Almost half (43%) of respondents said that employees should be auto-enrolled into a scheme that offers financial protection in the event of long-term illness, according to research by Aviva.
Its Group risk survey, which polled 1,000 British adults and 500 employers, found that 22% of employer respondents said they do not feel they have the resources or expertise to manage employees back into the workplace effectively after a long-term illness.
A quarter (25%) said they are are concerned that they would have to carry on providing sick pay, while 20% felt equipped to offer rehabilitation support to employees after a long-term illness.
Steve Bridger, head of group risk at Aviva, said: “There is a concerning lack of awareness among employers about the state benefits relating to illness or injury.
“However, we’re encouraged to see that employers recognise the benefits of auto-enrolling employees into a scheme that gives them financial protection if they are unable to work due to long-term illness.”
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