EXCLUSIVE: More than three-quarters (77%) of employer respondents offer support or counselling services to some or all employees, according to research by Employee Benefits and Health Shield.
Support or counselling benefits include employee assistance programmes (EAPs), other types of stress counselling, such as cognitive behavioural therapy, and other forms of counselling for debt, legal or family issues.
The Employee Benefits/Health Shield Healthcare research 2017, which surveyed 121 employer respondents in July 2017, also found that 76% provide insurance benefits.
These benefits include private medical insurance (PMI) for employees and for employees’ dependants, dental insurance for employees and for the employees’ dependants, personal accident insurance for employees and the employees’ dependants, and healthcare trusts.
Almost as many employers offer PMI for employees’ dependants as a voluntary, employee-funded benefit (34%) as those that offer it as a core benefit (36%).
Dental insurance for both employees and employees’ dependants is more commonly offered as a voluntary benefit, offered in this way by 39% and 48% of respondents, respectively.
Personal accident insurance provided for employees as a core benefit has remained at a fairly consistent level within healthcare packages. Back in 2001, our research found that 24% of employers offered the benefit, while 10 years later in 2011, 22% offered it either to all or some staff on a core basis. This year’s research shows that 29% of employers offer it to staff.
This year, occupational health benefits are offered by 74% of employers. The three most common occupational health benefits offered on a core basis are outsourced occupational health practitioner or department (62%), on-site occupational health practitioner or department (27%), and an on-site gym or fitness classes (21%).
Read the full Employee Benefits/Health Shield Healthcare research 2017.
