Digital recruitment consultancy We Are Adam has offices in Manchester and London, and looks after the health of its 12 members of staff with the provision of a health cash plan through Medicash.
Leanne Scaletta, operations director, says: “We have always offered private [medical insurance] but found that very few employees opted in to the benefit. While looking for an alternative supplier I came across cash plans and knew immediately they would suit our workforce better. We still offer the private [medical insurance] as an additional benefit, but all employees are immediately added to our cash plan policy.”
The cash plan, funded by the employer, is now the most-used benefit in the business. “I think the wide range of reimbursements available and the ease of claiming have really helped people to make the most of it as a benefit,” Scaletta says.
“It’s not uncommon for people to put off booking appointments when it comes to looking after themselves, but having [the cash plan] available to offset the cost takes some of the pressure away. We’re a very active bunch, so sports massage and physiotherapy are particularly popular at We Are Adam.”
Employees are able to access an array of health services including dental, an online doctor, chiropody, health screening, inoculations and an employee assistance programme (EAP). Discounts are also available at various retailers, leisure businesses and gyms and health clubs.
“Whenever restrictions have been eased over the last 12 months, immediately our employees have been booking appointments,” Scaletta adds. Claims have been made for full health checks, new glasses, dental work and the EAP has also been accessed.
“There’s been no change in terms of what [the cash plan] offers during the pandemic, but our employees have certainly used it more,” says Scaletta. “I think the pandemic has made everyone more aware of their own health and as they have gained time by not commuting every day, are able to spend that time on themselves.”
We Are Adam promotes the cash plan in its candidate pack that prospective employees receive before their interview, as well as in their onboarding materials. And during the induction process, Scaletta ensures people know how to access it.
“It’s important to us as an employer that people know they can use these benefits. We have a feature on our intranet that scrolls through the key items people can claim for on the cash plan so our employees see it every day. We’ve embedded 'taking care of yourself and your family' into our culture, so it often comes up in one-to-one sessions with line managers too,” she says.
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Has the role of health cash plans changed during the pandemic?
