Two-fifths (41%) of employer respondents offer health cash plans to staff, according to research by Simplyhealth.
Its Health and wellbeing benefits guide 2017, which surveyed 512 employers and 2,509 employees, also found that 54% of employer respondents do not know what the top three health and wellbeing priorities are for their employees.
The research also found:
- 49% of employer respondents offer bikes-for-work schemes, 44% provide childcare vouchers, 39% give employees access to a dental plan, 37% facilitate healthy eating options for staff, and 29% offer private medical insurance (PMI).
- 79% of employee respondents take up healthy eating options provided by their employer, 65% take up PMI, 63% take up critical illness cover, 58% use personal accident cover, and 55% take up health cash plans.
- 37% of employer respondents choose their benefits package to enhance employee engagement, 33% create their benefits offering based on what staff will regularly use, and 36% focus their benefits around employee requests.
- 81% of employer respondents have a health and wellbeing strategy in place.
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Pam Whelan (pictured), director of corporate at Simplyhealth, said: “It is reassuring to know that eight out of 10 employers are recognising the importance of health and wellbeing in the workplace. However, it is extremely worrying that more than half claim they ‘don’t know’ what their employees’ health and wellbeing priorities are. This shows that engagement and communication between HR and employees isn’t hitting the spot, and more needs to be done to bridge the gap.”