"Younger workers are entering their careers under a unique set of pressures [...] What’s surprising is how often the system lets them down."
- Ian Talbot - Healix Health
New data from Healix Health’s Hidden Workplace Healthcare Gap has found that nearly a third of 18-24-year-old employees say their health worsened while waiting for care in the past year, compared to just 7% of over-55s, revealing a generational divide in how UK employees experience workplace healthcare.
The report is based on a survey of 2,000 respondents across UK employers and employees within businesses that offer corporate healthcare, exposing a significant gap between how employers and employees experience workplace healthcare provision.
83% of 18-24-year-old employees say they have used their workplace healthcare benefits, the highest of any age group, compared to just 69% of over-55s. Yet higher engagement has not meant better outcomes. More than a third of young workers have taken extra time off work because they were unable to access the care they needed, compared to only 13% of over-55s.
Much of this reliance stems from pressure on NHS services. 56% of all employees say NHS waiting times have made them more reliant on workplace healthcare, rising to 62% of 25-34-year-olds. For the youngest workers, speed is a key factor, with 31% of 18-24-year-olds saying they used their workplace benefits specifically to access faster care than the NHS could provide.
Despite the challenges they face, younger workers remain broadly optimistic about the direction of travel. 62% of 18-24-year-olds say workplace healthcare support has improved in the past year. But the picture is very different for employers and employees overall: 81% of employers believe their support has improved, while only 50% of employees agree, a gap that drops to just 36% of staff at the largest firms.
Despite their optimism, younger workers also face the greatest barriers to using the benefits available to them. 26% of 18-24-year-olds say they don’t know how to access their benefits, compared to 10% of over-55s.
A further 21% say they don’t know what services are available at all, and 31% describe the process as too time-consuming, nearly three times the rate among older workers.
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"Younger workers are entering their careers under a unique set of pressures," Ian Talbot, CEO at Healix Health, said, "student debt, a difficult job market, rising living costs and higher rates of anxiety and mental health challenges than previous generations faced at the same stage. It’s no surprise they are turning to workplace healthcare and are the most active users of what’s available. What’s surprising is how often the system lets them down.
"This is not a gap in provision, it's an awareness gap. Too many employers treat communication around healthcare benefits as a once-and-done exercise at onboarding, when it needs to be a year-round effort. Clearer pathways, better signposting and a sustained drumbeat of communication are the difference between a benefit that works and one that goes unused."
