September Employee Benefits Engagement Campaign: 401(k) Awareness

National 401(k) Day, observed each year on the Friday after Labor Day, is a dedicated moment to promote retirement savings education and workplace retirement plan engagement. This year’s National 401(k) Day will be recognized on Thursday, September 10, 2026, in observance of September 11 falling on that Friday. Employer-sponsored retirement plans mark a powerful opportunity for HR teams to offer support and actionable information that offers the potential to tangibly impact employees’ financial wellness. Research shows that retirement readiness remains a persistent challenge for many working Americans: 

• Retirement preparedness gap – Plan sponsors and employees report different levels of retirement preparedness. According to Voya’s 2025 Survey of the Retirement Landscape¹, 91% of plan sponsors believe their employees are very or somewhat prepared for retirement, while only 69% of retirement plan participants report feeling very or somewhat prepared. This reveals a 22% gap in perception of retirement preparedness by plan sponsors and actual reported retirement preparedness by plan participants. 
• Increased hardship withdrawals – According to the 2025 Plan Sponsor Council of America's 68th Annual Survey², 2.7% of plan participants took a hardship withdrawal in 2024, up from 2.1% in 2023. This marked the second consecutive year of increasing hardship withdrawals. 
• Lack of savings – Some employees struggling with retirement readiness may benefit significantly from a campaign centered around 401(k) awareness. Data from the Federal Reserve's 2022 Survey of Consumer Finances³ suggests almost 46% of families likely have zero retirements savings. 

With a meaningful 401(k) awareness campaign and a proactive employee financial wellness strategy, September can be an ideal time to help employees in working toward their long-term financial goals. Use this guide to design a September employee benefits engagement campaign that supports your employees through education, encouragement and the kind of personalized guidance that supports the opportunity for a lasting difference. 

Why 401(k) Awareness Matters for Your Workforce 

According to the Federal Reserve's most recent Survey of Consumer Finances, the median retirement account balance among workers ages 55 to 64 who have retirement savings was $185,000³, a figure that reflects only those who have retirement accounts. Nearly half of households in this age group have none at all. That gap between what employees have saved and what they will need is a workplace challenge that a thoughtful financial wellness program can directly address. 

Financial pressures may also be contributing to the retirement savings gap. A 2025 Voya survey⁴ revealed that Americans believe the economy (61%) and inflation (60%) as the top factors affecting their ability to save for retirement, followed by everyday living expenses (52%). 

Another reason for this gap could be a general lack of understanding of how a 401(k) works. Employees might be aware of their employer’s 401(k) offering but may not understand employer matching or whether contribution amounts should change over time. A benefits communication strategy can help address these gaps. 

National 401(k) Day: A Purpose-Built Moment for Retirement Benefits Engagement 

National 401(k) Day offers a moment to help employees think about the future. Consider using September as a full-month benefits education campaign. The first Friday after Labor Day can be your launch point, with additional outreach touchpoints throughout the month. 

Set Your September Campaign Objectives and Tactics 

A meaningful employee benefits engagement campaign begins with clear, measurable objectives. Before you build your agenda or draft your communications, align your team around what success looks like for your organization. 

Educate, Engage, and Empower Employees 

The following objectives form the foundation of an effective 401(k) awareness campaign for HR managers and benefits administrators: 

• Connect employees to their personal financial goals. Help your workforce see the direct line between their 401(k) contribution decisions today and the retirement they envision for tomorrow with example scenarios: "saving an extra 1% now could mean $X more by retirement." 
• Clarify employer matching. Employees who understand that the employer match is, quite simply, additional compensation they earn by contributing to their plan may be more motivated to participate. 
• Increase utilization of financial wellness coaching. Employees may be unaware that your financial wellness program includes access to features like plan educators, financial coaches and one-on-one guidance. 
• Promote decision support tools. Retirement calculators, benefits portals with interactive estimates and personalized contribution guidance tools help employees take action with confidence. 

Leverage Automatic Features to Remove Barriers 

Automatic contribution features like auto-enrollment and auto-escalation may help reduce the friction that prevents employees from participating or increasing their savings over time. As SECURE 2.0 now requires automatic enrollment for most newly established 401(k) and 403(b) retirement plans⁵,there’s an important opportunity to help employers design plans that make contributing and saving the default so more people can consider the opportunity to save for retirement. 

For HR administrators considering plan design improvements, September is an ideal time to evaluate whether your current design is doing as much as it can to support employee retirement readiness. 

Building Your Benefits Communication Strategy for September 

A strong benefits communication strategy is what transforms a single awareness day into a meaningful engagement campaign. 

