7 Topics to Communicate to Employees in January 2021

Every month, Airbo provides you with suggested topics to communicate to employees as part of your Annual Communications Plan. The topics are based on hundreds of data points regarding what our customers communicate each month of the year.

New year, new start! Now’s the time to capitalize on employee’s renewed motivation. Help them with the resources and reminders they need to get the new year started on solid footing.

1. Benefits Spotlight

If you had an autumn Open Enrollment with benefit plans starting January 1st, remind your employees to check their January pay stubs to ensure that their plan changes are reflected, with the correct premium and corresponding deductions.

January is also a great time to spotlight benefits that will help employees kick off their renewed commitment to health. Give them a nudge to schedule their annual physical, annual dental and annual vision exams, and to complete their health risk assessment and biometrics.

Sample Content: Start the year with your annual physical

2. Holidays and 2021 Calendar

Help your employees plan their vacations well in advance by letting them know the dates of holidays and office closures. Remind them of your PTO policy as well.

January has a few holidays besides New Year’s Day, including Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the only federal holiday observed as a national day of service. Encourage employees to volunteer if the company is closed for the day, or promote community service efforts that the company organizes.

The second Monday of January is another day that you may want to highlight, National Clean Your Desk Day. On this day, suggest employees take some time to clean their desk, workspace and computer station of things no longer needed.

Sample Content: Happy New Year, 2021 Holiday Calendar, PTO policy reminder, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, National Clean Your Desk Day

3. New Year Reminders

A new year is a fresh start. Take advantage of this time of renewal to remind employees to update their home address, phone number, and emergency contacts in your system. Let them know that you’ll be mailing their W-2 using this contact information.

Sample Content: Emergency Contact information, W-2 update, Update contact information

4. Winter Wellness

Help your employees weather the long, cold month of January with useful winter wellness and safety tips.

Sample Content: Check your Tire pressure, Winter safety: Proper footwear, Save money by insulating, Winter fitness: Try something new

5. Health Awareness

January is National Blood Donor Month, which makes it a great time to promote giving blood and giving back. It’s also Cervical Health Month and Thyroid Awareness Month – another great reason to promote scheduling annual physicals and preventive care screenings.

Sample Content: Cervical Health Month, National Blood Donor Month, Thyroid Awareness Month

6. COVID-19

With the new year comes a sense of optimism surrounding the distribution of a Covid-19 vaccine. Information regarding the vaccine and subsequent protocol will develop on an ongoing basis.

Sample Content: Things to Know about the U.S. COVID-19 Vaccination Program

7. Annual Engagement Survey

The start of the new year is a great time to gauge if employees are happy with the company, if they feel invested in the company mission, and for them to give feedback on what could be improved. Send out our Employee Engagement Survey to a pulse on employee satisfaction.

Sample Content: Employee Engagement Survey, Question 1: Expectations, Question 2: Resources, Question 3: Company Mission, Question 4: Compensation, Question 5: Opinions, Question 6: Recognition, Question 7: Referrals, Question 8: Growth Opportunities, Question 9: Feedback, Thank you for your feedback!

That’s our recommendation of what to communicate in January. We hope this saved you some time so you can get back to celebrating the holidays! We wish you and yours a happy and healthy New Year.

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