Why your benefits strategy may be failing frontline and deskless workers

Employers need a more strategic way to support their teams, especially frontline workers. Because these employees lack scheduling flexibility, they often struggle to use their benefits or get to healthcare appointments.

Traditional employee benefits frameworks have been designed primarily for office-based environments and often fail to account for the unique operational realities of alternative workforces, such as shop floors or production lines.  

Frontline and deskless employees frequently face significant barriers to accessing workforce benefits. 

This cohort is likely to have less control over their work–life balance, may lack the financial security to access private healthcare independently and often have schedules that allow little or no flexibility for appointments.

Frontline and shift workers keep businesses running, yet their health benefits are routinely treated as an afterthought.

REBA's new report, Affordable access: Inclusive benefits for frontline and shift workers, produced in partnership with Personal Group, aims to change that.

As the first in a trilogy on protecting frontline staff, it serves as a wake-up call for organisations to bridge the benefits gap before it’s too late.

The risks of not taking time off

While corporate or office-based employees aren't guaranteed to need health-related time off, they typically enjoy greater scheduling flexibility than frontline or deskless workers, whose roles often depend on strict shifts or travel.

Without scheduling flexibility, frontline workers may skip necessary medical appointments entirely. This lack of access can drive poorer health outcomes, long-term illnesses, and extended absences.

When time is tightly controlled and cover is hard to find, benefits that look accessible on paper become far more challenging to use in reality.

Organisational culture has an impact

Another challenge for frontline workers beyond logistics and timing may be trust. If previous requests for time off have been declined, or if missing work for appointments is not encouraged or supported, the lack of psychological safety may result in a culture in which frontline workers avoid addressing health issues. 

It’s a risk for everyone: workers suffer with their health, and employers face burnout and long-term absences.

Including frontline and shift workers

REBA’s Affordable access: Inclusive benefits for frontline and shift workers report explores guidance for building a successful whole-of-workforce healthcare strategy that includes frontline workers, including: