With more employees delaying retirement, employers are facing a health and wellbeing challenge. Designing a strategy that supports everyone requires careful research and regular reviews.
The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics show there were 1,475,000 people
aged 65 plus in the workforce in April to June 2022 – a 13.5 per cent increase on the previous
three months. And, thanks to improvements in health and less generous pension provision, these figures will only increase.
Multi-generational challenge
Having a workforce that could potentially see 16-year-old apprentices working alongside employees in their nineties, such as Britain’s oldest worker, 98-year-old Ivor Ward, who says work keeps him young, is a challenge. “We’ve now got five generations in the workforce,” says Vanessa Sallows, group protection claims and governance director at L&G Retail. “They will have different health and wellbeing needs and expectations: employers can’t take a one-size-fits-all approach.”
But, until recently, this was the approach taken across employee benefits. “Decisions were often made by upper management to suit their needs with little regard for the younger demographics,” says Adrian Firth, employee benefits wealth consultant at Mattioli Woods. “This has changed due to the pandemic and the increased focus on mental health but we still see employee benefit programmes that don’t fit the needs of the workforce.”
The importance of building a strategy that recognises the multigenerational workforce is growing too. More and more, employees expect their employer to look after their health, with research from Elevate finding that 56 per cent said they would be more likely to take a job with an employer that supports their long-term health.
This is something employers need to consider says Dr Suba M, medical director at Aviva. “With the war on talent it’s even more important that employers have a health and wellbeing strategy that appeals to all ages. They want to be able to attract the younger demographics but also retain the older generations, who have valuable wisdom and experience.”
Know your people
Just as every employee has their own health expectations, every employer will have its own unique set of workforce demographics. “Data is key,” says Hugh Bennett, director of corporate at Howden Employee Benefits. “Employers need to understand the demographics of the workforce but also the risks that are more likely to affect their employees.”
As examples he points to health statistics such as the fact that black men have a higher risk of prostate cancer, with one in four developing it, and the finding that employees in their twenties are more likely to be off sick because of mental health issues than their colleagues in their forties.
Identifying age-specific risks can be helpful but it’s important to avoid making assumptions. As an example, Dr M says that expectations of work will colour what an employee wants from health and wellbeing. “These expectations vary across the generations but also across individuals. Some will be working to pay the mortgage, others might be doing it because they find it fulfilling. Demographics can shape an employer’s offering but it should feel personalised.”
Listen and learn
Finding out what employees want is essential. “Employers need to listen to their staff,” says Sallows. “Ask them which benefits and support they want and value.”
This listening exercise is a key part of the research Bennett undertakes when designing an organisation’s health and wellbeing strategy, running surveys and focus groups to understand what motivates employees. “It’s worth putting time and energy into this,” he says. “We ran focus groups for one client which found marked differences in what they expected from a health and wellbeing programme. While younger staff wanted benefits like subsidised gym membership and healthier food, more senior staff put fertility support and family forming options top of their priorities.”
This feedback can help shape the strategy. Jan Vickery, proposition category lead at Axa Health, recommends using it to determine whether there are any distinct age bands. “For years the assumption has been that an employee is in training up to their mid-20s, then work, then approaching retirement but it’s starting to look very different. There may be differences but equally, using age bands, may not be relevant.”
Health and wellbeing for all
Whether or not there are clear demographic demands, choice is the buzzword when building a multi-generational strategy. This is where an audit of existing provisions can prove invaluable, especially as Vitality research found that employers have an average of 47 workplace health and wellbeing interventions.
Once an organisation knows what it has, Sallows recommends grouping them into different wellbeing pillars. “There will be crossovers but look at which ones could support a family friendly policy, for example,” she explains. “This makes it easier to explain what’s available to employees.”
Flexible and voluntary benefits can also be used to create a multigenerational strategy, allowing employees to adjust the level of cover to suit need. Ed Watling, head of health and wellbeing at Mattioli Woods, says these are no longer the preserve of the large corporate. “It’s still difficult to get voluntary group risk and medical insurance without a few hundred employees but an SME could offer health cash plans and dental schemes on a voluntary basis,” he explains.
Hitting the target
Transforming a long list of health and wellbeing benefits and added value services into a multigenerational offering requires education and communication. Bennett says that many employers take it for granted that staff understand the benefits they’re offered. “The most frequent question we get from our clients’ employees is how to use the medical insurance. It’s worth spending time making sure they understand exactly what’s available.”
A smart way to do this is to link products to life stages and moments that matter. Dr M says that events such as becoming a parent, getting a promotion or losing a loved one can be hooks for different types of health and wellbeing support. “It’s not right to assume these events are age-specific so, by linking to a life moment, you catch everyone who is experiencing it,” she says.
It’s also essential that the strategy evolves. Again, data can support this exercise. Management information from products and employee benefit platform can give a snapshot of what’s being used. However, Vickery says that nothing beats speaking to employees: “The demographics and trends in health and wellbeing may shift,” she says. “To ensure the strategy is effective, an employer’s listening programme must always be open.”
Box: Age Matters
It’s important not to make assumptions when designing a health and wellbeing strategy to suit a multigenerational workforce, but research shows that age does influence the issues employees face.
Mental health issues are more prevalent among younger employees
Employees aged 35 and younger are 63 per cent more likely to suffer from depression compared to older employees; 15 per cent more likely to experience burnout, and 55 per cent more likely to report having a lot of financial concerns 1.
Older employees have the highest levels of obesity
More than a quarter (27per cent) of older employees are obese – with 42 per cent of them not reaching
their weekly physical activity guidelines and 29 per cent of them drinking to excess 1.
Work-limiting health conditions are most common in older generations
More than a quarter (28 per cent) of employees aged 55 plus have work-limiting conditions, compared to 15 per cent of those aged 16-34. However, the incidence of these conditions has risen fastest among employees aged 16-34 (10.2 per cent in 2023, up from 5.3 per cent in 2013) 2.
