Almost three quarters (72%) of UK employees do not receive any support, guidance, or benefits from their employer to help manage their daily health, according to research by Simplyheath.
The survey of 3,000 UK employees also highlighted that, despite the vast majority of respondents not receiving healthcare support, 66% would want their workplace to provide this benefit.
Among the most desirable healthcare benefits for UK employees were dental cover (23%), access to counselling or therapy (19%) and optical cover (15%). Almost three in 10 (29%) would prefer their employers to adopt flexible working to support their health.
Additional healthcare benefits desired by UK employees included free or subsidised gym membership (22%), free or subsided nutritional meals (15%) and workplace yoga or massages (13%).
With mental health being a significant issue for many employees, further research by Simplyhealth found that only 25% of adults have access to counselling or therapy options at work.
Catherine Rutland, clinical director at Simplyhealth, said: “It’s important for businesses to remember that a healthy workforce is a productive one. I would encourage employers to take a preventative approach to protect the physical and emotional health needs of their workforce.
"Simple measures, such as implementing flexible working policies and helping employees to manage their everyday healthcare needs will go a long way to help.”
