Internal communication in the WHP context is often either too infrequent or too boring. The health newsletter is neither—if done right: concise, relevant, with a concrete impulse in each issue.
What distinguishes a good newsletter from one that goes unread?
The open rate of internal newsletters depends mainly on two factors: subject line and relevance. If you write "WHP Update October," you will be ignored. If you write "How are you sleeping right now?" or "This exercise takes 3 minutes and saves your back," you get attention. Each issue should have a single core message—a tip, a check-in, an invitation. If you try to do more, you lose.
How does a monthly newsletter grow?
The first issues don't need perfect design, just real content. If you invite employees to suggest topics—"What are you really interested in?"—you quickly develop an editorial sense for the workforce. Health newsletters that are seen as relevant internally are forwarded and create WHP visibility that no notice on the bulletin board can achieve. How you can also reach shift workers and those previously inactive is shown in the guide Increase WHP participation rate.
How do you put the measure in place?
- 1Sketch an editorial plan for twelve issues with fixed sections: health tip, measures update and one WHP key figure.
- 2Choose the distribution channel and a template, and pick a fixed publication frequency, for example every first Tuesday of the month.
- 3Clarify responsibilities: who writes, who supplies the key figures and who approves before sending.
- 4Start the first issue with a clear expectation: what does the newsletter offer, how often does it come, and why is it worth reading?
- 5Invite people to contribute right from the start – collect topic requests and success stories from the teams.
- 6Send it out on time every month and keep the mix: one practical tip, one update on ongoing measures, one current key figure.
- 7Tie the content to the season, for example heat protection in summer or vitamin D in winter, so the newsletter stays relevant.
- 8Keep watching open and click rates and pick up topics that go down well more often.
- 9Evaluate open rate, clicks and unsubscribes over the half-year and compare them with the starting values.
- 10Use a short reader survey to find out which sections are most useful.
- 11Sharpen the editorial plan based on the results: drop weak formats, build on strong ones.
What do you need for it?
- Effort
- half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Duration
- Monthly
- Setup
- 120 min
- ✓ Regular contact
- ✓ Visibility for WHP
- ✓ Flexible
Tax and health insurance: what is possible
Employer health benefits can be tax-free under § 3 no. 34 of the German Income Tax Act (EStG) up to €600 per employee per year — if they are provided in addition to the salary already owed and are either certified (§ 20 SGB V) or implemented within the company's health promotion process. Gym memberships and corporate fitness are not covered. For ZPP-certified courses (e.g. from Upfit), German statutory health insurers can reimburse all or part of the course fee to their insured members — then only the amount exceeding that reimbursement is tax-free. Projects within the company can be funded under § 20b SGB V, with no entitlement. Only your tax adviser can confirm the tax exemption.
How it works in EasyWHP
This Best Practice in EasyWHP: adopt it, adapt it, measure the effect
Once adopted, the measure is ready in EasyWHP — with instructions, an invitation and surveys before and after. You adapt what fits your company and see at the end what it achieved.
Screenshots with demo data, no real people.
Adopt it for your company
Register for free — and the measure is ready to go in your cockpit: invitation, feedback survey and appointment are already set up. First cycle, first numbers for the boss.
Try EasyWHP for freeRather take a look first? To the live demo →
Contributes to
Measure the impact with
Action field
Prevention & Early Detection →A fitting occasion
- World Health Day (WHO)
Related Best Practices
Not sure where to start? Self-check in approx. 7 minutes →