This article has been supplied by our channel sponsor, Health Shield.
We should never underestimate the importance of our health and wellbeing. Leading a healthier lifestyle can have a significant knock-on effect – both at home and at work.
Increasingly, employers are recognising the part they can play in helping to support staff; the link between a healthy and motivated workforce and a business’s bottom line is quite clear.
Richard Branson once said: “I am often asked: what’s the secret to running a successful business? It’s simple – look after your staff and the business will look after itself.”
Many businesses have a similar mindset to that of the highly successful entrepreneur, with an increasing number introducing comprehensive health and wellbeing programmes.
These include: incentive schemes, employee support programmes, added benefits and healthcare provisions, such as private medical insurance (PMI) and health cash plans.
When we think of health cash plans, benefits such as optical and dental immediately spring to mind. It’s little wonder; these are the most claimed-for benefits and two of the main reasons why people often choose to join a scheme.
In reality, health cash plans, such as those provided by leading specialist Health Shield, go above and beyond traditional cover.
Alongside other healthcare benefits, health cash plans can help to address common health and wellbeing issues by offering people the chance to access a wide range of healthcare treatments.
Prevention, as they say, is better than cure, particularly when it’s embedded in a comprehensive healthcare programme.
The breadth of cover now available through cost effective health cash plans – even within traditional benefits – makes the scheme extremely appealing to a broad range of businesses.
For example, under Health Shield’s optical cover people can claim cash back towards laser eye surgery; dental cover stretches as far as practice joining fees.
Health Shield also has a specific ‘Health & Wellbeing’ benefit, which includes a wide variety of complementary therapies for stress relief, weight management, as well as stop smoking treatments.
Issues such as stress and obesity are becoming more commonplace, adding significant pressure on individuals and companies alike.
By offering a fitness benefit, as part of a health cash plan, companies can also offer employees the chance to improve overall fitness levels, which in the long run will encourage a healthier and happier workforce.
Millions of working days are lost each year due to sickness levels and absenteeism.
It’s never been easier for responsible employers to take matters into their own hands to ensure that their employees are properly cared for.