Employers estimate that for every £1 spent on health benefits, they receive £1.90 in value, according to a report from Simplyhealth.
The research, conducted by Opinium from a survey of 5,000 employees and 500 HR decision makers across the UK, found that employers are already seeing strong value from their investment in workforce health. However, the data also showed a significant perception gap between businesses and their staff regarding workplace healthcare benefits.
While 90 per cent of employers who offer benefits say that their healthcare benefits are somewhat flexible, over half (52 per cent) of employees say they need more flexible healthcare options than are currently available to them.
Flexible healthcare options can include benefits adapted to meet the needs of people in different life stages, digital and virtual healthcare services, and out-of-hours access such as 24/7 GP appointments, helping employees fit healthcare around work and personal commitments.
The research also found that 15 per cent describe their current access to healthcare as difficult. Additionally, 38 per cent claimed that workload makes it difficult to prioritise their health, 38 per cent expressed that taking time off for health reasons is viewed negatively by the workplace, and 42 per cent said that poor access to NHS healthcare impacts their ability to perform at their best.
Paul Schreier, CEO of Simplyhealth, says: “Employees are not looking for one single fix but need adaptable benefits that work around their work and life patterns, allowing for easy access to benefits while helping to improve their long-term health and wellbeing.”
The findings feature in a report due to be launched later this year by Simplyhealth. This report will look to explore the challenges facing employees and employers alike, and the human and economic impact of these challenges.