
“It’s always a balance between well-meaning comms and increasing cynicism—get it wrong and you make things worse.”
Organisations are already approaching this carefully, with strict governance and safeguards:
“Anything AI-related must have guardrails—especially in wellbeing. It needs oversight and clinical credibility.”
Some are partnering with providers offering clinically reviewed AI tools, ensuring ethical use and psychological safety.
The consensus: technology should enhance—not replace—human connection, and must be deployed responsibly.
The strategic shift: from volume to value
A recurring theme throughout the discussion was the need to move away from high-volume communication towards high-impact communication.
“More communication doesn’t mean better communication.”
This includes:
- Reducing the number of channels
- Being clearer and more concise
- Avoiding duplication and fragmentation
- Creating a single source of truth
As one participant noted:
“Some people don’t even check emails anymore—so we have to rethink how we reach them.”
Top tips for better employee health and wellbeing communications
To close the session, participants shared their most important advice for other organisations:
1. Personalise wherever possible
Tailor messages to different audiences to increase relevance and engagement.
2. Be clear and concise
“Simplify language as much as possible.”
Get to the point quickly—attention spans are limited.
3. Focus on one source of truth
Coordinate messaging across teams to reduce confusion and duplication.
4. Use storytelling to build trust
Real experiences resonate far more than generic messaging.
5. Make it easy to engage
Remove barriers and reduce effort wherever possible.
6. Work through trusted channels
Line managers and HRBPs are powerful conduits for communication.
7. Use multiple formats
“Create digital, physical and other assets to reach as many people as possible.”
8. Practice what you preach
Ensure communications align with organisational culture and behaviours.
9. Don’t confuse availability with adoption
“Plentiful resources do not signal adoption—adoption depends on awareness, relevance, trust and ease of access.”
Final thought: communication that truly makes a difference
Perhaps the most powerful takeaway from the roundtable was this: effective wellbeing communication isn’t just about awareness—it’s about impact.
As one participant reflected:
“This work is genuinely saving lives.”
In an increasingly complex and noisy workplace, organisations that succeed will be those that communicate with clarity, empathy and purpose—meeting employees where they are, building trust, and delivering support in ways that truly resonate.
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