Health insurance company Aetna knows a thing or two about the importance of having fun at work – particularly in the midst of a global crisis. From virtual horse racing to comedy performances, play has taken centre stage in their battle to boost employee wellbeing.

“Let’s get talking”

 When the pandemic hit, businesses had to find new ways to keep employee morale high – and Aetna was no exception. As a global organisation, the vast differences in cultures and attitudes might have presented a challenge, but a common thread emerged throughout Aetna’s many territories: the need for social connection during the Covid crisis. 

In a bid to keep their people connected despite the confines of remote working, Aetna started a series of virtual bi-weekly get togethers called “Let’s get talking”. By using an online conference-style platform (rather than WebEx or Zoom), Aetna had the creative freedom and flexibility to meet the needs of their employees around the globe.

The get-togethers were informal, and gave people a safe space to connect with colleagues on virtual tables either side of a virtual stage, where plenty of fun presentations took place. There was even an appearance from comedian (and this week’s FormScore podcast guest) Emma Stroud on the importance of having fun at work.

“We brought in external speakers, nutritionists, health advocates, mental health campaigners and CSR specialists to support our employees: by sharing their stories, our people knew it was ok not to be ok. We also used FormScore to open and close each session, and on average saw between a 14-28% increase in form from beginning to end.” – Victoria Dymoke, Marketing Director for Aetna Europe 

To up the fun-factor of the sessions, staff were blown away with renditions of well-known songs performed by their colleagues – with a special mention for Roberto on guitar!

The same platform was also used to host updates and fun events for Aetna’s broker community – including virtual horse racing, appearances from Olympic athletes, and sessions from guest speakers on performance coaching.

Simple. Effective. Fun. 

And the results speak for themselves:

• Event rating: 100% Good/Excellent

• Virtual platform rating: 100% Good/Excellent

• Game rating: 95% Good/ Excellent

• Overall content rating: 100% Good/Excellent

• External guest speaker ratings:  97% Good/Excellent

Why fun at work is a game-changer 

Aetna believes that helping their staff and partners to stay connected during these challenging times is critical to their performance, and their people’s happiness. 

But as well as maintaining social connections, they’ve also chosen to prioritise employee mental health and wellbeing; this includes signposting employees to the support tools available, and updating their partners on the free tools available to them – such as Wysa, an award-winning chat bot app for mental wellbeing, and Aetna’s virtual health primary care service, vHealth.

Ultimately, it’s about doing all you can to help your employees feel happier, healthier, and more valued at work – because that’s when you’ll really see the best results. 

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