Health Shield is launching a new digital platform that brings together its full range of workplace, preventative health & wellbeing solutions that can be personalised to each employee’s needs.
The new platform, called Breeze, includes administrative support and reporting capabilities and helps employers meet their legal obligations with regards to occupational health.
The platform, which will launch in January, aims to help SMEs access the preventative and legislative support they need. It comes as part of a brand evolution and digital transformation for the 140-year-old friendly society.
Breeze brings together into one place the physical, emotional and financial health and wellbeing services offered by Health Shield. Breeze enables employees to book and manage their own appointments, access health information and assessments and receive discounts from big-name brands. It includes automated onboarding, anonymous reporting on usage, easy to add and remove benefits and tiered levels of benefits for managers and staff if required.
Services offered include GP Anytime, on-demand physio consultations via phone or video chat, health assessments, access to the Thrive wellbeing app, 24/7 counselling, cancer screening, stress-related absence report, home assistance and PERKS rewards.
Health Shield is also developing its occupational health capability as part of Breeze with a particular aim to offer affordable services for SMEs,. The new proposition will provide occupational health risk surveillance assessments, an online support service and occupational health management referrals.
Government commissioned research has found that although the majority of SMEs understand employee health impacts business and productivity, they are very reactive and lack understanding of absence management. 56 per cent of small businesses say they ‘take action as and when employee health and wellbeing becomes a problem’ in comparison to 28 per cent of large employers.
Health Shield chief executive Courtney Marsh says: “Our new strategic approach is focused on providing affordable and easy to access preventative health and wellbeing solutions that help people lead happier, healthier and more productive lives. Through the Breeze platform we are also making available to SMEs the kind of benefits programme, administration and analytics – plus support in line with their legal responsibilities around employee health – to which only their larger counterparts have traditionally enjoyed access. It’s effectively a one-stop shop wellbeing solution that provides a range of services within a fully digital experience that can be personalised for each employee’s needs.
“Now, more than ever, people want to know that companies stand for something more than simply profit making. The evolution of our business, announced today, builds on our legacy of providing innovative and affordable health and wellbeing solutions. It’s mutuality for the 21st century.”
