Recent findings reveal a marginal focus on preventative health measures among employers.
- A mere 9% of employers prioritise preventing illness through health and wellbeing support.
- Despite low prioritisation, many employers offer some form of preventative support.
- Mental health initiatives are more commonly implemented by employers than other health measures.
- Comprehensive support for employee wellbeing, including physical, social, and financial health, is encouraged.
In a recent analysis by GRiD, it was discovered that just under one in ten employers, a mere 9%, consider prevention as the primary focus for their health and wellbeing programmes. This reflects a limited commitment to proactive health measures intended to avert illness before it arises. The research suggests an inclination towards reactive solutions, with a significant 57% of employers offering health and wellbeing support only after employees have been absent for a set number of weeks, while 33% provide support from the first day of employment.
Katharine Moxham, a spokesperson for GRiD, emphasises the potential benefits of prioritising preventative measures, stating, ‘The goal should be to mitigate the number of sick days by prioritising preventative measures, but with rehabilitation readily available too.’ This underscores the necessity for a balanced approach that includes both preventative and rehabilitative measures. Although prevention is not the leading focus, employers do provide various health and wellbeing benefits that include preventative support across multiple domains.
The prominence of mental health support among employers is notable, with 57% offering initiatives designed to assist employees in managing stress and mental health. These initiatives frequently include access to Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs) and counselling services. Additionally, 56% of employers have implemented preventative measures for physical health, encouraging increased physical activity and dietary improvements. Support for social health, such as organising social activities or promoting voluntary work, is available from 53% of employers, while financial health support, including financial planning and debt management, is offered by just under half of the employers surveyed.
According to GRiD’s research, employers perceive mental health preventative support as the most advantageous to staff, with 50% considering it essential, closely followed by physical health (49%), social health (46%), and financial health (42%). This reflects a progressive shift towards an integrated approach to employee welfare, where mental health, once overshadowed by physical health, is increasingly recognised as critical.
A variety of support options is accessible to employees within the realm of health and wellbeing benefits, including Private Medical Insurance (PMI), EAPs, and group risk benefits. These benefits encompass regular health assessments, monitoring applications, telephone helplines, and even incentives like discounted gym memberships, cinema vouchers, and shopping discounts for achieving health-related goals. Insurers are leveraging innovative strategies to motivate employees to adopt healthier lifestyle choices. As Katharine Moxham of GRiD points out, ‘Our research shows that preventative care can be overlooked by employers and therefore undersold to staff, but make no mistake, these seemingly straightforward measures can make a dramatic difference in absence rates and in staff performing to their best ability.’
It is evident that while preventative care is not a priority for most employers, its comprehensive benefits warrant greater emphasis and implementation.
