Hosting an onsite flu shot clinic is one of the simplest ways to protect your workforce during flu season. But getting employees to actually show up? That’s where the real challenge begins.
Employee participation is key to making your clinic a success. Without enough employees getting vaccinated, your workplace remains at risk for a flu outbreak — leading to increased absenteeism, lost productivity, and preventable healthcare costs.
So how do you get more employees on board? Whether it’s your first time hosting a flu shot clinic or you’re looking to boost participation this year, we’ve got you covered.
Smart Ways to Promote Flu Shots
Offer incentives.
It’s no secret – everyone loves a good incentive! Offer employees some type of incentive to get their flu shot. Whether it’s a financial incentive or healthcare incentive, participation rates are guaranteed to increase significantly. Some incentive ideas for employees who receive their flu shot include:
- Gift cards
- Free day of PTO
- Half-day Friday
- Employer contribution to employee’s FSA
- Jeans day or week
- Pizza party
- Onsite massages
- Cash bonus
- Free catered lunch or breakfast
- Company swag
- Wellness points (add to your current wellness program)
Make it fun.
A flu shot clinic doesn’t necessarily scream “fun,” but with some effort, you can add some excitement. Employees will be more likely to participate in the flu shot clinic if it also feels like a social event. Some ideas to spice things up:
- Offer food. Employees can have a post-shot snack or treat with their co-workers.
- Prizes. Have participating employees enter their name in a drawing for a grand prize.
- Provide goodie bags. Fill them with some healthy treats and discount coupons.
- Encourage some friendly competition. Amp up participation rates by challenging departments. The department with the highest participation rate gets a prize!
Utilize marketing tools.
Utilizing marketing tools is a simple yet effective way to boost participation rates – even on the day of the clinic. TotalWellness offers free marketing resources so that you don’t have to make your own (download them here!). Be sure to take advantage of any free communication resources you can get. Some marketing ideas include:
- Create posters, fliers, and handouts to be displayed in kitchens, break rooms, and conference rooms.
- Supply “I got my flu shot” stickers or pins for participants to wear after receiving their vaccine.
- Send out friendly reminder emails, including funny flu shot memes or GIFs.
Educate employees.
Help your employees get the facts – not the flu! Many common myths about the flu shot cause employees to shy away from getting vaccinated. Participation will increase when employee education increases. It’s important to address these myths and educate employees on both the vaccine and the severity of the flu. Some employee education ideas include:
- Create FAQ sheets and display them in popular areas of the office.
- Have middle managers hold meetings explaining the importance of getting vaccinated.
- Share educational blog posts about the flu shot in company newsletters, email blasts, and the company website.
- Host a lunch and learn about the severity of influenza and how to prepare for flu season.
- Share current flu activity for your state. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issues weekly reports on their website that you can send out to employees.
Involve senior management.
Senior managers and top executives can be powerful advocates for your flu shot clinic. Ask senior managers to help promote the clinic and encourage employees to participate. When employees see that even the company's top executives are taking time out of their busy schedules to get vaccinated, they’ll realize that they can make the time, too. You can even get your CEO to be first in line to receive their flu shot!
A Healthy Workforce Starts with Prevention
Every year, flu-related complications send 200,000 Americans to the hospital. An onsite flu shot clinic is one of the best ways to keep your team healthy, productive, and protected. But without strong participation, its impact is limited.
This flu season, give your clinic the promotion it deserves. Try these strategies and watch participation rates rise!
How does your company promote onsite flu shots? Let us know below!
Editor's note: This blog has been updated for freshness, accuracy, and relevance in February 2025.
