A Playbook for Benefits Leaders: Your Internal GLP-1 Communications Strategy

When your employees walk into your next Open Enrollment, they will have an opinion about GLP-1s. Nearly all employees (97%) have heard of GLP-1 medications, according to Goodpath's recent workforce insights survey. Ozempic® is recognized by 93% of respondents, and Wegovy® by 82%.

The challenge is that most GLP-1 perceptions in the workforce are being shaped almost entirely by media and advertising, not by clinical guidance. And despite near-universal awareness, about a quarter of employees aren't confident they actually understand what GLP-1 medications do.

That gap matters.

A workforce with strong opinions but incomplete information is prone to misaligned expectations and, potentially, poorer outcomes. It's also a workforce that's harder to engage with a benefit, no matter how well-designed that benefit is.

But this is also an employer's opening. You have a direct channel to your workforce. Using it to deliver clear, accurate, science-backed information about GLP-1s, before employees may need the medication, is one of the most effective things a benefits team can do amid rising costs.

Here are six recommendations to guide your internal GLP-1 communications strategy.

1. Lead with clinically-backed information, not just coverage details.

For most benefits communications, we lead with the plan details: what's covered, what it costs, how to access it, who is eligible. But with weight management and GLP-1s, employees are navigating a medication category shaped more by social media than by clinical evidence.

Employees who receive GLP-1 prescriptions without adequate context often have unrealistic expectations about what the medication will do on its own, how quickly they'll see results, how to manage side effects, and what's required to maintain weight loss over time. Those misaligned expectations are a primary driver of early discontinuation, which typically means a reversal of any results or cost savings.

Leading with clinical information alongside your benefits announcement means sharing the fundamentals:

What GLP-1 medications do and how they work
Who they're typically prescribed for and what eligibility looks like
What to realistically expect in terms of timeline and results
How to manage common side effects
Why nutrition, exercise, and behavioral support matter alongside the medication

This isn't about advocating for GLP-1s or steering employees toward or away from them. It's about giving them the clinical context to make informed decisions and set realistic expectations from the start.

2. Tap into clinical expertise from benefits partners for employee-facing educational resources.

When you're evaluating what your benefits partners can offer, ask specifically about their educational resources — not just their plan design. Strong partners will have content geared at supporting all of your employees and anticipating your employees’ questions. This might include:

FAQs covering common employee questions about GLP-1s
Explainer content about how the medications work, what they treat, and what to ask if you’re considering a GLP-1
Clear “what you need to know” briefings when there are major news moments or shifts in the GLP-1 market that could impact their decisions or approach (like the FDA approval of the Wegovy® oral pill)
Evidence-based resources reviewed by physicians and board-certified health coaches
Materials designed for different workforce populations (e.g., employees who are GLP-1-curious vs. employees who aren't interested in medication but want weight management support)

The best partners take ownership of employee education, not just program administration.

3. Make confidentiality visible and explicit.

One of the reasons employees hesitate to enroll in health benefits, especially weight management programs, is privacy concerns. Will their manager know? Will it affect their performance reviews? Will they be identified as someone with a weight-related health condition?

The solution isn't just to have a confidential program, it's to say so, clearly and repeatedly. When communicating about GLP-1 or weight management benefits, explicitly state that:

Engagement with the program is always private
Participation is not visible to anyone at the company, including managers or HR
Questions can be asked anonymously
Benefits partners take confidentiality seriously and are HIPAA-compliant

The more clearly you communicate this, the lower the friction between interest and enrollment. Employees who would otherwise quietly research options on their own are more likely to use a structured, supported benefit if they're confident it's private.

4. Create clear channels for anonymous questions.

Related to the point about confidentiality above, one of the most common mistakes in rolling out a weight management or GLP-1 benefit is announcing coverage without creating a channel for employees to ask questions privately. Employees who have specific concerns — about eligibility, their own health history, side effects — need a way to get those addressed that doesn't require them to raise their hand in a town hall or email their HR manager directly.

What works well:

Webinars with live anonymous Q&A, hosted by your benefits partner with a clinical expert
An internal system for anonymous FAQ submissions: allow employees to submit questions through an anonymous form anytime, and regularly share out FAQs with questions answered by your benefits partner (monthly or quarterly, depending on volume)
A dedicated support contact or chat managed by your benefits partner where employees can ask questions without going through their manager or HR team

The practical effect of doing this well is measurable. Employees who understand what they're signing up for, and who've had their specific concerns addressed, are more likely to enroll, engage, and stay engaged in a way that drives meaningful outcomes.

5. Use language that treats obesity as a clinical condition, avoiding shame or stigma.

Obesity is a chronic disease with biological, metabolic, and comorbid dimensions. The language your organization uses in GLP-1 and weight management communications signals whether you understand that.

Language that frames weight management as a matter of effort, willpower, or choice — even unintentionally — reinforces stigma and reduces engagement. The employees most likely to benefit from GLP-1 coverage are also the ones most likely to disengage if they feel shamed by the communication around it.

Recommended messages that support clinical engagement:

"Weight management" (not "losing weight" or "slimming down")
"Metabolic health" and "comorbid conditions"
"Clinical care" and "expert support" (not "wellness")
"Your health goals" (keep it person-centered, not prescriptive)
"Access to weight care"

Language and framing to avoid:

Framing that implies employees need to "earn" access to benefits through effort or compliance
"Lifestyle choice" when describing obesity or weight management
"Incentivizing" weight loss — implies lack of motivation is contributing to weight
Messaging that leads with a before/after, actual weight numbers, or transformation framing

The goal is communications that feel like a trusted clinical expert talking to a patient — direct, grounded in evidence, and free of judgment about where the person currently is.

6. Keep a pulse on what employees are hearing about GLP-1s, and provide regular updates.

The GLP-1 landscape is changing rapidly. New telehealth offerings are popping up in advertisements. Oral semaglutide like the Wegovy® pill recently received FDA approval. New medications are in the pipeline. Policies, pricing, and clinical guidance are all in motion. What your employees understand about GLP-1s today may be incomplete or outdated in six months.

Benefits leaders who build regular feedback loops into their communication strategy are better positioned to respond. That means:

Including GLP-1 knowledge and sentiment questions in employee pulse surveys
Tracking benefits portal access and FAQ engagement to see which questions are surfacing most
Using post-enrollment feedback to identify where confusion or unmet expectations exist
Creating open, low-barrier channels for employees to flag confusion, and actively monitoring them

The bottom line: Build employee trust and engagement with consistent evidence-based education

The knowledge gap our recent survey data reveals isn't a communications failure, it's an opportunity. The reality is all of us are paying attention to GLP-1s. Your employees are already forming opinions, asking questions, and in many cases already seeking access through whatever channels are available. The question for benefits leaders is whether your organization becomes a credible source of clinical information that helps guide their decisions and outcomes.

This playbook is only a starting point, and Goodpath is here to help you determine where to start for your specific population. The most important move is the same as your overall benefits communications strategy: show up consistently, lead with accurate information, lean on your benefits partners for clinical guidance, and make it easy for employees to engage on their own terms.