Press release 19 April 2022

New research* from GRiD, the industry body for the group risk sector has shown that 42% of employees don’t know about or understand all their employee benefits. According to HRs:

• 25% are aware of them but don’t understand them all
• 11% are aware of some of them, and
• 6% don’t know about or understand any of them

Katharine Moxham, spokesperson for GRiD, said: ‘Employers put in a lot of time, effort and resources to get the right benefits for their staff. For them to be valued, utilised and understood, it’s absolutely vital that companies communicate them.’

Methods used to communicate benefits included apps, written and promotional campaigns, with the most popular being:

• Email, utilised by 37% of employers
• Staff welcome pack, utilised by 34% of employers
• Staff handbook, utilised by 29% of employers
• Noticeboard, utilised by 27% of employers
• Company intranet, utilised by 24% of employers
• Before day one of employment/offer letter, utilised by 22% of employers

Eight percent of employers admit to not communicating any employee benefits at all.

Employees themselves were asked how they like to have their benefits communicated, and the order of popularity largely mirrors what companies are doing.

• Email, preferred by 38% of employees
• Staff welcome pack, preferred by 25% of employees
• Company intranet, preferred by 22% of employees
• Staff handbook, preferred by 17% of employees
• Before day one of employment/offer letter, preferred by 16% of employees
• Noticeboard, preferred by 15% of employees

Moxham continued: ‘It’s great to see a wide range of communication methods being utilised. Different methods will resonate with different staff, so the best way to get the message across is to use a mix, including digital, written and in-person.’

Pandemic

Forty-three percent of employers say they changed how they communicate their benefits in light of the pandemic. Sixty percent increased their activity, 53% placed more emphasis on their support for wellbeing and 45% increased their investment.

Moxham concluded: ‘During the pandemic, people looked to their employers for support for health and wellbeing. This was an opportunity for employers to tell their staff about all the benefits they offered, from healthcare and group risk to all the embedded services such as access to virtual GPs and counselling – all the support that people needed and were struggling to get, but could access via their employee benefits.

‘This increase in activity to communicate employee benefits will pay dividends and we’d encourage employers to continue with this.’

• Ends -

For further information please contact:

Sharon Mason 
SMUK Marketing and PR
smason@smuk.org.uk 
Mob: 07747 611773
Land: 01252 843350

Katharine Moxham
Spokesperson for GRiD
Katharine.moxham@grouprisk.org.uk
Mob: 07887 512508

Notes for editors

*The research was undertaken by Opinium during January 2022 among 501 HR decision-makers and 1,212 employees at UK businesses.

About GRiD

Group Risk Development (GRiD) is the industry body for the group risk sector, promoting the value to UK businesses of providing financial protection for their staff, enhancing their wellbeing and improving employee engagement. Our membership includes insurers, reinsurers, intermediaries and those operating in (or with other interests in) the UK group risk market. Together this forms a collective wealth of experience built over many years. Under the chairmanship of Paul White (head of technical, Howden Employee Benefits & Wellbeing) GRiD aims to promote group risk through a collective voice to Government, policymakers, stakeholders and employers.

GRiD works with government departments and regulators involved in legislation and regulation affecting group risk benefits, and with other organisations involved in the benefits and financial protection arenas. GRiD also seeks to enhance the industry's standing by encouraging best practice and by participating in industry-wide initiatives such as the professional qualification in group risk managed jointly with the Chartered Insurance Institute.

GRiD’s media activity aims to generate a wider awareness and understanding of group risk products and their benefits for employers and employees.

GRiD's dedicated spokesperson, Katharine Moxham, provides expert media comment on a full range of group risk issues.

www.grouprisk.org.uk

Follow Katharine Moxham on Twitter @KMoxham