Analysis
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AnalysisHow to support employees with addictions
Source: From Shutterstock 1714751662 Some signs of addiction to look out for include changes in appearance or behaviour, and an increase in lateness or absence. Signposting to external resources and confidential counselling services should be offered as forms of support. Early intervention can lead to ...
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AnalysisHow can employers empower staff to take responsibility for their own health?
Encouraging staff to take responsibility for their health should start with a culture of personal accountability.Employers can show they care about employees’ health by providing solutions and services tailored to their needs.Facilitating conversations around health can help to reduce stigma and ensure workplaces are more inclusive.Benenden Health’s August 2024 research ...
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AnalysisWhat are the priorities for public sector reward agendas?
Credit: tete_escape/ Shutterstock Need to know: In the public sector, financial constraints, benefit guidelines and stakeholder scrutiny can make reward more challenging. Years of reforms mean public sector employees often perceive their pensions as offering poor value: creative communications could help to change this misconception. Highlighting ...
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AnalysisWhat could the Labour government mean for employers' reward and benefits strategies?
Credit: Mistervlad/Shutterstock Need to know: The Labour government’s Employment Rights Bill will enhance employee rights but there are concerns that proposals could have unintended consequences, adding cost, disadvantaging some businesses and their employees, and affecting recruitment strategies. Extending pay gap reporting to ethnicity and disability may ...
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AnalysisSupporting the mental health needs of today’s workforce
In order to implement appropriate mental wellbeing support, employers first need to understand their workforce’s needs.The way in which employers offer mental health assistance has changed, as interventions and services have become embedded in initiatives.More frequent chances for employees to speak about pressures they face can provide another approach to ...
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AnalysisAddressing the gender health gap
The gender health gap describes disparities in healthcare access and care outcomes based on gender.Data and survey feedback can determine if an organisation has a gender health gap.Investing in diverse, inclusive and equitable health support can go some way to addressing a gender health gap.The gender health gap refers to ...
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AnalysisBuyer’s guide to corporate eyecare
Credit: Shutterstock/Yury-Nikolaev.What are corporate eyecare schemes?Looking after employees’ eye health delivers several benefits to employers. As well as helping meet their duty-of-care requirements, offering employees a regular eye examination can be part of the overall health and wellbeing strategy.Problems with eyesight can cause headaches and eye strain and an optician ...
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AnalysisHow can employers support employee wellbeing in the summer months?
Frequently checking in on employees’ wellbeing in summer months can help highlight issues and allow for adjustments.Employers should raise awareness of sun safety, the importance of hydration and proper ventilation.Flexible working hours in warmer weather can improve wellbeing by offering time for physical activities, helping with childcare and supporting sleep ...
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AnalysisPodcast: Why eye health should be at the centre of employee wellbeing
Credit: udra11 / Shutterstock In this episode of the Employee Benefits podcast, in association with Specsavers Corporate Eyecare, Giles Edmonds, clinical services director at Specsavers, discusses the importance of focusing on eye health in workplace wellbeing strategies. During the discussion with Employee Benefits’ editor Debbie Lovewell-Tuck, Giles ...
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AnalysisWhat can employers offer to improve employees’ fitness journeys?
Fitness benefits include discounted or subsidised membership to gyms, health clubs and studios partnerships, providing an annual employee fitness and wellbeing budget and on-site exercise classes.Employers should provide equal access to benefits for all employees, regardless of their work locations.By listening to employees and providing options based on needs and ...
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AnalysisFiscal drag: how can employers offset the challenges of a difficult economy?
The frozen tax thresholds could see some employees ‘dragged’ into paying more tax and have less disposable income as a result.Employers should ask employees about their financial pressures to understand how to support them.A salary sacrifice arrangement can support employees who are dealing with the impact of fiscal drag.In his ...
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AnalysisHow to strike a balance between managing staff wellbeing and financial pressures
Credit: Andrey_Popov/ShutterstockNeed to know:The cost-of-living crisis is forcing more employees to take on additional work due to financial pressures, raising concerns around burnout.Pay strategies such as targeted pay increases, performance-related bonuses and earned wage access can help.Employers need to ensure there is a culture where people can discuss financial concerns.With ...
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AnalysisWhat will new guidance mean for menopause support in the workplace?
New guidance offers advice on reasonable adjustments employers can make, but these will vary depending on an employees’ role and an employer’s sector. Employers should adapt their policies according to the guidance to promote fairness and inclusivity in the workplace. It also highlights how to encourage ...
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AnalysisWhat will the proposed fit note reforms mean for employers?
The government reforms will trial fit note process changes in order to improve triage and signposting. Making it easier to get a fit note will enable employers to help staff get assistance in a shorter amount of time, and potentially return to work faster. The reforms ...
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AnalysisBuyer’s guide to fertility benefits
Credit: bezikus/ShutterstockWhat are fertility benefits?Fertility benefits are wide-ranging and include comprehensive support and treatment for individuals. The benefits cover the key areas of medicines, procedures and assisted conception, such as in vitro fertilisation (IVF) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).Employers use the services of providers to offer fertility and parenthood-planning care ...
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AnalysisAre employers truly optimising their diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives?
Need to know:Economic constraints, complexities and fears of a potential backlash have driven some organisations to put diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) on the back burner.Line managers have a key role in an organisation’s DE&I strategy but training and role redesign could increase their effectiveness.Benefits are a visible way to ...
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AnalysisWhat role does private medical insurance play in today’s benefits packages?
Need to know:Employers want to provide private medical insurance (PMI), even if it means reducing cover.More want to offer at least a measure of benefit to the whole workforce.Low-cost schemes with major exclusions are popular.Private medical insurance (PMI), which covers curable short-term medical conditions, has never been more popular in ...
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AnalysisBenefits to support an older workforce
Employers could offer support through a midlife MOT, which provides a health and financial career check to help employees plan for retirement.Pre-retirement coaching can help to educate older employees on how to prepare for life away from work.Organisations can improve the recruitment, retention and development of older workers by signing ...
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AnalysisBuyer’s guide to corporate gym membership
What are corporate gym memberships?Employers can offer a corporate gym membership on an employee-paid or discounted basis, with many gyms offering membership deals to organisations. Through membership, staff can access a gym, health club, leisure or sports centre, or exercise classes as part of a voluntary or flexible benefits package.What ...
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AnalysisHow to support employees’ health and wellbeing in the winter months
Regular breaks during working hours can help to avoid burnout and boost employees’ physical wellbeing.Employers can support employees suffering from seasonal affective disorder by rearranging the workplace to maximise natural light or enable them to sit near a window.Organisations can implement discount schemes that save employees money on essentials to ...