Under half (49%) of respondents believe their employer makes provision to look after their health and wellbeing, according to research by Willis Towers Watson.
Its survey of 1,123 full and part-time employees in Great Britain aged between 18 and 64, also found that 58% of respondents aged between 18 and 34 feel that organisations are being asked to shoulder more of the health cost burden, compared to 42% of respondents over the age of 35 who think this.
The research also found:
- 48% of respondents believe their employers are increasingly expected to provide for the health of their staff in order to top up NHS services.
- 57% of respondents aged between 18 and 24 think that their employer offers sufficient health provision, compared to 59% of respondents aged between 25 and 34.
- 39% of respondents who are between 45 and 54 years old think that their employer provides sufficient healthcare options, compared to 31% of respondents aged between 55 and 64.
Mike Blake (pictured), director at Willis Towers Watson Health and Benefits, said: “These results suggest a large number of [employees] are increasingly turning to their employer to fund health services that they feel may not be available to them within the public health system.
“Employers may view this as an opportunity to boost employee satisfaction and retention by attempting to plug any gaps in the provision of treatment. Official figures recently showed waiting lists for routine operations such as hip and knee surgery are at their highest for a decade, so businesses can position themselves as responsible employers by offering benefits that can accelerate access to care and support healthier lifestyles.
“An effective strategy may see healthcare benefits and wellbeing initiatives working alongside one another to improve overall health, helping to ease any uncertainty around public health services. Healthcare benefits top up provision to help ensure any current health issues are covered, while wellness schemes help forge a more proactive approach that could reduce the need for treatment altogether in the future.”