What’s missing from employee wellbeing programmes?
What’s changed in that time? Well, the motivation behind giving employees benefits has not changed significantly – they are still used primarily to drive recruitment, retention and motivation. And, although there have been some developments in the benefits themselves – flexible working, childcare vouchers and gym membership, for example – the core content of benefit programmes has remained broadly the same for years.
What has changed a lot though, is that technological developments have led to much greater choice and flexibility of access to benefits. There’s now a range of platforms, portals and apps available to employers that act as a fast and convenient means of delivering benefits to their employees.
Along with these technological changes, there is a much greater emphasis placed on employee wellbeing, most typically relating to physical and mental health. In fact, according to REBA/Punter Southall, Health & Protection Employee Wellbeing Research (2017), “employers are rolling out wellbeing strategies for their workplaces at a rate never seen before”. The same survey found that financial advice and guidance was one of the fasted-growing wellbeing initiatives in 2017.
Another significant change to the industry has been in the make-up of the average workforce in the UK. As people live longer and the age at which they can receive their state pension goes up, companies are finding an increasing number of older people making up their workforce.
The Office for National Statistics’ Labour Force Survey (2016) revealed that there were 9.8 million people aged 50 and over employed in the UK – the highest number ever. And, as our What Benefits do Employees Value the Most (2017) research has shown, the benefit preferences of a 25-year-old will be quite different to those of a 55-year-old, so employers need to factor this into their schemes if they are to retain talented employees.
It is within these developments – an aging workforce, the focus on wellbeing, the introduction of financial advice benefits and increasing use of online delivery – that I believe an accessible legal services benefit can sit to create rounded, multi-generational employee wellbeing programmes.
Where does legal wellbeing fit in?
Most employees will have a legal need at some point in their lives. It could be to make a will or power of attorney, or something less complex like disputing a parking fine, complaining to a noisy neighbour or challenging a builder about shoddy workmanship.
However, many employees won’t know where to turn for advice or fear the cost of getting help. And, just like financial worries, legal issues can play on employees’ minds and, if not dealt with quickly, result in unnecessary stress, absence from work and loss of productivity. Our own Experience of Consumer Rights Problems (2017) research indicates that even minor legal problems can leave people feeling angry and frustrated.
Not only will a legal wellbeing benefit help employees address legal issues as they arise, it can also encourage them to be more proactive in protecting their future interests with documents such as wills, powers of attorneys and trusts.
What could a legal wellbeing service look like?
Legal problems are wide-ranging in scope and can vary in complexity. However, getting them solved needn’t always be time-consuming and costly. Very often the issue can be resolved with some expert advice and a professionally drafted legal document or letter.
Combining a legal helpline with an online legal guide and self-serve document preparation facility is one way to give employees easy and affordable access to legal assistance. The alternative option of taking time away from work to visit a law firm is not one favoured by most people. Our Experience of Consumer Rights Problems (2017) research showed that only 17 per cent would choose a law firm as the first port of call for legal advice, whereas 40 per cent would search online for information.
And, as benefits are increasingly delivered via the internet, an online legal service can integrate seamlessly with other online services, as well as meet employee demand for convenient and instant access 24/7.
What can a legal wellbeing benefit do for an employer?
As I mentioned previously, the main reasons for offering employee benefits (retention and recruitment) have not changed over the years – a fact confirmed by Benefits Research (2017) conducted by Employee Benefits magazine.
But for many companies, finding new and innovative benefits that differentiate them from other employers can be a challenge, as is getting employees to engage with the ones they already have. Indeed, the Benefits Research (2017) also revealed that the top issue shaping employers’ benefits strategies was a desire to improve employee engagement.
Legal issues, as we’ve seen, can arise at any point during an employee’s life. Some needs will coincide with a particular life event and can be planned for, but others will come out of the blue. A legal wellbeing service can provide employees with a practical, on-demand solution to their legal matters – one with which they can engage regularly throughout the term of their employment. It will also complement existing health and financial benefits to provide a more tailored and comprehensive wellbeing programme.
And, if the service is delivered online and over the phone, employees won’t need to take time away from work to visit a law firm, reducing absences and minimising productivity losses.
Conclusion
Perhaps today, more than at any other time, reward and benefits professionals are under pressure to find new and innovative ways to keep employees motivated, engaged and loyal. Driven partly by employee expectations and the increasingly multi-generational nature of today’s workplaces, this pressure is set to continue as companies compete to attract and keep talented employees.
And, as employers look to deliver benefits that are relevant to employees at different points in their lives, the addition of a legal wellbeing service will ensure a rounded and integrated wellbeing programme is on offer to employees of all ages.
Author is Andrew Walker is the Commercial Director at Epoq.
This article was provided by Epoq.
