You don’t have to search too hard to find doom and gloom about companies’ benefits and compensation outlook. But it’s critical not to let employees forget about good things that happen as you weather the economic storm.
And believe it or not, it’s often harder to convey good news effectively.
Suppose your company just reduced copays on your prescription drug plan. How would you break the news to employees?
If you’d just send out an e-mail or memo, you’d lose out on a ton of goodwill. Few people get jazzed about an e-mail or piece of paper.
Spreading the word
Here are two alternative ways to make sure everyone knows the good news:
- Plaster the building with posters or announcements about the benefits change, or
- Use some petty cash and throw a small on-site party to announce the new program or added benefits.
Of course, you’ll want to keep the celebration proportionate to the significance of the news.
Example: Launching a benefits Intranet or self-service system shortly before open enrollment deserves a full-scale celebration. In fact, it would even bump up the usage of the system.
But changing the mutual fund choices on a struggling 401(k) plan probably doesn’t call for much hoopla.
