This article has been supplied by our channel sponsor, Health Shield.
Work-related stress remains a significant concern for employers and employees across the UK.†
According to 2008/09 figures from the Labour Force Survey (LFS), an estimated 415,000 workers in Britain believe that theyve experienced work-related stress to such a degree that it’s made them ill.
The impact on business can be profound; self-reported work-related stress, depression or anxiety accounted for approximately 11.4 million lost working days in Britain during the same period.
Professions with the highest rate of work-related stress, include: teachers, nurses, housing and welfare officers, customer service workers, and certain professional and managerial groups.†
When you factor in statistics from the 2009 Psychosocial Working Conditions (PWC) survey that show 16.7 per cent of all working individuals believe that their job is very or extremely stressful, then it’s little wonder that comprehensive healthcare benefits have also grown in popularity.
The Chartered Institute for Professional Development (CIPD) admits that occupation stress “poses a risk to most businesses”, adversely affecting employees’ well-being, health and happiness.†
It’s widely acknowledged that these three factors can subsequently impact on productivity; with the cost of healthcare also rising on an annual basis then low cost corporate health cash plans are beginning to play their part in helping to deal with these issues.
Not every company can afford private medical insurance (PMI) and those that do have a PMI scheme can often have a significant excess.†
In addition, employers face stiffening duty of care legislation and other wider legal responsibilities.†
Under existing health and safety legislation employers have an obligation to undertake risk assessments and manage activities to reduce the incidence of stress at work.†
Comprehensive cash plan schemes from leading specialists, such as Health Shield, are an affordable option that can form part of broader approach to help companies address the risk of litigation, improve staff morale, motivation and ultimately boost productivity.
When you compare the multi-billion pound cost of work-related stress compared to introducing affordable healthcare benefits – a cash plan from Health Shield, for example, provides 100 per cent refunds towards dental, optical, physiotherapy, specialist consultation and treatment costs – then it’s little wonder that many employers are investing in dealing with health and well-being issues.†
Extensive cash plan schemes make healthcare provisions more accessible for all companies, enabling employers to introduce cost effective cover for all staff and work towards reducing the risk of work-related stress.
For more information on Health Shield and its health cash plans visit www.healthshield.co.uk