Last June, Cheshire-based childcare firm Kids Allowed set up an employer-paid cash plan for its 200 staff.
Carla Rodgers, HR manager at Kids Allowed, says: "We do not pay sick pay, but we wanted to look after the wellbeing of our staff. It is a strenuous job."
The organisation pays £1 per employee per week for a basic scheme that provides access to perks such as dental, optical and chiropody care, four prescriptions a year and an employee assistance programme (EAP) with a helpline and up to six face-to-face counselling sessions. Staff can upgrade their cover and cover their partners too.
Rodgers is delighted by the way staff have used and appreciated the benefit, which is provided by Health Shield.
Childcare is a fairly low-paid sector and the EAP has proved particularly useful for Kids Allowed's, generally young, employees seeking debt advice in the current tough economic climate.
"From an HR point of view, it has been a great return-to-work tool," says Rodgers. "For example, we had one person whose father had passed away and she was really struggling with coming back to work, so we helped her get counselling sessions through the EAP."
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