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Employee Well-Being C279

6. If “takeaways” must happen, such as suspending the
employer retirement match, clearly communicate the deci-
sion and the reasons behind it, and try to restore as soon as
possible.
7. Encourage fun activities and employee get-togethers
to build cohesion and relieve stress.

: PLANNING YOUR WELL-CARE STRATEGY

In a recent survey of employers, Quantum Workplace asked win-
ning companies how they approach their employee health and
benefits efforts. After reviewing these entries, we identified an ap-
proach that we believe can help your organization in your planning
efforts:

1. It has to start from the top. You’ve read the stories from Vertex and Gay-
lord, which show senior leadership doing what senior leaders should
be doing—leading. If employees see that leaders from all quarters
support well-care efforts, they will likely value them more and pay
appropriate attention. Chapter 1’s feature employer, Quality Living,
initiated a financial literacy program a few years ago. It has been a re-
sounding success, mentioned frequently as a highlight for employees,
many of whom did not know how to manage their personal finances.
The program was strongly advocated by CEO Kim Hoogeveen in
words and in deeds.

2. Communicate early and often. Winning employers seem to go out of their
way to make sure employees understand what’s going on related to
their benefits. They work to gain feedback about offerings and talk
through “takeaways,” where benefits must be reduced or eliminated.
A few representative comments about what’s working for these
employers: