Millions of Americans make New Year's resolutions and head into January feeling capable and motivated. Yet, many struggle to make progress towards their goals and nearly 80% give up entirely by mid-February.
As an employer, this provides a unique opportunity for timely benefits education. Your employees' top three goals for the New Year may be incredibly aligned with the wellbeing initiatives you already have in place.
The New Year is a great time to communicate with your employees about taking advantage of their valuable workplace benefits to help meet their goals (and avoid that February flop).
Let's dive right into each goal, and how your organization can align your benefits communication strategy to get a ton of wellbeing momentum right out of the gate.
1. Get healthy.
Clocking in at the top New Year's resolution spot for 100+ years running? The goal to "Get Healthy." This objective can encompass a range of healthy behavior changes, from exercising more to eating less junk food to kicking harmful habits like smoking or drinking. And, mental health practices like self-care are also becoming leading wellness priorities, too.
If an employee's goal is to get healthy, it's the perfect time to communicate the physical and mental wellbeing benefits you offer. Highlight your HSA, talk about your Telemedicine offerings, and if you provide discounted gym memberships or access to Classpass, shout it from the rooftops.
2. Save more, Spend less, get out of debt.
One out of three Americans intends to make a financial resolution for the year ahead. Even for high earners, goals like sticking to a budget, saving up an emergency fund, and paying down debt will be the front-runners. This is because 49% of employees surveyed by PwC report difficulty in meeting household expenses on time each month. They're carrying financial stress to work each day, but this is the year they're ready to make changes.
For employees that resolve to save more, spend less, or get out of debt, offer resources that help them build a healthy financial foundation. Many companies provide financial wellness as an employee benefit, with education and tools around budgeting, cashflow management, credit card debt, and student loans.
To really amp up your support, offer access to unbiased financial counselors that can help employees one-on-one. Programs like LearnLux provide digital + human guidance to help employees keep their financial resolutions (+ help them hit those long-term goals like retirement readiness, too).
3. Learn a new skill or hobby.
Leadership and Development professionals, this one is for you! The New Year is when many employees reflect on what they accomplished in the past 365 days, and how they can invest in their personal and professional advancement. This New Year marks the arrival of a new decade, bringing extra employee uncertainty around the future of work and their skills becoming outdated.
As a result, the first few months of the new year present an excellent opportunity to upskill staff and expand their capabilities. Professional development is great for morale, leads to less turnover, and can help people professionals identify top performers. Launching a communication campaign around the resources you offer will be well received this time of year, and can create great momentum among your workforce.