Here are five tips to improve the likelihood that employees will use a self-care guide instead of high-tailing it to the doctor or ER:
1. Distribute a guide annually.
You move, and it ends up in a box you never unpack. You use it and then misplace it. You never remember to bring it home from work and your family never has the chance to take advantage of it. Or it just blends into the scenery on your bookshelf.
Distributing a new guide every year is an easy way to send a regular message about the importance of self-care and wise consumerism. It’s a little bit like getting a new toothbrush every time you go to the dentist.
And most self-care guides are updated and medically reviewed annually, so employees have access to the latest and most accurate health information available.
2. Include medical self-care in your newsletter.
Whether your newsletter is online or in-hand, it is really easy to tie-in medical self-care — and a reminder about using the book.
Here’s an example from our latest HealthyLife Newsletter:
With a friendly reminder bar at the bottom: “Many topics like the one of this page are contained in a medical self-care guide … If you have a self-care guide, use it whenever you are unsure about what to do for symptoms and health issues you are experiencing.”
3. Hang posters and flyers.
Here’s one we recently developed.
Do you know what to do? I don’t. True story — I looked it up in my self-care guide just because I was curious.
Make sure you change it up often (every 2-3 weeks) to keep your message fresh! And you don’t have to stop at posters — stick up a fridge magnet in the office kitchen, pass out postcards, or send a regular self-care email.
4. Host a workshop.
Help employees make better use of their self-care guide, and they’ll be more likely to use it. It may seem self-explanatory, but the density of information, the flow-chart format and the variety of recommendations for action — what’s the difference between “See a doctor” and “Call a doctor”? — can be intimidating for some. Do an in-person lunch-and-learn, conduct a webinar, or distribute a how-to video.
5. Remember that promotion is a process, not a one-time event.
Don’t make the mistake of doing one self-care quiz with a cash incentive and calling it a day. It’s an ongoing effort. The good news is that the more people use their self-care guides,
– The more you will save on health care costs.
– The higher your return on invesment.
– The healthier your employees will be.
So don’t be daunted! Jump in!
How do you promote your self-care program to your employees?