Creating a Employee Newsletter for Workplace Wellness and Wellbeing
Your company's EAP will be worth what you paid for it if employees and supervisors are always thinking about it. We call this "thinking EAP." Does your EAP newsletter make that happen? It is just about the only tool in an EAP's arsenal of publicity and promotion that can accomplish this feat.
This means you must have monthly 2-page employee newsletter distributed by your EAP provider. If you don't have an EAP newsletter, get ready, because you will go searching for one after you read what follows.
There are new concepts in employee newsletter design. One of the EAP field's most creative innovations is a complete turnkey newsletter that a company can call its own, or even change the name. These editable newsletter products (search editable employee newsletters to locate one) give you a finished newsletter with the ability to make edits on the fly. Insert staff pictures, articles, or just leave them alone. These are time savers and impressive tools.
Always ask for a couple pages worth of testimonials when you purchase such a newsletter because you want to see the full scope of subscriber experience.
A monthly newsletter, as opposed to a bimonthly or quarterly newsletter will increase your EAP's utilization by employees, its visibility, and its value. It will also reduce risk associated with troubled and volatile employees with personal problems.
Make sure you newsletters is completely editable, web-usable, and e-mail-forwardable to employees. Everything - text, graphics, pictures, even the name of the publication must be subject to change by you! But it should also be ready to use the moment it comes ready to go right out of the envelope.
So, is your current employee newsletter hurting or helping? Things could be worse than you think.
I have seen practically every EAP and work-life newsletter available. I think most newsletter programs cost too much by the way. Many EA professionals hold their breath when they distribute unchangeable, "boiler-plate" newsletters with articles they don't think say the right thing. Often, discussion of topics are far too broad. They don't focus on conquering work-life problems EAPs see everyday.
Some only talk about "counseling" and miss many other EAP functions. And others give too much information so employees don't have an incentive to call the EAP. This increases risk to the organization by decreasing your utilization. In other words, employees become motivated to treat themselves instead of seeing a professional.
Do employees read all four pages of a quarterly newsletter? If they don't, this lowers EAP visibility and is an awful waste of money. Still, EAPs have been forced to accept the "quarterly newsletter standard"--until now. Frankly, I think quarterly distribution of a newsletter is too little visibility. You should have to hear "employees already have too much to read."
And one more point: Those newsletters that do mention the EAP often use incorrect terms like "EAP counselor" instead of the officially recognized term, "EA professional." This shows they are not produced by active EA professional publishers.
These are critical points. Non-EAP publishers do not understand this. EAPs can do more to improve their image with the right newsletter. That's why they need a editable format in MS Publisher or MS Word.
You must control the content of your newsletter
An active licensed mental health professional should author your newsletter,
No one is an expert on your EAP except you!
That's why you must be able to approve or change everything in a newsletter. No two EAPs are alike, and no two EAP newsletters should be, either.
Are you starting to see the value of the FRONTLINE EMPLOYEE? Well, hold on to your hat and read on . . .
If you have tortured yourself (or another staff member)to produce any type of newsletter in-house, the days of late issues, skipped issues, and other production problems are over. The FRONTLINE EMPLOYEE arrives monthly, not quarterly! It's two pages, not four!
That's 50% more to read per year - with content more likely to be read than a quarterly publication! And, it is NEVER mailed late.
In 10 years of EAP newsletter publishing and health care marketing, we have shown that frequency, not quantity, matters. Frequency maximizes the "top-of-mind visibility" of your EAP among the workforce. This is simple, practical, marketing theory. And it doesn't cost more. It costs LESS with the FRONTLINE EMPLOYEE!
How it Works . . .
THE FRONTLINE EMPLOYEE comes ready to reproduce, but also on a diskette or by e-mail on or before the first day of each month. You choose the format: Microsoft Publisher (probably on your computer right now), a PDF file, text-only Word® or WordPerfect®, or full graphics pasted onto a Word document. If you have another way you want us to send it, just ask.
