Arup employees engage with group risk benefits

The organisation feels that providing protection for its employees is necessary to protect the business.

It offers four different types of group risk cover: life assurance at four-times salary, income protection, critical illness insurance and personal accident insurance.

Evan Davidge, head of reward at Arup, says: “We have a moral responsibility to provide minimum protection to employees and allow them the opportunity to have extra cover if they wish [through flex].

“The benefits are relevant because younger members of staff think they are indestructible.”

However, its strategy changed to put more of a focus on reducing the likelihood of employees needing to use such benefits and going off sick, launching a number of healthcare plans, such as private medical insurance, flu vaccinations and health screening, as a result.

But because of the problems applying for a mortgage causes, with banks looking for assurances of financial stability if an employee was to lose a job or have an accident, younger staff have become engaged with group risk benefits.

Davidge adds: “Employees are coming to us with problems applying for mortgages and asking if they have any insurances to cover the worst.

“We are finding that life assurance and income protection are being accepted by lenders as a collateral for making mortgage decisions.

“It is very interesting to see but, by and large, we find the younger segment in the organisation actually appreciates the provision of a group life benefit.”