Healthcare perks improve staff engagement

Employers have increased their focus on using healthcare benefits to improve employee engagement over the 15 years that Employee Benefits has conducted its annual healthcare research.

In the Healthcare research 2013, published this month, 51% of respondents said their healthcare benefits had improved employee engagement, compared with 33% that said the same in 2010, and 26% that said the same in 2009.

This year’s respondents also feel their healthcare benefits are most successful in achieving the following: being seen as a caring employer/providing a duty of care (61%), improving the health and welfare of staff (58%) and getting employees back to work as soon as possible (57%).

The focus on engagement is also supported by other research published by Employee Benefits this year, which shows the role benefits play in an engagement strategy. For example, The Benefits research 2013, published in May, found the desire to improve engagement was the top issue currently shaping employers’ benefits packages, cited by 74% of respondents.

The use of healthcare benefits in an engagement strategy is also reflected in the top factors cited in this year’s Healthcare research that influence respondents’ decisions to buy or continue to offer these perks.

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Almost two-thirds (63%) cited employee engagement as the top factor, while 78% cited cost and 64% cited the desire to boost overall employee wellbeing.

Debbie Lovewell, deputy editor of Employee Benefits, said: “One of the biggest developments in recent years has been employers’ increased focus on employee engagement and the role benefits play in an engagement strategy.”