Less than half of employees felt they received good support from their employers throughout the Covid-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic, according to a survey.
Just 49% of those polled by Mercer Marsh Benefits (MMB) for its report Boosting employee engagement through benefits choice said their employer had performed well in terms of helping them over the last couple of years.
Just one in three of those who rated their support as poor or fair felt energised at work, according to the survey, compared to two in three workers whose organisations had better supported them.
More than a third of those polled (34%) said they are more likely to stay with a company that has strong mental healthcare provisions in place.
More than six in 10 respondents from ethnic minorities said they had suffered stress, with 33% of people in this group valuing tools such as mindfulness and resilience to help build skills and better cope with pressure.
Meanwhile 36% of women value services to help support others with mental health issues, compared to 29% of men.
Virtual mental health counselling topped a list of most desirable benefits in this area.
Almost half (49%) of LGBTQ+ employees highly value support with mental health, resilience and personal relationship concerns, compared to 38% of non-LGBTQ+ workers.
The research also revealed that more members of staff were using digital healthcare innovations to help address health issues for them and their families, with 72% intending to keep using them in the future.
However, the number of staff in favour of virtual care varies, with 30% of Generation X and millennials believing remote access to be important and 22% of Boomers agreeing.
Chris Bailey, partner and MMB leader UK and Ireland, said: “Employees want to feel valued and receive benefits that meet their needs.
"Moving forward, employers are encouraged to consider embedding digital offerings within their benefits plans as attitudes are now more accepting towards digital healthcare and we expect this to continue in future."