Edit anything, or accept the monthly issue as it was produced. Change articles, create your own title, or add pictures or your own articles. You can also use our articles in your current in-house-produced newsletter. Do anything you wish except give FRONTLINE EMPLOYEE to another EAP or distribute it outside your EAP's service boundaries.
If you don't use MS Publisher (easy and available for under $99), choose the imprint option. Your newsletter will arrive preprinted with your EAP name and phone number already on it. We will add information along with a logo for your EAP on page one by removing the bottom-left article at no extra charge.
If you are an EAP provider or external vendor, create different titles to suit the desires of your EAP customers. (HINT: Charge customers for the newsletter and make it a profit center.) As you can see, the FRONTLINE EMPLOYEE is truly a cutting edge newsletter program.
Articles that EAPs Want and Employees Need
Content of THE FRONTLINE EMPLOYEE rotates around 12 major topics we have uniquely grouped from our EAP experience and by staying on top of hot EAP issues! 1) Workplace Relationships, 2) Worker Productivity, 3) Family, Home, and Community, 4) Personal Fitness, 5) Personal Effectiveness and Goal Achievement, 6) Team Building and Productivity, 7) Health Education, 8) Hot Health Topics, 9) Stress Management Tips, 10) EAP Education for Employees, 11) Workplace Safety and Injury Prevention, and 12) Customer Service Issues.
Because we are a true EAP publication, we tackle articles others miss, like handling yourself in a corrective interview; how EAPs can help you if you are injured; unique employee questions about the EAP; handling HMO problems; working with your therapist; diversity and respectful workplace issues; practical tips on goal achievement; customer service and stress; injury prevention and safety; questions on substance abuse and recovery; communicating with your supervisor; and much more.
And here is something that will make you pinch yourself - we accept suggestions on topics for future issues. Just go to our web site to register your input!
I've said enough. Subscribe today!
Print the brochure and FAX EVERYTHING FOR THE FASTEST SERVICE.
Remember, if the FRONTLINE EMPLOYEE doesn't increase the value, visibility, and utilization rate of your EAP, cancel for a full refund at any time up to and including the last issue!
This means you must have monthly 2-page employee newsletter distributed by your EAP provider. If you don't have an EAP newsletter, get ready, because you will go searching for one after you read what follows.
There are new concepts in employee newsletter design. One of the EAP field's most creative innovations is a complete turnkey newsletter that a company can call its own, or even change the name. These editable newsletter products (search editable employee newsletters to locate one) give you a finished newsletter with the ability to make edits on the fly. Insert staff pictures, articles, or just leave them alone. These are time savers and impressive tools.
Always ask for a couple pages worth of testimonials when you purchase such a newsletter because you want to see the full scope of subscriber experience.
A monthly newsletter, as opposed to a bimonthly or quarterly newsletter will increase your EAP's utilization by employees, its visibility, and its value. It will also reduce risk associated with troubled and volatile employees with personal problems.
Make sure you newsletters is completely editable, web-usable, and e-mail-forwardable to employees. Everything - text, graphics, pictures, even the name of the publication must be subject to change by you! But it should also be ready to use the moment it comes ready to go right out of the envelope.
So, is your current employee newsletter hurting or helping? Things could be worse than you think.
I have seen practically every EAP and work-life newsletter available. I think most newsletter programs cost too much by the way. Many EA professionals hold their breath when they distribute unchangeable, "boiler-plate" newsletters with articles they don't think say the right thing. Often, discussion of topics are far too broad. They don't focus on conquering work-life problems EAPs see everyday.
Some only talk about "counseling" and miss many other EAP functions. And others give too much information so employees don't have an incentive to call the EAP. This increases risk to the organization by decreasing your utilization. In other words, employees become motivated to treat themselves instead of seeing a professional.
