"What is most staggering is the sheer range of areas that an employer may now be expected to assist."
- Debra Clark, Head of Wellbeing at Towergate Health & Protection
Of those surveyed (500), 41% of employers expect to see an increase in demand for mental health-related support, followed by health screenings (30%), caring responsibilities (29%), general fitness (29%), fertility (23%), and neurodiversity (22%).
Support with addiction such as alcohol or gambling was expected to rise in demand by 22%, gender identity (21%), preventative support (20%), female gender-specific support such as with the menopause (20%), serious illness (19%), LGBTQ+ (19%), eldercare (17%), weight loss (16%), and male gender-specific support such as screening for prostate cancer (16%).
Towergate Health & Protection highlighted that there’s been an increase in the number of healthcare providers that offer a wider range of specialist support, including fertility, gender-specific care, and menopause support. Therefore, much of the issue for today’s employer is keeping up with what support is available for their workforce.
The healthcare provider explained that experts in the field will be able to offer the best advice since they’re knowledgeable about less commonly known areas where support may be required, such as addiction & eldercare.
Likewise, communication of what employee benefits are available is vital. Towergate stressed that employees need to know what support is available, and where to find it. It’s also important to make communication relevant to the demographic so that staff are engaged. Digital platforms could make it easier for employees to access support from the office, from home, or while travelling for work.
“From nutrition advice to risk of cancer, from eldercare to fertility, and from social interaction to addiction support: the areas in which employees want or need support have reached a level where employers themselves need help in managing the options,” explained Debra Clark, Head of Wellbeing at Towergate Health & Protection.
She believes that today’s employer is supporting employees through situations that are outside of the traditional employee benefits sphere; “What is most staggering is the sheer range of areas that an employer may now be expected to assist. Employers should remember that they aren’t alone and that there are experts available to help them through the process of supporting their employees.”
