"Employers recognise the huge responsibility they have to support the health of their people and the value it creates in terms of reducing long-term sickness and boosting productivity."
- Paul Schreier, CEO of Simplyhealth
Of those surveyed (2,000 employees and 500 HR professionals), 34% don’t use their employee benefits at all, whilst over half (53%) who do take advantage of these services have experienced barriers to accessing them.
16% of employees said they had to ask their line manager for information or approval beforehand, and 13% required pre-authorisation from either their manager or insurer to use their employee benefits.
Notably, 13% found the process too complicated, and a further 9% said their pre-existing health conditions weren’t included in their cover.
Over a third (37%) of employees said simpler processes would encourage them to use the benefits made available to them, followed by quick access to health services (36%) and cover for pre-existing conditions (22%).
20% said they would be more likely to use employee benefits if they knew their claims would be paid quickly, and if they didn’t have to take time off work for appointments (19%).
Simplyhealth found that employers feel a responsibility to do more to support staff, with 73% wanting to look after employees’ health due to longer NHS waiting times.
Unfortunately, the majority of employers (86%) have concerns about investing in employee benefits. 31% are worried that they will have difficulty finding health plans for staff with pre-existing conditions.
"Employers recognise the huge responsibility they have to support the health of their people and the value it creates in terms of reducing long-term sickness and boosting productivity. Workplace health benefits are a big part of these efforts, but too often, traditional offerings are complex and difficult to access.
"The government’s 10-year plan for the NHS has put prevention at the heart of ambitions for the health service, and businesses are well placed to further those objectives – promoting preventative healthcare that improves productivity while easing pressure on the NHS," explained Paul Schreier, CEO of Simplyhealth.
