“One of the main barriers to getting CEO buy-in is budget,” says Charles Alberts, senior employee healthcare and benefits consultant at employee benefits company Lorica. “So, the less you are planning to spend, the better.” He advises shopping around providers and seeing what kind of things they offer for free, from online content to health assessments. Here are a few more ideas for getting more for less:
- Ask your local gym about offering employees a corporate discount. It should cost nothing on your part except time spent negotiating. If you’re a small business, why not connect with other small local companies and approach gyms for discount?
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Get people moving. Pedometers are a cheap way to introduce a fun, competitive element to everyday activity.
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Encourage people to take their lunch breaks and get some fresh air, or take meetings outside of the office if appropriate.
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Ask health charities for fliers and brochures and distribute them to employees, especially on awareness days.
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Carefully consider what is worth investing in. A free, ‘thrown in’ EAP, for example, might not be fit for purpose, whereas a free online health platform as part of a health check deal might well offer everything employees need.