Do employees read all four pages of a quarterly newsletter? If they don't, this lowers EAP visibility and is an awful waste of money. Still, EAPs have been forced to accept the "quarterly newsletter standard"--until now. Frankly, I think quarterly distribution of a newsletter is too little visibility. You should have to hear "employees already have too much to read."
And one more point: Those newsletters that do mention the EAP often use incorrect terms like "EAP counselor" instead of the officially recognized term, "EA professional." This shows they are not produced by active EA professional publishers.
These are critical points. Non-EAP publishers do not understand this. EAPs can do more to improve their image with the right newsletter. That's why they need a editable format in MS Publisher or MS Word.
You must control the content of your newsletter
An active licensed mental health professional should author your newsletter,
No one is an expert on your EAP except you!
That's why you must be able to approve or change everything in a newsletter. No two EAPs are alike, and no two EAP newsletters should be, either.
Are you starting to see the value of the FRONTLINE EMPLOYEE? Well, hold on to your hat and read on . . .
If you have tortured yourself (or another staff member)to produce any type of newsletter in-house, the days of late issues, skipped issues, and other production problems are over. The FRONTLINE EMPLOYEE arrives monthly, not quarterly! It's two pages, not four!
That's 50% more to read per year - with content more likely to be read than a quarterly publication! And, it is NEVER mailed late.
In 10 years of EAP newsletter publishing and health care marketing, we have shown that frequency, not quantity, matters. Frequency maximizes the "top-of-mind visibility" of your EAP among the workforce. This is simple, practical, marketing theory. And it doesn't cost more. It costs LESS with the FRONTLINE EMPLOYEE!
How it Works . . .
THE FRONTLINE EMPLOYEE comes ready to reproduce, but also on a diskette or by e-mail on or before the first day of each month. You choose the format: Microsoft Publisher (probably on your computer right now), a PDF file, text-only Word® or WordPerfect®, or full graphics pasted onto a Word document. If you have another way you want us to send it, just ask.
Edit anything, or accept the monthly issue as it was produced. Change articles, create your own title, or add pictures or your own articles. You can also use our articles in your current in-house-produced newsletter. Do anything you wish except give FRONTLINE EMPLOYEE to another EAP or distribute it outside your EAP's service boundaries.
If you don't use MS Publisher (easy and available for under $99), choose the imprint option. Your newsletter will arrive preprinted with your EAP name and phone number already on it. We will add information along with a logo for your EAP on page one by removing the bottom-left article at no extra charge.
If you are an EAP provider or external vendor, create different titles to suit the desires of your EAP customers. (HINT: Charge customers for the newsletter and make it a profit center.) As you can see, the FRONTLINE EMPLOYEE is truly a cutting edge newsletter program.
Articles that EAPs Want and Employees Need
Content of THE FRONTLINE EMPLOYEE rotates around 12 major topics we have uniquely grouped from our EAP experience and by staying on top of hot EAP issues! 1) Workplace Relationships, 2) Worker Productivity, 3) Family, Home, and Community, 4) Personal Fitness, 5) Personal Effectiveness and Goal Achievement, 6) Team Building and Productivity, 7) Health Education, 8) Hot Health Topics, 9) Stress Management Tips, 10) EAP Education for Employees, 11) Workplace Safety and Injury Prevention, and 12) Customer Service Issues.
Because we are a true EAP publication, we tackle articles others miss, like handling yourself in a corrective interview; how EAPs can help you if you are injured; unique employee questions about the EAP; handling HMO problems; working with your therapist; diversity and respectful workplace issues; practical tips on goal achievement; customer service and stress; injury prevention and safety; questions on substance abuse and recovery; communicating with your supervisor; and much more.
And here is something that will make you pinch yourself - we accept suggestions on topics for future issues. Just go to our web site to register your input!
I've said enough. Subscribe today!
Print the brochure and FAX EVERYTHING FOR THE FASTEST SERVICE.
Remember, if the FRONTLINE EMPLOYEE doesn't increase the value, visibility, and utilization rate of your EAP, cancel for a full refund at any time up to and including the last issue!
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