Even in a pandemic, health benefits are being forgotten and under-sold

Even in a pandemic, health benefits are being forgotten and under-sold

Only around half of employers believe staff know and understand the range of health benefits available to them, according to a study by the group risk body GRiD.

A third of employers said they didn’t think staff understood the benefits on offer; 10% thought they were only aware of some of the offering. 35% of staff claimed their organisation had not communicated the benefits range (or couldn’t remember if they had). 38% of employers communicated a change in benefits when it happened; 29% at the recruitment stage; 21% just once a year; and 8% not at all.

Unappreciated

GRiD also looked at the issue of whether employers understand which benefits are most valued by their people. 54% of small and medium-sized firms don’t bother to measure staff appreciation of employee benefits – and one-third of larger organisations (with more than 250 employees) are the same. The figure rises to 68% among micro-businesses (with fewer than 10 employees).

When feedback is gathered, 34% said this was carried out via a formal survey. 31% of HR teams just used informal feedback. A third used a ‘suggestions box’. 27% based their understanding of staff appreciation on the level of usage.

In its analysis of the findings, GRiD has warned HR against relying on usage rates – particularly in a context where awareness levels appear to be low. HR need to be pro-active in asking employees regularly about their experiences and attitudes towards specific benefits.

Measure to improve

EAPA UK chair Eugene Farrell [https://www.eapa.org.uk/] said: “EAPs have never been more important. It’s critical that all staff are aware of the full range of expertise and support that an EAP offers across the spectrum, from everyday worries around finances and relationships, to access to professional counselling. An EAP isn’t just for help dealing with crises after they’ve happened – just one of the misapprehensions that comes from a lack of communication.

“Measurement of effectiveness and ROI is fundamental. As EAPA’s recent study has shown, it’s the employers who are most engaged and interested in the performance of their EAP, who provide regular management reports using the EAPA calculator, who look at the potential for evolving the offering to best suit their workforce, who see the biggest ROI.”