Benefits Ambassadors Program continues to generate interest, support

The second year of the Benefits Ambassadors Program, implemented by Human Resources last spring on Purdue’s West Lafayette campus, again received tremendous amount of interest and support. Forty-nine applications were received following the callout for interested employees, and all 49 were selected as ambassadors for the 2017-18 term. Only six areas/departments on campus are missing representation within the benefits ambassadors. They are:

* Affiliated Organizations.
* Associate Vice Provost for Enrollment Management/Dean of Admissions.
* College of Health and Human Sciences.
* Intercollegiate Athletics.
* President and Board of Trustees.
* Vice President for Public Affairs.

Human Resources is interested in identifying a representative from each of those areas, and applications will be accepted to fill those roles. To express interest or apply, contact Sara Randall in Human Resources.

According to Candace Shaffer, director of benefits in Human Resources, the response to callouts in the program’s second year confirms that the benefits ambassadors’ initiative is well-received and needed among the West Lafayette campus community. 

“Once again, the faculty and staff on our campus did not disappoint,” Shaffer says. “We continue to be encouraged by the interest shown toward this program and are looking forward to increasing the reach of the ambassadors across campus. Now more than ever, with our focus on employee health and wellness university-wide, our ambassadors and the role they play are key to helping us meet our goals.”

The ambassadors will help inform and motivate colleagues to achieve healthier lifestyles by providing information on the variety of benefits resources available, sharing suggestions and ideas in committee meetings and actively advocating health and wellness benefits among their co-workers. Benefits ambassadors will have the opportunity to learn about initiatives and schedule programming pertaining but not limited to Family Friendly, Retirement, Financial Benefits, Medical Benefits, Center for Healthy Living and Leaves/Time Off. In addition, the Healthy Boiler Wellness Program beginning Jan. 1 will be a focal point for the benefits ambassadors.

Ambassadors will serve as resources to the campus community by gathering and sharing information but not as customer service representatives; they also will not have access to anyone’s personal health information.

Specific questions related to the overall benefit offerings at Purdue or personal benefits should be directed to Human Resources at the contact information listed below.

For more information, Human Resources has created an overview and frequently asked questions for the program. A roster of the current ambassadors is included in the information and can be used to contact the ambassador for your area to share ideas or request a workshop on a specific topic. If your area is not directly represented, contact Human Resources at 765-494-2222, via email at hr@purdue.edu or HRHelp.