Need to know
- Mental health is often the number one reason for claims under group income protection.
- Many of these can be prevented through proactive and early intervention.
- Offered in conjunction with comprehensive early intervention services, EAPs can provide employees with access to the vital support they need.
Mental wellbeing in the workplace is now a hot topic for businesses, so it is vital for employers to realise the role that group risk benefits can play in providing support for employees in this area.
A survey by income protection comparison site ActiveQuote revealed that 82% of private medical insurers now offer an option to cover mental health treatment and care.
Mental health is often the number one reason for claims under group income protection (GIP), according to Charles Alberts, head of health management at Aon. “The majority of group risk insurers have woken up to the fact that many of these can be prevented through proactive and early intervention," he says. "It’s common sense, and a win-win for all parties; the insurer, employer, and employee.”
Added extras
Individual group risk insurers’ offerings vary, but most now offer employee assistance programmes (EAPs) as standard. Some go further to include training for employees, line managers and HR, wellbeing-related communications and webinars, and access to virtual private GP services. To encourage employers to take a more preventative, proactive approach, financial incentives in the form of discounted premiums can also be earned for early notification of potential claims.
Offered in conjunction with comprehensive early intervention services, EAPs can provide employees with access to the vital support they need, when they need it most, says Vanessa Sallows, benefits and governance director of Legal and General Group Protection.
“Through these services, employees can gain access to counselling and psychological intervention, such as cognitive behavioural therapy and other ‘talking therapies’,” she explains. “With this type of treatment, those suffering from mental health conditions can get the expert support they need to overcome these issues and help them return to work. Moreover, by using early intervention programmes and rehabilitation services to support individuals effectively throughout their time off work, businesses can ensure the entire workforce has access to mental wellbeing support services.”
Communication and education
There are a number of additional factors to consider beyond just the availability of the benefits, including communication and education to line managers and HR staff as well as to employees. In many organisations, there is still a lack of awareness of such products among line managers, says Wendy O’Callaghan, head of workplace protection at JLT Employee Benefits.
“It is important that both HR and line managers are given training and advice on how to identify and manage stress and other mental issues in the workplace and make better use of such programs available from providers," she says.
Another factor to consider is whether benefits such as EAPs that are often included within GIP policies offer sufficient support to employees, or whether should employers look to source these separately.
Peter Smith, corporate benefits director at Benefex, says: “There is no general ‘right’ answer here. Benefits that are provided as part of a GIP or group life offering should not be ignored, however, the benefit levels and any reporting capability needs to be understood before taking the offering on as a first line of defence. Free offerings do vary in the level of cover provided and may not provide any meaningful statistics compared to purchased programmes.”
Long-term absence
GIP also has a role to play in supporting long-term absence related to mental ill-health issues. It is often the case that even if a serious illness such as a cancer may have gone into remission, anxiety and depression may continue to prevent the employee returning to work. “In these circumstances, as an example, the insurer is likely to continue the claim and work with the employee to gradually return them to work,” adds Smith.
One challenge for employers is securing employees’ consent to be contacted by group risk providers. David Bourne, head of health and wellbeing at Thomsons Online Benefits, says: “Employers need to break down taboos around mental health so that employees feel comfortable seeking support. EAPs offer information and advice to employees and play a role in education, but HR needs to take the time to speak with employees and ensure they know that help is available.”
In as much as group risk strategies can give employees access to 24/7 mental health support, a one-size-fit-all approach is not advised, says Mark Allan, commercial director at Bupa UK Insurance.
“The most successful group risk strategies are those that use existing employee data to create a solution that addresses the challenges their people are facing and monitor the success,” he says.
The real key to helping employees with mental health issues make a swift recovery lies in early intervention, says Sallows. “After an absence lasting more than a few weeks, the chances of an employee returning to work begin to diminish rapidly. After a six-month absence, the chances of a successful return to work are cut by 50%, highlighting the positive impact that early intervention can have on reducing long-term absence.”
