Twenty-one per cent of employers, or one in five, are missing a trick by not supporting the prevention of ill-health in their staff, according to research undertaken on behalf of GRiD*, the industry body for the group risk protection sector.

Employers who do provide health and wellbeing support to help prevent employees becoming ill, stated that they find flexible working initiatives (28%), emotional support such as counselling (17%), and initiatives to help manage stress and mental health (16%) the most helpful. Following these, mental health first aiders, Private Medical Insurance, and Employee Assistance Programmes were also considered useful.

However, there is so much more support available which employers are potentially missing out on. Prevention and early intervention support has become increasingly varied and comprehensive – particularly as COVID-19 has hastened developments in this area – and employers need to be aware of all that is available to them. Diagnostics, health screening, access to GPs, rehabilitation, apps to improve health behaviours, lifestyle advice on nutrition, sleep, health and fitness are all readily available within employee benefits and can be excellent ways to prevent serious conditions developing.

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