Less than one in two employers would consider a benefits programme that supports all staff, according to new research from the trade body Group Risk Development.
Employee Benefits were traditionally seen as a perk that primarily rewarded senior management. Grid’s research shows that this is still the view across certain parts of the corporate landscape, with a third (31 per cent) of employers admitting they look at benefits that focus on their management team.
However the trade body says the support offered on these insurance and wellbeing benefits has widened, and is designed to be offered to all staff. It found that 49 per cent of employers would consider benefits that cover their entire workforce, although Grid said it would like to see this figure significantly increased.
Grid spokesperson Katharine Moxham says: “Employees are a company’s biggest asset, and all need to be supported. It makes good business sense that employee benefits are targeted at the needs of the masses and not the few.”
Grid points out that any member of staff can be affected by physical, mental or financial ill-health. It also points out that levels of absence and long-term sickness are at a record high, and this is reflected in increased utilisation of support within employee benefits.
Moxham adds: “As an industry, we see the difference that support for physical, mental and financial health makes: from early intervention and prevention, helping employees to continue to work, to supporting people if they’re unable to. Of course this benefits the individual, but it’s a great benefit to the business too.”
Group risk insurers provide a wide range of health and wellbeing support which can be accessed without a claim being made. These are all designed to help a company provide support for health and wellbeing, and can be used daily by employees, line managers, HR and business owners alike.