3 things to consider when looking for group life insurance

The challenge is finding ways to celebrate the joys of life with employees while supporting them in times of hardship

Finding protection that cares for employees through life and supports their family in death may build a stronger workforce.

Whether it’s going to team events, sharing memes or big life events with colleagues, employees’ personal lives are not separate from their work lives. And neither are those difficult moments, like death and bereavement.

The challenge is finding ways to celebrate the joys of life with employees while supporting them in times of hardship. For employees, finding an employer who can help their families when the unthinkable happens may give them some peace of mind.

It may not be obvious how to achieve this balance, yet research suggests that employee wellbeing may affect productivity. This means caring for your workforce could build a stronger business.

Three points to think about:

Different cover, or the same for everyone?

Finding group life cover that is flexible may not only increase confidence for the business, but could build trust.

For a business, this could mean choosing different levels of benefits for different types of employees. This means giving the same benefits to groups of employees, such as directors or managers. Or it may be more appropriate to offer the same level of benefits to all employees.

But having the option to choose and building a benefits package that best supports your workforce is an advantage. For current and incoming employees, this shows that their needs are being prioritised.

Caring for the employee

Finding group life cover that recognises the importance of supporting employees in their daily life is powerful. Imagine offering a benefits package that can work as hard in caring for employees during their employment as it could in unexpected death.

Traditionally, this type of benefit would only appear for the employee’s family on their death. And it wouldn’t directly change the quality of life for the employee during their employment with a business, or have any direct (or even indirect) impact on their loved ones.

But finding a package that supports employees in life, as well as after death, may be a benefit to attract new talent and make current employees feel valued.

Physical health – give employees access to care for their physical health, as part of group life cover. This could include discounts for health and fitness clubs or online workout classes. And encouraging regular exercise could mean a healthier workforce with increased strength and productivity.

Mental health – offering resources to help employees with their mental and emotional wellbeing may positively affect both their lives inside and outside work. This could be videos and articles helping them to manage mental ill health, stress and anxiety, or it may be a mental health toolkit for managers.

And empowering employees to care for their own health holistically (physically, mentally and financially) may be possible with apps like Aviva’s Digicare+ Workplace, provided by SquareHealth. From annual health checks to nutritional and mental health consultations, this puts control of their wellbeing a few clicks away.

And, with one finger prick (blood test) away, the annual health check can be done at home. Checking 20 different health markers, it can spot problems early on and covers common issues like the risk of diabetes, cholesterol status and liver health. Employees then receive a personalised health report, including recommendations on actions they can take to help their health.

The Digital GP service means employees can book a GP consultation seven days a week (with choices of GPs available) and it’s available to spouses and children. As any parent or carer in winter months knows, it’s a relief to have options.

After death

If the unexpected happens, the focus is on the family and supporting the bereavement process, both financially and emotionally. Finding a group life provision with a bereavement helpline or services that potentially work with children may help your employee’s family to cope with the pain of loss.