A wellbeing event can be fully booked and still fail to reach the people who would benefit most. The usual reason is not lack of interest in health. It is friction: an awkward location, unclear purpose, limited manager support or a requirement to book an appointment weeks ahead. Effective wellbeing events remove those barriers and give employees something useful in return for their time.
For employers, the goal is not simply to fill a calendar during Wellbeing Week. It is to create practical moments that help people understand their health, make an informed next step and see that their employer is taking preventative wellbeing seriously.
Start with a clear workplace outcome
The best event format depends on the outcome you need. A health screening activity is suited to a “know your numbers” campaign, where employees can check basic measures such as blood pressure, pulse, height, weight, BMI and body fat percentage. A webinar on sleep or stress may be more appropriate for a hybrid workforce. Office yoga, movement sessions or on-site massage can support recovery, posture and immediate stress relief.
Trying to achieve every outcome in one session can make the experience unclear. A screening kiosk does not replace a clinical assessment, just as a resilience webinar does not diagnose a mental health condition. Be specific about what the event offers, what employees will receive and where they should seek further advice if a result or concern needs follow-up.
Set a realistic measure of success before booking anything. Depending on the activity, this could be employee participation, repeat engagement, anonymised usage data, feedback scores or the number of people who report learning something actionable. Participation alone is useful, but it is more meaningful when linked to the purpose of the event.
Choose wellbeing events that fit working patterns
Convenience has a direct effect on uptake. Employees on a busy site, in a contact centre or in customer-facing roles may not be able to attend a 60-minute lunchtime talk. A short, walk-up health check may work better. Conversely, a dispersed workforce may value an online session that can be joined from home or watched later.
For a workplace-based campaign, provide more than one opportunity where possible. A morning session may suit early starters, while an afternoon slot can help teams with school-run or customer commitments. Multi-site employers should avoid concentrating activity at head office and describing it as a company-wide initiative. Online learning and repeatable formats help extend access, but local activity still matters where teams rarely work at desks.
Privacy also affects participation. Employees are unlikely to engage openly with sensitive health topics if colleagues can overhear conversations or view results. Choose a suitable area with enough room for the activity and a degree of discretion. For health screening, explain that individual results are for the employee, while any employer reporting should be anonymised and agreed in advance.
Match the format to the available time
Short formats are often more practical than a single large event. A health screening kiosk can provide a self-service check in minutes and print results immediately, allowing employees to take part without an appointment. This is particularly helpful when shift patterns and operational workloads make scheduled consultations difficult.
Longer sessions have their place when the subject needs context. Mental health awareness, nutrition, sleep and stress management benefit from explanation, examples and time for questions. The trade-off is attendance: a 45-minute webinar may offer more depth, but a 15-minute session may reach more people. Consider using both across a wider programme rather than expecting one event to do everything.
Make the logistics easy for HR and employees
Wellbeing activity should not create a major project for an already busy HR or People team. Before confirming an event, establish the practical requirements: the space needed, access arrangements, power supply, arrival times, site contacts and how employees will be invited.
For example, an on-site health screening kiosk needs an appropriate indoor location and a standard power supply, alongside enough space for employees to use it comfortably. A turnkey service should cover delivery, installation, basic use guidance, maintenance and collection or relocation where required. This reduces the risk of an event being delayed by equipment issues or last-minute uncertainty.
Communications should answer the questions employees will have before they ask them. State how long the activity takes, whether booking is required, what information is collected, what results they will receive and whether they need to prepare. Plain language works best. “Check your blood pressure, pulse and body composition in a few minutes” is more useful than a broad message about supporting wellbeing.
Manager support is equally important. Ask leaders to protect time for people to attend, rather than treating the event as something employees must fit around a full workload. If managers do not make participation feasible, even an excellent event will struggle.
Build participation without pressure
Voluntary participation should feel genuinely voluntary. Health information is personal, and employees should never feel that attendance, results or disclosure will affect how they are viewed at work. Position the activity as an accessible benefit, not a test that people are expected to pass.
A simple campaign identity can help. A “know your numbers” week, a sleep-focused month or a winter wellbeing programme gives individual sessions a recognisable purpose. Use internal channels employees already read, including team briefings, digital noticeboards and manager updates. Reminders close to the event are usually more effective than a single announcement sent several weeks earlier.
Where possible, give employees an immediate takeaway. Printed screening results, practical movement advice, a short resource after a webinar or a follow-up course can turn a one-off interaction into a useful next step. The aim is not to overwhelm people with information. It is to make the healthy option easier to act on.
Use health screening responsibly
Health screening is a strong engagement tool because it gives employees personal, relevant information quickly. Blood pressure can indicate whether someone may need to discuss a reading with a healthcare professional. BMI and body fat percentage provide different perspectives on body composition, while pulse offers a snapshot of resting heart rate at that moment.
However, these measures are indicators, not diagnoses. Results can be affected by factors such as recent exercise, caffeine, stress and medication. Employees should be encouraged to read their results in context and seek advice from a GP, pharmacist or appropriate healthcare professional when advised. Clear signposting protects employees and keeps the employer’s role appropriately focused on access and prevention.
For organisations, anonymised usage data can show whether an initiative reached the intended audience and help shape future activity. It should not be used to identify individuals or make assumptions about the health of a team. Trust is essential: employees are more likely to take part when they understand how their data will be handled.
Turn one event into a year-round programme
A single wellbeing day can create interest, but sustained engagement usually comes from a varied programme. Use screening to create awareness, then offer follow-up support that addresses common workplace needs. This might include posture and movement sessions for desk-based teams, resilience training during periods of change, sleep webinars for shift workers or nutrition education around energy and healthy habits.
The sequence matters. A large annual event may generate visibility, while smaller monthly activities keep wellbeing present without becoming repetitive. Review attendance and feedback after each activity, then adjust the format, timing and communications. If a lunchtime webinar has low uptake, an on-demand course or a shorter live session may be a better fit. If one site has high kiosk usage and another does not, examine access, local promotion and shift coverage before judging demand.
Relaxa can combine rentable on-site Health Screening Kiosks with workplace sessions and online learning, allowing employers to build activity around the needs of different teams rather than relying on a single annual event.
Wellbeing events work best when they respect employees’ time, privacy and working reality. Give people a convenient way to take part, a clear reason to do so and a practical next step afterwards. That is how an event becomes evidence of meaningful workplace support rather than another date in the diary.