Even the best-sized package fades if it has no owner inside the company. The “champion” is not a new job title but a role: a few hours a month, on which the life of the programme nonetheless depends.
Who should the champion be?
It is not the position that matters but three traits: credible in colleagues' eyes, reachable in the everyday, and fond of explaining things clearly. At a small company this is often the managing director or the office manager; in a shift-based plant the shift leader is a better choice than a distant colleague at headquarters. Name a deputy as well, for holidays and shift changes. The role needs to be announced out loud by leadership: the team should learn at the launch who they can turn to – the script for that is in how to announce it to the team.
What they do – and what they don't
The champion answers the first round of questions: what is in the package, where is the guide, when does cover start. They brief new joiners, send a reminder at the anniversary, and collect what the team asks and what it misses. What they do not do: they give no insurance advice, they promise no payouts – and they are not a claims handler. A claim is filed by the insured person or their family on the insurer's claims line or online portal – the map is in the article on filing a claim with the insurer – and the champion's job is simply to make sure everyone knows that route. If a case gets stuck or a claim is disputed, I help the client, as a broker, where I can. And one important boundary: the insured persons' (health) declarations and the medical documentation go directly to the insurer – the employer has no visibility into these. Obligations arising from the employment relationship (for example, investigating a workplace accident or handling a sick-leave certificate) remain with the company regardless.
The toolkit
Four tools are enough. A one-page summary of the covers. An internal question-and-answer set – a ready-made sample is in our internal FAQ article. A short description of the claims route with the insurer's contact details. And a simple log of incoming questions, by topic. For these materials you will find printable, shareable templates on the Resources page; on request I help adapt them to the company's branding.
How can you tell it is working?
A good champion leaves traces: fewer basic questions land on HR, new joiners know by themselves what they are entitled to, and at the anniversary the communication no longer starts from zero. Their feedback is also input for maintaining the contract – the questions show what the team does not understand and what the package lacks. If you want to see the effect in numbers as well, our article on measuring satisfaction includes a five-question survey template for it.
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