Corporate Wellbeing Employee Engagement Employee Experience

5 Ways to Engage Your People in Q2: Earth Day, Mental Health Awareness Month, Pride Month & More! 

Apr 26, 2023

Q2 is in full swing! The highlight for the Virgin Pulse team so far has been, of course, our electric 10th annual Thrive Summit 2023. 

There are still plenty of important healthcare & HR awareness days left of Q2, which means countless opportunities to show your people you care about them and their wellbeing.  

As a companion to our ever-popular monthly and yearly wellbeing calendars, we are sharing 5 tangible ways you can engage your people in Q2. Don’t forget to bookmark this when planning next year! Let’s get into it… 

Protect the Planet During Earth Month (April) 

Earth Day is celebrated annually on April 22nd  and April is also Earth Month. Use this opportunity to highlight any existing efforts your company is involved in to promote sustainability in the workplace or your local communities. If your workforce is predominately remote or hybrid, why not bring people together for an in-person bonding event with a park or beach cleanup? Plus, take it to the next level by carpooling or taking public transpiration to get there!  

At Virgin Pulse, we’re committing to planting 10,000 trees this year to leave a positive impact on the communities where we host marketing events throughout 2023. You can also help contribute to our forest. 

Tone Down Tension for Stress Awareness Month (April) 

April is Stress Awareness Month. But let’s be real, we need to prioritize stress reduction and ensure our people feel good every month, especially since 83% of US workers suffer from work-related stress. Highlight resources your company has already invested in like health coaching, mindfulness breaks, or digital fitness or mindfulness apps.  

Virgin Pulse employees have the opportunity to de-stress with Virtual Mindfulness Breaks. We’ve tapped some of our own “Mindfulness Masters” to lead weekly sessions and bring a little calm and peace to the day with stretching, journaling, meditation, and more. 

Liz Schmittgens, Director of Solution Consulting at Virgin Pulse, recently shared these self-care journal prompts to wrap up your work week: 

  • What can I celebrate this week? 
  • What did I learn this week? 
  • What brought me joy this week? 
  • How am I feeling? 
  • How can I take great care of myself this weekend? 
  • What are my intentions for next week? 

Make an Impact for Mental Health Awareness Month (May) 

It’s become extremely clear — mental health matters, yet employees worldwide are not getting the support they need. According to Mental Health America, 47% of employees know about their company’s mental health services, but only 38% feel comfortable using them.  

For Mental Health Month, launch an internal mental health campaign that shows how individuals at your organization take care of their mental health. Whether it’s short videos, written messages, or a list of tips — seeing and hearing it from one another, especially your leadership team, will move the needle on creating a culture of mental wellbeing that sticks. 

Round out your efforts by tapping into the expertise of our ecosystem partners. 

Live Events: 

 Resources: 

Lift Up LGBTQ Folks During Pride Month (June) 

Sadly, the LGBTQ community has a long-documented increased risk of depression, attempted suicide, addiction, and PTSD. In the words of Jessica Halem, LGBTQ advisor to government agencies, CEOs and ivy league schools, at Thrive Summit 2023, “let’s have difficult conversations and challenge the status quo.” Making strides to support the LGBTQ community is what Pride Month in June is all about — and your organization plays a vital role. 

Bring your teams together to host a watch party or webinar. Choose a video that educates and inspires such as “Bridging the LGBTQ Generation Gap” or learn from your peers & Virgin Pulse ERG leaders on ”Celebrating Differences and Building Community”. Afterward, create a safe space for a Q&A or an open dialog and follow up with resources to help LGBTQ+ people and their loved ones find support. 

Remember, it’s everyone’s responsibility to “be a loud ally right now.” – Jessica Halem at Thrive Summit 2023.

Care Deeply for Our Caregivers  

With Mother’s Day coming up on May 14th and Father’s Day on June 18th, take time to support all types of caregivers and the diverse needs of their families and loved ones. For example, about a quarter of U.S. adults belong to the sandwich generation, meaning they are sandwiched between their children and an aging parent and often bear an extra financial and mental burden. Whether it’s flexible work arrangements, paid parental leave, onsite childcare, or family-friendly events, take a closer look at your caregiver-specific resources to see if they stack up to what your workforce really needs.  

You can also bring caregivers together to provide a sense of belonging, mutual support, and understanding with an Employee Resource Group (ERG). For example, our ERG, VP C.A.R.E.S – Caregivers, Allies, Resources, Education, Support, is going strong with over 100 engaged members. In fact, 95% of VP employees report that they feel a greater sense of belonging after participating in an ERG program. So, empower your working parents and caregivers of all kinds this quarter by caring deeply for them too. 

Additional Q2 Awareness Dates: 

April  

May  

June  

  • Employee Wellbeing Month 
  • LGBTQ+ Pride Month 
  • 4: National Cancer Survivors Day 
  • 5: World Environment Day 
  • 10: Global Wellness Day 
  • 12-18: Men’s Health Week 
  • 14: Blood Donor Day 
  • 18: Father’s Day 
  • 19: Juneteenth 

Download the full 2023 Wellbeing Calendar here. 

Apr 26, 2023