UK employers are increasingly investing in their people’s health, wellbeing, and financial security, with many expanding their benefits packages and prioritising employee support.
From Employee Assistance Programmes and virtual GP services to mental health apps, financial education, and health screening, the range of support available has never been broader.
So far, so excellent.
But there’s a catch: many employers aren’t so good at promoting the workplace benefits on offer.
32% of employers only direct employees to health and wellbeing benefits on request
In fact, research reveals that many businesses only encourage employees to use health and wellbeing benefits when specifically requested – 32% of employers “signpost on demand”. [1]
If this is ringing true for your firm, you could be paying for valuable support that employees aren’t accessing, simply because they’re unaware it exists.
Investing in a wellbeing strategy is only the beginning.
To get a return on your investment, it’s equally important to ensure your employees:
- Know what’s available.
- Understand when to use it.
- Feel confident accessing the support they need whenever they need it.
To drive meaningful engagement, you’ll need to spread the word to all your employees.
A timely drumbeat directing every employee to the benefits and services you provide could mean more people get the support they need before issues escalate – which, left unchecked, could lead to greater absenteeism and reduced productivity.
Some sobering facts to focus your attention
- Average sickness absence has risen to 9.4 days per employee per year, the highest level in more than 15 years. [2]
- Poor mental health costs UK employers around £51 billion each year, predominantly through presenteeism, absence, and staff turnover. [3]
- Employers receive an average return of around £4.70 for every £1 invested in workforce mental health and wellbeing support. [4]
Alongside physical health and musculoskeletal issues, mental ill health remains a major driver of absence. Financial pressure and stress are also significant contributors – all of which your existing benefits package may already be set up to address.
But communication is key.
Done well, spreading the word can help reduce risk, improve employee experience, and support better business outcomes.
Natalie Malone’s 6-step guide to signposting health and wellbeing benefits
To ensure your investment in health and wellbeing benefits is delivering returns, increase engagement with our Health and Wellbeing Manager Natalie Malone’s simple six-step plan:
- Review your benefits package. Look at your health, wellbeing, and financial perks and apply an “engagement score” to each one.
- Create a year-round communication plan. Develop a calendar of timely communications to draw attention to workplace perks throughout the year. There are regular calendar events that you could use to remind employees of all the benefits they can access. Mental Health Awareness Week (in May), Cycle to Work Day (in August), and October’s Menopause Awareness Month, for example.
- Run webinars and seminars designed to make benefits more practical, engaging, and relevant.
- Train managers to ensure they are familiar with the full benefits package and understand exactly what’s on offer so they can confidently direct employees to appropriate support.
- Use clear, repeated messaging across multiple channels, including email, intranet, employee apps, manager briefings, and benefit platforms.
- Measure engagement through employee feedback, absence trends, and campaign performance. When you know what works, don’t be afraid to double down on the successful messaging and capitalise on the best delivery method.
Increase engagement even more through Titan’s Bionic Benefits platform
Titan’s Bionic Benefits platform brings benefits, wellbeing resources, and employee communications into one accessible digital space.
The dashboard allows employees to access all their benefits in one place. Depending on the breadth of your workplace perks, the platform also makes it simple for them to pick and choose the best benefits to suit their lifestyle.
They can even use it to add family members and easily upgrade certain policies.
With freedom and flexibility built in as standard, employees will find it easier to access information about all the available benefits, while you can use it to promote campaigns and share resources.
Get in touch
To find out more about how we can help you devise a benefits package to support your employees’ health, wellbeing, and financial security – and boost engagement with workplace perks – get in touch.
Email info.wp@titanwh.com or call us on 0800 048 0150.
Please note
This article is for information purposes only and does not constitute personal financial advice. If you are unsure about whether a particular course of action is suitable for you, we recommend that you seek independent financial advice.
Titan Wealth Planning Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA reference number: 574458). Registered address: 101 Wigmore Street, London, W1U 1QU, United Kingdom.
