How can employers ensure staff value protection benefits?

Industry body Group Risk Development (Grid)’s January 2025 research revealed that just 18% of UK employees felt they could definitely rely on their employer for financial support such a death benefit payment, while 23% said they could probably rely on them for long-term sick pay.

But, while such figures suggest that a low proportion of employees think employer support would be helpful in these situations, it may be that many may not appreciate the benefits available to them. If employers want to ensure employees value protection benefits, they should look at how they present these to their workforce.

Awareness of benefits

Protection benefits typically include group income protection, critical illness and life insurance. These are intended to help employees financially if they are unable to work due to an illness or injury, or their families if they die. Employees should know how to access these benefits, what they include, and when and how they can be used.

Ron Wheatcroft, technical manager at Swiss Re, explains: “It’s in everybody’s best interests that employees are kept informed of the benefits, which sounds obvious, but this can avoid offering support no one knows about. If employees understand what they have, it helps them to consider what else might be applicable.”

Often, protection benefits come with extra services included, such as employee assistance programmes (EAPs), online GP and second medical opinion services, and financial support and debt advice. Additionally, group income protection can offer vocational rehabilitation that starts from day one of an absence, and support with getting back to work.

David Williams, head of group risk at Towergate Employee Benefits, says: “Employees should understand that the benefits can also be daily support functions, due to attached wellbeing apps, fitness benefits, and occasionally discount vouchers. Life insurance products can often include wellbeing and fitness support as an extra.”

Katharine Moxham, spokesperson for Grid, adds: “EAPs can also be used for elder and childcare, and offer house protection from flooding. Employees also need to know that death-in-service benefits apply regardless of the location they work from, or their age. Covid-19 got rid of the nonchalant attitude people had regarding life-changing illnesses, and protection benefits began to be more valued.”

Employees should also consider that some protection benefits can extend to family members or dependents, as well as what happens when they leave their role, because they may lose access to cover.

Understanding the value

Not every employee will necessarily understand the value of group protection benefits, so it is important for employers to communicate the basics. In order to know what to offer their workforce, and ensure the benefits are then valued by staff, employers could use surveys to identify staff needs to provide them with the most effective support.

Nick Clynes, partner and client relationship manager at Barnett Waddingham, argues that unless employees receive a total reward statement, they may not know or understand the value of what they can access. “Staff don’t necessarily know what protection benefits cost and can’t attach a value unless it’s given to them,” he explains. ”These can have a bigger value when provided by employers, as they can cost more on the open market. As well as value in terms of cost, it’s the benefit that employees can get from them, such as support when off work and sick pay. The value of protection benefits can sometimes be neglected by employers [that] don’t always do enough to promote them or the additional free services.”

There has been an increase in the number of people covered by protection benefits, suggesting more employees are considering these when moving or taking jobs, as well as understanding what they mean for them and their value, adds Wheatcroft.

“Protection benefits are valued by employees because they’re used,” he says. ”Digital GP and EAP usage shot up during the Covid-19 and the insurance part of the cover became integral. The private medical insurance market is doing well; employers are considering how it could fit into their workforce alongside their existing benefits.”

Use communication to boost value

If employers want protection benefits to be valued by staff, they need to ensure that their methods of communication are wide-reaching and inclusive. To know what works best for their organisation, they should understand their workforce’s profile in terms of age, role and location, so they can communicate what is relevant to employees in each stage of their lives.

“Some employees will prefer to use an app for support, others may prefer to talk to someone, and those without internet access may need physical information,” says Moxham. ”A poster on the back of toilet doors can be effective in reminding employees what they have and how it can help them, while a card with relevant phone numbers and websites kept in a wallet or phone case can bypass the many apps they may have, or find confusing.”

Presenting case studies or examples of how the benefits have been effective in supporting employees can help highlight why they are useful. It can also be useful to have benefit champions who may have previously used the support, to explain how to access and use it.

“Regular communication is key to drive engagement with protection benefits and to remind staff of what they can access,” explains Williams. ”This could be through newsletters, emails, webinars from providers or advisors, or a total reward statement. This can bring to life their cost and help to them to understand their value.”

Benefits fairs that include provider talks about protection benefits can be useful to communicate and increase their value, along with provider materials, data and infographics. Communication could also include, where appropriate, times to increase cover, such as the anniversary of when employees’ protection benefits began.

“A starting booklet can provide details about what protection benefits they have, while payslips can include banners or messages to communicate benefits and changes,” adds Clynes.

To ensure staff value protection benefits, therefore, it is important for employers to ensure the support can be found easily, remove any accessibility barriers, and regularly communicate their existence.