Health & Wellbeing Benefits for a happier, healthier workforce
‘Health is wealth’ may be an overused saying, but in the world of business, it still rings true. Workplace sickness costs businesses over £100bn every year, fuelled by inadequate health benefits, the pressure of presenteeism. There is a stigma of taking time off within the workplace. Some people see never taking sick days as a badge of honour – but being unable to perform their job as required will allow productivity to fall, allow mistakes to be made and can pass the sickness to other members of their team. But providing workplace wellbeing programmes and suitable health benefits, your team can feel supported and secure when they need time to rest and recuperate.
Employee Assistance Programmes (EAP) are one of the most sought after benefits for candidates looking for new jobs. Understanding and assisting employees’ mental health and wellbeing concerns will help reduce the anxiety many employees feel when needing to access support. EAPs provide immediate help to employees who require financial and legal aid, or help with depression and anxiety, bereavement or stress at home or work. It’s important to ensure mental health is taken seriously, and treated with the same level of care as physical health. Allowing employees to feel comfortable with prioritising their mental health will help reduce unexplained absences, and can assist you in offering those employees in need the guidance to find the right support to get them back on track and in work.
Health Insurance is also one of the most desired benefits. Around 55% of UK workers are more likely to accept a job that offers health benefits than those without them. Health Cash Plans, Dental and Optical claims and Cancer cover like those offered by My Health Xtras. These benefits help relieve the stress of medical costs or taking time out of work for hospital appointments. In addition to this, providing Virtual GP access helps your team bypass GP waiting times, and they can get on-demand medical advice via video calls or text. If your colleagues need a second opinion or even a prescription, it will help alleviate the pressure of having to leave work for a check up, or having to sit in a call queue for an emergency appointment.
It is clear that the health of employees is conducive to the health of your business. If your team feels unable to take the time to recover from illness or don’t have the support of their employer behind them, they may start feeling indifferent to their role or even look for other job opportunities. As HR professionals, think about the language surrounding conversations about health and wellness, and check in with your colleagues to see if there are any issues that need to be addressed. Everyone needs to feel like they can be present and motivated at work, and providing a great health benefits package for employees will only boost the strength of the company.
For more details on how we can help with the health and wellness of your work place, speak to our sales team and book a free demo.
