More than four-fifths (86%) of employers are changing their approach to employee health and wellbeing due to the Covid-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic, according to research by Unum.
Its Employee benefits and the value of help research, which surveyed 350 UK employers and 1,000 employees, found that the vast majority (95%) of employers said that the pandemic has impacted their need to make employees feel more protected. Furthermore, 72% of employers believe that their motivation for introducing health and wellbeing measures is based on a need to care for and protect employees.
Around half (47%) of respondents are offering more preventative wellbeing measures, while 68% believe that the investment in health and wellbeing has grown in importance over the past two years.
Two-fifths (40%) of respondents have placed more value on staff being fit since the Covid-19 pandemic, while 38% of respondents say that the pandemic has initiated a review of their health and wellbeing strategies. Only 4% have made no changes at all. Less than half (42%) of employers have introduced new procedures to increase remotely working.
Glen Thompson, customer solutions director at Unum UK, said: “Whether it is from individuals, communities, or organisations, 2020 has brought the value of help and support to the front of all our minds. Employers are being challenged like never before, while employees are likely to need even more help, and our latest research gives a clearer understanding of how both groups value different kinds of support.
“We have identified a tiered system of benefits that helps us to understand the value of help and explains the importance and relevance of each service, from highly valued services, through to niche services and discounts. By understanding the value of the benefits they provide, employers can ensure the measures they invest in can make a real, demonstrative difference to employee health and wellbeing and their organisation.”
