Day 12
It’s not quite the end of December, but it is the last day of our 12 Days of Equipsmas countdown, and we’d like to use it to ask you to make health one of your New Year Resolutions.
If there’s been a health problem niggling at you in 2021, please make 2022 the year to get it sorted out. If you’re an Equipsme member and diagnosis or treatment are part of your plan, make an appointment with your own GP or ours, get the referral, and see if we can help you get it sorted out.
If you’re not a member, get that sorted out, too.
Day 11
Ho Ho Ho. If you want to play Santa and give your employees a gift they’ll really thank you for, next year, think about health benefits!
Obviously we would say that, but we’ve got really good reasons. Hear us out.
In a recent survey, we found that nearly half of employees are interested in health benefits, and 3/5 would be willing to sacrifice salary to help pay for it.
With our most popular plan costing £39 per person per month, including diagnosis and treatment, that could well put it into reach for more businesses, and more people in their workforces.
Find out more about Equipsme plans here.
Day 10
It could be lonely this Christmas. It’s absolutely not the most wonderful time of the year for everyone. There’s a lot of pressure, a lot of memories, and a whole lot of 2021 to process.
If Stress Support is part of your plan, we’d just like to remind you again that you can call someone 24/7 to chat, and even get face-to-face counselling sessions. Find out more here.
If you’re not, the wonderful Samaritans are there for you – again all day and all night.
Call 116 123 for free, confidential advice. Even on Christmas Day. Or you can donate now.
Day 9
Did you know that more than half of Brits will have an accident or illness over the Christmas period?
It turns out Christmas is in fact a lot more dangerous than it looks. In a survey we did last year we found out nearly a quarter of Brits had slipped on ice or snow, 18% admitted to having had indigestion after over-indulging, and another quarter had experienced a stomach bug or food poisoning.
The kitchen was a particular Danger Zone, with 21% of Brits suffering an oven, hot fat or other burn, and 11% cutting themselves while chopping or carving.
If your turkey starts fighting back, please remember your Equipsme plan! Our 24/7 nurse advice line can talk you through how best to treat minor injuries and ailments, and could be just the back-up you need.
Be careful out there!
Day 8
It’s Day 8 of our 12 Days of Equipsmas and we thought it was time to talk about the fact that Christmas can be a proper pain in the… back.
Whether you’re ferreting out decorations from the loft, balancing on ladders to hang the twinkly lights, or man-handling Christmas trees/turkeys/Nannas, you’re probably going to be doing a lot of unusual activities in unusual ways.
The serious side of back pain (and other musculoskeletal issues) is it costs British Business billions of pounds a year as people go down and stay out for months at a time. It’s why all Equipsme plans come with access to Physio appointments.
Keep your staff fighting fit and flexible, and get help before it gets serious. Read here for how to access this benefit.
Day 7
It’s already been a looooong term, and one of the first ‘normal’ terms in an even longer time.
Our own mini-EquipsMes have hit a wall - and there’s a lot of coughs, colds and other bugs being passed around. Remember, if you ever need advice about when to get your children to a Dr, what medicines you can give them, or how to treat illness at home, you can call the nurse advice line or the GP service to request an appointment, 24/7..
Log onto your portal or App, and find out how to get in touch or make an appointment.
Day 6
Are you running around in the run up to Christmas? It’s a particularly stressful time for the self-employed. 8 out of 10 contractors admitted to powering through the pandemic and working when they should have been in bed ill.
When you are your business, it’s really difficult to take time out. It’s why Equipsme introduced a self-employed product – aiming to help people who work for themselves actually look after themselves too.
If you and your business have made it to the end of 2021 in just about one piece, why not think about an Equipsme plan as a present to yourself for 2022? Get a bit of help to stay fighting fit, and get better faster.
Day 5
It’s Day 5 of our 12 days of Equipsmas, and if you’re feeling a bit meh, a bit under the weather, or just a bit burnt out from 2021, it might just be time to give yourself a bit of an MOT…
If you’re an Equipsme member (on level 1, 2 or 3) and you haven’t yet used your home health check this year, there’s still time to order a home test-kit from our partners Thriva. It’s a great way to check for things like vitamin D levels, cholesterol levels, and diabetes (depending on your cover Level) - without having to schlep all the way to a hospital.
The finger prick tests are easy, quick, and you can just pop them in the post and get the results back quickly and easily online.
Find out more about how they work here.
Day 4
Does your office want to do something a bit different this Christmas? If you want to be a Secret Santa for someone who’s not in your office, we’ve put together a list of our top Xmas charities.
Age UK
Age UK estimate there are 1.5 million older people alone this Christmas. They’re working to change that, and you could help.
The Book Trust
Send a book parcel to vulnerable children, or children in care.
Crisis this Christmas
Help homeless people access some sort of Christmas, plus essential food, shelter, and support all year round.
The Donkey Sanctuary
Adopt your own Little (rescue) Donkey this Christmas!
Great Ormand Street Hospital Charity
Help bring Christmas to seriously ill children, many of whom won’t get to go home for the holidays.
Oxfam Unwrapped
Give the person who has everything a gift so they can help those that need it, in the form of an Oxfam gift card. You can choose a goat, safe water, or educational opportunities.
RSPCA Christmas Rescue
Help keep RSPCA Rescue Teams on the road this Christmas and keep their helpline open to take calls. No, it’s not particularly health-related, but there’s no harm to anyone’s mental health doing something for other people (and animals).
Day 3
Christmas parties were off the cards for many businesses in 2020 – and that might not be such a bad idea this year, too.
In a survey with employees last year, we found more than half DON’T enjoy the Christmas Do - with nearly a quarter admitting they’d rather poke their own eyes out with a turkey drumstick.
We think what you’re forking out per head could be put to use in benefits that last a bit longer than a night out and a hangover.
Equipsme plans start from £9 per person per month. Yes it’s more expensive than a party - but it’s also a much better way to show all your people how much you value them.
Day 2
On the second day of Equipsmas, Equipsme gave to me… 24/7 access to a GP. La la la.
Seriously, if you’re ill over December and you’re struggling to get into your own, overworked GP – try the Equipsme GP service.
It’s a great back-up for evenings, weekends and holidays, and it might help you get seen - and get prescriptions - faster.
Find out more about how it all works here.
(Appointments are subject to any peak demand at the time.)
Day 1
On Day 1, we just wanted to remind our businesses and our members that December doesn’t always feel very festive. For some people, it’s a really hard and really stressful time of year…
Please remind staff (or remind yourself) - if Stress Support is part of your plan - that our brilliant partners at Health Assured are on hand 24/7 to take calls – and there’s even face-to-face sessions available if they’re needed.
It isn’t always the season to be jolly, and you really don’t need to face it alone.
If you want to find out how it all works, read here.
