What changing attitudes to health provision means for the workforce sickness epidemic

The Covid pandemic has led to a shift in how workplaces think about health and the support they offer to their employees

Following the pandemic and with longer NHS waiting lists, added to a workforce sickness epidemic of 2.83 million on long-term leave, employers are increasingly looking to support their staff health more.

This can present an enormous opportunity for business and, with a new government, working together to equip employees with the tools they need to stay healthy. Health cover can assist in not just preventing long-term leave but also attracting and retaining employees.

Three in five (58%) employers think about health in a different way now to pre-pandemic, according to workplace research conducted by Simplyhealth in June.

More than two-thirds (70%) feel more strongly that it’s their responsibility to support their employees’ health specifically due to longer NHS waiting times. And 72% of employers which offer health cover introduced it in the past five years.

Managing acute situations

Health support can be a critical tool to help employers meet these needs. Employers are noticing employees struggling to access NHS care (40%) and workplace health cover can ensure they have access to the support they need to manage acute conditions.

Also, the variety of medical support offered can mean longer-term ailments, which are likely to see significant waiting lists on the NHS, are quickly diagnosed, treated and in some cases, recurrence prevented.

On the flipside, more than half (52%) of employees say that if they had a form of health cover at work, they could see a doctor sooner and wouldn’t need to take so much leave from work.

Worth the investment

Separate research published by Simplyhealth earlier this year found that an estimated total of 19 million days were taken off for physical health problems alone last year [2023].

The new data also suggests that health cover is worth the investment. Three-in-five (60%) employees said health cover was their most valuable benefit and nearly three-quarters (72%) said it incentivises them to stay with their current employer.

By reducing staff turnover, health support contributes to cutting the cost to businesses of recruitment and onboarding.

Weighing up the options

But not all businesses will be able to afford the outlay. Employers should consider the full breadth of support options available. Cheaper health plans, for example, can complement private medical insurance (which we know is likely to rise in price over the next year).

Of course, the responsibility isn’t on employers’ shoulders alone, and the government has a role to play in making health plans more accessible for employers of all sizes.

Through acknowledging the role of health plans, incentivising businesses to make investments into health provision through tax breaks and collaborating with our sector to unlock its full potential, we hope to soon see the workplace sickness epidemic reversed.

We are at a pivotal point for the wider establishment of workplace health support and with the appointment of a new government, there is a golden opportunity for everyone to work together to promote the recovery of the NHS and the long-term health of Britain.