How to Plan Your Employee Wellbeing Calendar for 2027

How to Plan Your Employee Wellbeing Calendar for 2027

What will your people need from you in 2027? A little planning now can make the answer much easier.

A wellbeing calendar is a 12-month plan that gives each month a clear health or wellbeing focus, often lined up with national awareness campaigns. Done well, it turns wellbeing from a series of one-off events into a steady, year-round habit.

Most employers already care about this. CIPD research found that 64% of organisations take steps to identify or reduce workplace stress, yet only half believe those efforts are effective (CIPD). Consistency and planning are often what make the difference.

Our view: the best wellbeing calendars do not add another layer of activity. They bring the support you already offer to life, so that each month gives employees a timely reason to use their benefits, talk to their manager or try something new.

Why plan a year ahead?

Absence is rising. Average sickness absence in UK organisations reached 9.4 days per employee in 2025, the highest in more than 15 years (CIPD). Across Great Britain, 40.1 million working days were lost to work-related ill health and workplace injury in 2024/25 (HSE).

Last-minute activity is easy to miss. When content is pulled together the week before an awareness day, it rarely gets the attention it deserves. Planning ahead means communications go out on time and managers know what is coming.

It shows commitment. A visible, consistent programme tells people that wellbeing is part of how you work, not a box to tick.

Five steps to build your 2027 calendar

1. Start with your people

Look at what you already know: absence reasons, employee survey results, the age profile of your workforce, working patterns, benefits usage data and any feedback from your employee assistance programme (EAP). A largely remote team may need different support to a site-based one.

2. Choose your pillars

Balance the year across a few broad areas, such as mental, physical, financial and social wellbeing, so no group of employees feels left out.

3. Map themes to the year

Link each month to a relevant awareness campaign where it helps, but do not feel bound by them. Here is an illustrative example:

Check exact campaign dates each year, as many move from one year to the next.

4. Plan the content and link it to your benefits

For each theme, aim for a short launch message, one practical resource (a fact sheet, video or checklist), a short manager briefing and clear signposting to support. Keep the focus on small, achievable changes rather than big promises.

Link each theme to support you already offer. If March is about sleep, could your EAP or wellbeing platform provide resources? If November is about money, does your benefits package include financial wellbeing tools? Each month is a chance to remind people what they have, and to spot any gaps.

5. Review and adjust

Track simple measures such as email open rates, resource downloads and pulse survey feedback. Swap themes that are not landing for ones that do, and look at whether benefits usage changes when you promote a theme.

Questions to ask before you plan

• What are the main reasons for absence in your organisation?
• Which benefits do employees use most, and which are they not aware of?
• Are there groups of employees your wellbeing activity rarely reaches?
• Who will own the calendar, and how will managers be involved?

Frequently asked questions

What is a health calendar?

A health or wellbeing calendar is a structured, 12-month programme that gives employees a new wellbeing topic each month, supported by communications, practical resources and signposting to support.

When should we start planning for 2027?

Ideally in the autumn. That leaves time to agree themes, brief managers and have January’s content ready to launch.

How do employee benefits fit into a wellbeing calendar?

Each monthly theme is a natural moment to remind people about the benefits you already offer, such as an EAP, health cash plan or private medical insurance. Over the year, it also helps you see whether your benefits still match what your people need.

How much time does a wellbeing calendar take to run?

Less than you might think. Once the year is mapped out and the first quarter’s content is ready, most of the monthly work is scheduling and sharing.

How Black Mountain can help

Download our free 2027 Wellbeing Calendar Planner, which includes an example year, a monthly toolkit template and a planning checklist.

Through our HR, Employee Benefits and International Payroll expertise, we help employers create practical wellbeing strategies that support employees throughout the year. What sets us apart:

One partner, not three. HR, employee benefits and payroll are joined up under one contract, with one point of contact, so your policies, benefits and pay work together instead of sitting with separate providers.

Benefits expertise. Our team can broker and benchmark your benefits, from your EAP to health cover, and our employee benefits portal makes it easy for employees to find the support they already have.

Experience you can trust. Since 1996, we have supported more than 800 organisations, from start-ups to global brands, across 165 countries and territories.

To get your 2027 wellbeing plans in place before the new year, call us on +44 (0)1432 272787, email enquiries@blackmountainhr.com or use our contact form.