"When prevention is embedded into the company culture it can have quite astounding results"
- Katharine Moxham, GRiD
Among those who offer initiatives aimed at detecting and averting health and wellbeing issues, mental health initiatives are viewed as the most beneficial overall, with 43% of organisations surveyed considering it the most helpful type of support. Meanwhile, 39% say preventative measures focused on physical well-being were most beneficial, including schemes which encourage healthier behaviours and reduce illness.
Just over a quarter - 27% - said financial health support, such as financial planning and debt management programmes, were most helpful, with the same percentage choosing social health initiatives like company social events or volunteering schemes as most helpful for staff wellbeing.
While almost all large corporates (97%) with more than 250 employees offer some form of preventative support, the figure drops to just 76% among micro-employers (fewer than 10 staff).
A similar disparity exists for mental health support, with 71% of large firms offering it compared to only 38% of micro-employers.
In addition, almost half of employees (48%) surveyed said they feel affected by a lack of preventative support from the government, highlighting a perceived gap in public provision for health and wellbeing initiatives.
GRiD notes that prevention is now a key focus for both government and the NHS, driven in part by efforts to address the UK’s long-term sickness absence challenge. The organisation encourages employers to continue strengthening their role in preventative health.
Katharine Moxham, spokesperson for GRiD, said: “There’s so much preventative support available for employers and employees via employee benefits and this is increasingly included within group risk benefits (employer-sponsored life assurance, income protection and critical illness). Employers who help build mental resilience, champion a healthy lifestyle, and support their staff in health screening and medical assessments will see their absence levels reduced, and minimise presenteeism. Furthermore, they will see reduced costs due to fewer claims.
“When prevention is embedded into the company culture it can have quite astounding results.”