Create a Multi-Channel Communication Calendar 

Your September employee benefits communication calendar might include the following mix: 

• Email communications: Deliver targeted messages to different employee segments, including new hires, non-contributors, those not maximizing the match and employees approaching retirement. 
• Intranet and internal social channels: Post educational content, infographics and reminders where employees already spend time. Consider using short-form content that visually breaks down key concepts to make information easier to understand. 
• One-on-one support: Offer employees an opportunity to meet with financial professionals who can provide individual education and support in optimizing retirement planning. 
• Text/SMS nudges: For organizations with mobile-first workforces, brief SMS reminders on key dates can provide an additional communication touchpoint for employees. 

Personalize Messaging by Employee Segment 

Effective HR benefits communications recognize that employee needs differ by life stage and financial situation. A message about maximizing employer match resonates differently for a 30-year-old just starting their career than for a 55-year-old approaching retirement. Consider segmenting your outreach: 

• Early-career employees (20s–30s): Emphasize the power of starting early and the compounding impact potential of consistent contributions, even at modest levels. 
• Mid-career employees (40s): Focus on the importance of catch-up strategies and reviewing asset allocation as retirement horizons shorten. 
• Near-retirement employees (50s–60s): Highlight catch-up contribution provisions, income estimate tools, and the importance of a holistic financial plan. 

Host a 401(k) Awareness Day That Makes an Impact 

A well-structured 401(k) Awareness Day is one way to help shift employee understanding and engagement with your workplace retirement plan. Here are the principles to consider: 

Make It Accessible and Inclusive 

Financial decisions do not happen in isolation. Employees may benefit from having a spouse, partner or household financial decision-maker join virtual sessions. This can be an inclusive gesture that signals your organization's commitment to supporting the whole person, not just the employee. Offering both virtual and in-person options encourages a process where no one is excluded due to schedule, location, or comfort level with in-person settings. 

Invite Leadership to Champion the Program 

Leadership participation can be one element of a 401(k) Awareness Day. For example, when a company leader opens the session, shares a personal reflection on retirement planning, or simply shows up to champion the program, it helps elevate the conversation from administrative checkbox to genuine organizational priority. 

Keep Educational Materials Simple and Approachable 

Learning about retirement savings may feel overwhelming, especially for employees who may be managing financial challenges in other areas of their lives. Effective benefits education campaigns lead with clarity and compassion. Keep flyers, how-to guides and videos straightforward with plain language. Offer tiered resources that target an employee's current level of awareness. Beginner-level resources with basic information can help support employees just getting started, while deeper dives with more complexity can also be available for those ready to engage accordingly. 

A Sample 401(k) Awareness Day Agenda 

Consider bringing retirement savings education to your 401(k) Awareness Day by scheduling a range of touchpoints across the day — both virtual and in-person — while offering personalized options for employees at every stage. Your day might look something like this: 

• Start of day — Send a campaign launch email with full details on how to participate. Include links to resources, the day's schedule, and a clear call to action. 
• Mid-morning — Send a targeted email to all 401(k) participants who are not currently maximizing their contribution — focusing on the potential impact of employer matching. 
• Late morning — Host a virtual or in-person brownbag seminar, led by a plan educator or investment specialist. Keep the format conversational and leave ample time for questions. 
• Early to mid-afternoon — Offer one-on-one sessions (30 minutes each, sign-up required) with a plan educator or financial wellness coach. 
• End of day — Send a follow-up email with a curated set of 401(k) education resources, links to your plan portal, and a reminder of how to schedule a follow-up conversation with an educator. 

Measure the Impact of Your Employee Benefits Engagement Campaign 

A strong campaign does not end when the calendar flips to October. Tracking and measuring the results of your September 401(k) awareness initiatives gives your team the data to continuously improve your benefits communication strategy year after year. 

Consider tracking the following metrics post-campaign: 

• Participation rate changes: Did the percentage of eligible employees contributing to the plan increase following your September outreach? 
• Contribution rate adjustments: How many employees increased their contribution rate, and by what average amount? 
• Email open and click-through rates: Which messages and subject lines drove the highest engagement? 
• One-on-one appointment uptake: How many employees scheduled a personal meeting with a financial professional? 

This data not only demonstrates ROI to organizational leadership but also informs how you can continue to shape your financial wellness initiatives in the months ahead — particularly as you approach the open enrollment season. 

A successful 401(k) awareness campaign doesn't end when September does. Keeping employees genuinely engaged with their benefits means showing up for them all year long with timely communication that is intended to meet their needs at every life stage. To help keep that momentum going well beyond a single awareness day, download this helpful resource: Your 12 Month Guide to Keeping Employee Benefits Front and Center.