Employers are tapping into the UK’s obsession with health and fitness, putting together benefits packages with healthcare perks, such as private medical insurance, cash plans and health and wellbeing advice, to attract potential recruits.
Private medical insurance often appears in the top three most wanted benefits in employee surveys and was the most widespread core healthcare benefit, offered by 56% of employers, in this year’s Employee Benefits/HSA Healthcare Research 2008.
Employers should remember that not only do healthcare perks help attract the best employees, they can also help cut sickness absence rates through early intervention, as in the case of PMI and income protection, or help employers meet their duty-of-care requirements around eyecare and workplace stress through, for example, a cash plan.
While the right mix of healthcare perks might help employers attract the right person, it will also ensure they keep staff healthy and productive.