The research finds only 28 per cent of workers are happy with their employer’s wellbeing services, while 20 per cent do not understand what wellbeing benefits they are entitled to,
The figures from Friends Life also looked at the communication of wellbeing benefits from employer to employee. It found 8 per cent said there were no communications at all.
Friends Life director of group protection David Williams says: “If employers are offering protection benefits like critical illness cover or income protection they should be shouting from the rooftops about it. These are incredibly valuable benefits that can help employees feel more secure knowing that they have some financial back up should the worst happen.
“We are all aware that people’s personal budgets have been squeezed in recent years so it’s understandable that some would prefer a pay rise over something like income protection. But this could, in part, come down to communication.
“Our research found that less than a third of employees are happy with the wellbeing package being offered to them. But if a large number of people don’t actually know what they’re entitled to, it’s not surprising their unhappy with it. If businesses improve the way they tell employees about the benefits that are available, we may well see staff awareness and appreciation of these benefits increase.”