How to champion workplace wellbeing in your organisation

Key benefits of Vitality Champions:

• Drive employee engagement with the Vitality Programme
• Promote workplace health and wellbeing
• Raise awareness and signpost key information and resources

Building a healthier and happier workplace isn’t just about introducing new benefits; it’s about helping employees feel inspired to use them.

With busy working schedules and packed calendars, it can be easy for wellbeing to take a back seat. And, even when employees have access to tools and support, getting started and staying consistent, can be a challenge.

According to Vitality data, on average, employees are aware of 70% of the interventions available to them, but they use just 25%[1].

Separate data found that, within HR, a fifth of people professionals think that workers aren’t aware of certain benefits that are available to them[2].

To help bridge this gap, some organisations may use a variety of comms channels (newsletters, intranets, team meetings, social media) to raise awareness and spread the word of the workplace wellbeing initiatives on offer.

Others may highlight success stories from employees who’ve benefited from corporate wellness programmes to demonstrate how the benefits are supporting staff in real time.

For employers, another strategy could be to appoint an internal wellbeing champion to encourage participation, signpost resources and field questions relating to the health and wellness benefits that are available.

How can Vitality Champions help improve employee engagement?

Alongside their day-to-day job, Vitality Champions are there to help internal colleagues use the Vitality Programme to get healthy, reach their goals and reap the rewards.

The Vitality Champions programme is available to organisations with more than 10 employees who have a business health insurance, corporate healthcare or Vitality at Work Enterprise plan.

Within this, client organisations can recruit their own health and wellbeing ambassadors, known as Vitality Champions, to help boost workplace health and wellbeing.

To support them in their roles, Vitality Champions can access on-demand content and resources via The Champs Hub. They’re also able to attend expert-led workshops led by Vitality coaches and join a community of like-minded members who are passionate about health, wellness and helping others.

“For workplace wellbeing strategies to be effective, you need buy-in across all levels, not just from the top or bottom,” explains Nick Read, Chief Vitality Officer. “The Vitality Champions programme we offer gives employees greater control and insight into what Vitality can do for their colleagues,” he adds.

Whether it’s highlighting the benefits that are available, encouraging participation or simply leading by example, Champs help create momentum that colleagues can follow.

In 2025, there were 2,000+ Vitality Champions across over 1,200 businesses. Collectively, Champs were helping to support around 190,000 members to make the most of Vitality.

What impact do they have in the workplace?

With the support of Vitality, Champs are able to encourage their colleagues to be healthier, more productive and reap more from the Vitality Programme.

But how are these wellbeing ambassadors contributing to improvements in employee engagement and health outcomes?

In June and July 2025, organisations with Vitality Champions saw stronger engagement with the Vitality Programme.

These voluntary ambassadors helped increase the number of Health Profile completions by 9%* and the number of new employees downloading the Vitality UK app by 8%**.

Additionally, on average, Champs helped 15% more new employees earn physical activity points**, enabling them to unlock rewards from their health insurance plan.

This data helps demonstrate the potential power the programme has to support positive health and wellbeing from day one of employment.

What do our Vitality Champions think?

Jackie Burns, Ignis, is one of many Vitality Champions. She says it’s good to have a link between the Vitality Programme and the workforce. “You can work together to spread the word of Vitality and the great benefits of the programme,” she adds.

Encouraging colleagues to get active and unlock rewards and benefits when they get active is a key part of the role for Steve Gardner, MicroStrategy. “Simple things like getting Caffè Nero coffee every week are great.”

For Natalie Carter, Bobst UK & Ireland, it’s being able to help others that makes the role of a Champ feel so fulfilling. “I’d describe it as very rewarding when you’re able to pass on the knowledge and see colleagues embrace a run or a walk or download something useful,” she adds.

As much as it’s about supporting colleagues on their wellbeing journeys, the role has also helped some Champs to stay focused on their own wellbeing journeys.

“Following ACL reconstruction surgery, Vitality helped me throughout the whole process and helped me ease back into fitness through walking and reformer Pilates,” explains Erika Sutherland, a High Commission, based in the UK.

“Having access to health tracking tools and rewards has made staying active feel less like a chore and more like something to look forward to. It’s also helped me in my additional wellbeing support roles at work, knowing I can encourage others while improving my own health too,” she concludes.

[1] 10 Years of Britain’s Healthiest Workplace: the changing face of the UK at work, Vitality, 2025

[2] Half of UK HR leaders think their workplace benefits aren’t working, Nous, 2024

* Champions Health Profile Campaign, June 2025

** Vitality Champions Impact Analysis, July 2025

Related: Mental health first aiders at work