More than half of UK adults or 54 per cent say it is becoming too expensive to stay healthy, according to Cigna.
According to Cigna Healthcare’s latest report on the state of health and well-being, ‘Cost-of-living pressure could trigger global health crisis’ more than one in 10 or 12 per cent of those surveyed experienced increased medical expenses, and nearly 90 per cent experienced rising prices for basic foods and household essentials to energy bills.
Cigna urges business leaders to commit 5% of their time to enhance the health and well-being of the workforce. This is achieved through The 5% Pledge, where senior leaders dedicate 5% of their work hours to implementing concrete changes in their organizations to improve mental health and well-being.
Nearly 13 per cent of UK citizens consider healthcare as their primary concern, ranking it below economic and inflationary concerns and above climate change, inequality, and job security, which are at 10 per cent, 7 per cent, and 5 per cent, respectively.
The research also reveals that despite the NHS’s provision of no-cost care at the point of service, 65 per cent of UK adults rate the ability to meet their individual or family medical needs as “fair” or “poor,”
Sadler opposes reducing workforce health benefits during tough economic times and advocates for providing more support for workers, including wellbeing programs, access to sports and exercise, and policies that enable physical and mental self-care during the workday.
Cigna president Jason Sadler says: “The current economic environment is having a huge impact on the health and well-being of individuals and families, at home, at work and in our communities. Employers have a responsibility to help safeguard UK’s current and future workforce by supporting employee health and well-being.
“Employers should look for ways to encourage healthy behaviours, from physical exercise during the working day, to enabling work/life balance and providing employees with best-in-class health benefits, investing in a healthy and productive workforce is critical to business growth.”