New Year Resolutions and Workplace Wellbeing: What Employers Can Do Without Increasing Spend

The start of a new year often brings renewed focus on wellbeing. January may see employees reflecting on their habits, setting personal resolutions, and looking to make positive changes to their lives. Therefore, for employers and wellbeing professionals, January may be a time of facing a higher number of requests for new employee benefits and demands for enhanced support. This doesn’t always align with availability of company resources or finances, so we’re going to provide some ways you can give meaningful action and support, without heavy investment!

Below are some common New Year resolutions and practical, cost-effective ways employers may be able to support them in the workplace.

1. “I want to improve my fitness”

January is often associated with renewed motivation around physical health. While gym subsidies or new fitness benefits may not be feasible for every organisation, employers can still play an important role in encouraging movement and connection.

A simple approach is to set up a workplace run or walk club starting in January. This could be weekly, fortnightly, or virtual, depending on your workforce. To encourage early engagement, consider offering a small incentive for the first few people who sign up — for example, a £5 gift card for a local sports shop, smoothie bar, or coffee shop.

The cost is minimal, but the benefits can be wide-reaching:

• Encourages physical wellbeing

• Supports social connection and team interaction

• Helps establish healthy habits that may continue beyond January

Senior leadership support can significantly boost engagement. For example, asking a senior manager or leader to be the first to sign up or attend the initial session can send a strong message that wellbeing is genuinely encouraged - not just talked about.

2. “I want to eat more healthily”

Healthy eating is another common New Year focus, but one that doesn’t require expensive interventions.

A simple and engaging idea is to invite employees to share their favourite healthy recipes and create a virtual company recipe book. This could be hosted on your intranet, shared as a PDF, or included in a monthly newsletter. For larger organisations, this could be run at a team or business-unit level, or even as a friendly challenge between departments.

This approach:

• Encourages healthier habits

• Creates a sense of community and shared ownership

• Is inclusive and accessible across different roles and locations

Again leadership involvement can make this even more impactful. For example, asking senior leaders to share a photo or recipe of a healthy meal they’ve cooked, this helps normalise wellbeing conversations and shows employees that healthy habits are supported at every level.

3. “I want to improve my finances”

Financial wellbeing is one of the most common sources of stress for employees, especially after the festive period. The good news? For many employers, support is already built into your benefits offering… through your Employee Assistance Programme (EAP).

A 2024 EAPA report shows that over 21 million employees have access to EAPs, yet actual usage remains low — only around 10% engage each year.

As an employer, this makes it especially important to actively highlight the financial wellbeing support your EAP provides. Simple steps can make a big difference: put up posters around the office, send targeted emails, or run a short 15-minute webinar to walk employees through the available resources. These often include self-help content, financial wellbeing libraries, and guidance on budgeting and debt management. Some EAPs go further, offering telephone or online consultations with qualified counsellors or advisors who can help employees navigate financial stress, develop budgeting strategies, or manage debt concerns.

If your organisation doesn’t have a standalone EAP, it’s worth exploring other insurance offerings, such as Group Income Protection or Health Insurance, as these often include an EAP as standard.

For organisations looking at longer-term strategies, additional low-cost options might include:

• Offering interest-free loans to support debt consolidation.

• Promoting the UK government’s tax-free pension advice allowance, which allows employees to access up to £500 per year via salary sacrifice.

Often, the real opportunity lies not in adding new benefits, but in improving awareness and engagement with the support already available.

4. “I want to spend more time with my family”

Work–life balance is a common New Year priority, but one that can feel difficult to address, particularly where operational or shift-based roles exist.

A simple initiative to consider is introducing a “Family Hour” during January. This would allow employees, with manager approval, to take one paid hour at any point during the month to:

• Do a school pick-up

• Meet a family member or friend

• Take an extended walk or personal break

While one hour across a month is unlikely to significantly impact productivity, the message it sends - around trust, flexibility, and recognising employees as people - can be powerful. Again, senior leaders leading by example, such as sharing how they used their hour, helps reinforce this message.

Driving Engagement Through Conversation

For initiatives like these to be effective, visibility and conversation are key. The more organisations talk about wellbeing, the more permission employees feel to engage.

Ways to increase engagement include:

• Encouraging managers and supervisors to mention initiatives in team meetings

• Using posters or digital signage in offices and sites

• Including updates in company newsletters or intranet posts

• Leveraging wellbeing champions, where they exist, to promote participation and share success stories

Wellbeing doesn’t need to be perfect - it needs to be visible, accessible, and encouraged.

Small Actions Can Send Big Signals

Supporting employee wellbeing doesn’t always require increased spend or complex programmes. What employees often value most is intentional support — small actions that demonstrate care, trust, and commitment.

By aligning simple initiatives with common New Year resolutions, employers can:

• Boost engagement and morale

• Increase uptake of existing benefits

• Strengthen wellbeing culture

• Show that wellbeing is embedded, not performative

Sometimes, the most effective wellbeing strategies are not the most expensive - but the most human.