All Healthcare and wellbeing articles – Page 253

  • Analysis

    Health cash plans: Offering eyecare benefits through health cash plans

    2012-02-01T00:00:01Z

    If you read nothing else, read this… By law, employers must pay for eye tests and glasses for employees who use visual display units (VDU). Of those with an eyecare policy in place, most reimburse through expenses or issue eyecare vouchers. To meet their duty of care, employers can choose ...

  • Case Studies

    Case study: Barhale builds flexibility into health cash plan

    2012-02-01T00:00:01Z

    Construction company Barhale has built a health cash plan from scratch to suit its workforce.The firm offers its 600 senior staff a private medical insurance (PMI) scheme, but it has also introduced Westfield Health's Mosaic cash plan, using intermediary PMI Health, to provide healthcare benefits for its 400 weekly-paid staff.The ...

  • Case Studies

    Case study: Kids Allowed staff get helping hand from cash plan

    2012-02-01T00:00:01Z

    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 ...

  • Article

    GKN introduces voluntary benefits scheme after review

    2012-02-01T00:00:01Z

    Global engineering group GKN has introduced a voluntary benefits scheme after a review of its benefits structure.The firm has introduced GKN Advantage, provided by BHSF, which includes: legal and counseling services, a health cash plan, and childcare vouchers and a bikes-for-work scheme via salary sacrifice arrangements.The scheme is open to ...

  • Article

    William Russell extends global PMI to Abu Dhabi

    2012-02-01T00:00:01Z

    International expatriate insurance provider William Russell has announced that its plans are now available to employers in Abu Dhabi.Previously, strict insurance regulation meant that insurance plans, available in much of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), could not be sold in Abu Dhabi. The Dubai Insurance Company (DIC), the underwriters of ...

  • Article

    UK absence management approach is increasing risk

    2012-02-01T00:00:01Z

    Employers’ current approach to absence management is heightening employer and employee risk, according to a report by group risk insurer Ellipse and Dr Cary Cooper, professor of organisational psychology and health at Lancaster University.The report, Sick notes: How changes in the workplace and technology demand a rethink of absence management, ...

  • Article

    Employee Benefits health cash plans supplement 2012

    2012-02-01T00:00:01Z

    Download a PDF of the Employee Benefits health cash plans supplement 2012 How to select the right plan for staffWhat are the key elements of a health cash plan?Using cash plans to cover private medical insurance costsOffering eyecare benefits through health cash plansSponsor’s comment: Lee Andre, HSF Health Plan

  • Analysis

    New model emerges for private medical insurance

    2012-01-01T00:00:01Z

    If you read nothing else, read this ...Many conditions that used to require inpatient stays now only require day-case or outpatient treatment.Some experts see insurers providing company-paid cover for outpatient and day-case treatment, but inpatient cover as an employee-paid option.No PMI insurers formally offer this yet, but Cigna HealthCare has ...

  • Analysis

    Sickness absence review: industry reactions

    2012-01-01T00:00:01Z

    Will the recommendations from the government’s review of sickness absence management help to reduce the problem? Alison Coleman asks key industry figures for their viewsWith 140 million working days lost in the UK every year, sickness absence is almost a disease in itself and managing it is one of the ...

  • Article

    Eurotunnel introduces cash plan for staff

    2011-12-01T00:00:01Z

    Eurotunnel has introduced a health cash plan for its 791 employees at its UK terminal.†The cash plan, provided by Health Shield, offers a number of benefits including: dental; dental accident; eyecare; alternative therapies; chiropody; health screening and a 24-hour helpline. The scheme, called Essentials, costs the organisation 75p per week ...

  • Article

    Simplyhealth research: Tax breaks on PMI provision will ease burden on NHS

    2011-12-01T00:00:01Z

    Over half (55%) of senior managers with HR responsibilities believe organisations should be given tax breaks to provide all staff with private medical insurance (PMI) and ease the burden on the NHS, according to research by Simplyhealth.The research findings follow Dame Carol Black and David Frost’s review into sickness absence, ...

  • Article

    Aviva partners Emirates Insurance Company for expatriate PMI offer

    2011-12-01T00:00:01Z

    Aviva UK Health has set up an arrangement with Abu Dhabi-based Emirates Insurance Company to provide expatriates in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with compliant private medical insurance (PMI) products.The partnership means that employers with staff based in the UAE will now be offered one of four bespoke international PMI ...

  • Article

    CIPD/Simplyhealth research: Fit notes prompt employers to discuss sickness absence

    2011-12-01T00:00:01Z

    The introduction of the fit note has prompted employers to hold conversations with their staff around sickness absence and the best ways to get an individual back to work in the case of long-term illness.The Absence management survey, conducted by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and Simplyhealth, ...

  • Case Studies

    Case study: Towry takes PMI out of flexible benefits

    2011-11-01T00:00:01Z

    In April, financial services firm Towry removed private medical insurance (PMI) and travel insurance from its flexible benefits scheme after rising premiums, which were paid for by staff using their flex allowance, made it no longer viable.†Richard Higginson, head of reward at Towry, says the benefit, which was taken up ...

  • Analysis

    Health cash plans add value

    2011-11-01T00:00:01Z

    If you read nothing else, read this…Cash plan providers allow employers to tailor their plans according to the healthcare needs of their workforce.Some providers merge optical and dental benefits, allowing employees access to spend more of the cash back on the service they use most.Sharing a cash plan with a ...

  • Analysis

    Sickness absence: Fit notes not best medicine

    2011-11-01T00:00:01Z

    If you read nothing else, read this … Fit notes are seen as a positive step, but HR professionals are finding they add little to managing sickness absence. More GP training on occupational health is needed to make fit notes a more useful sickness absence management tool. Government-funded mediators could ...

  • Article

    EXCLUSIVE: Which? increases pension scheme and PMI take-up

    2011-10-01T00:00:01Z

    Comparison website Which? has increased the take-up of its pension and private medical insurance (PMI) schemes after adding personalised information to its total reward statements (TRS).Take-up levels for the pension scheme are now 82%, while take-up for the PMI scheme is at 56%.Since launching TRS in 2010 with provider Enrich ...

  • Article

    Chris Evans: Should employers provide healthcare perks for older workers?

    2011-10-01T00:00:01Z

    Despite the fact that age discrimination legislation allows employers to restrict access to certain insured benefits beyond state pension age, many organisations are now starting to realise it is beneficial for long-term business strategies to respond to the challenges of an ageing workforce. Exemptions do not apply to certain health ...

  • Opinion

    Chris Coyne: Should employers provide healthcare perks for older workers?

    2011-10-01T00:00:01Z

    A quick look at the facts is interesting. In 1995 there were nine million people in the UK aged over 60; in 2030, just 19 years away, it is estimated there will be 13 million. And the trend continues for women to have children later in life. The abolition of ...

  • Case Studies

    Case study: East Sussex County Council rates third-party sickness scheme

    2011-10-01T00:00:01Z

    East Sussex County Council used a third-party absence management system as part of a wider strategy to reduce its sickness absence rates, from 9.5 days in 2005 to 6.9 days in 2010.The system, provided by FirstCare, was introduced with the specific aim of tackling short-term absence.Leatham Green, assistant director, personnel ...