Over the past few years, the number of employees absent due to sickness or prolonged illness has increased, affecting not only businesses but also the overall UK economy[1]. Since some employers may not provide active preventative care measures in the workplace, it can be challenging to catch illnesses early or have a team available that can help support employees. Many employers might not know that Aviva Group Protection offers support through the Aviva DigiCare+ Workplace app, provided by Square Health. This app can help employees identify, manage, and potentially reduce health issues that could lead to time off work.
Prioritising preventative care can help lead to a healthier, more resilient workforce. This proactive approach not only supports employees’ wellbeing but also fosters a more positive workplace culture and could help enhance overall business performance.
Providing wellbeing support for employees can be seen as a valuable resource. It helps demonstrate that the employer values their workforce and signals to both current and future employees that the business is committed to their wellbeing. This can improve the employer’s recruitment package and help them stand out in a competitive job market.
How can we help your clients with preventative care?
Before we unpack this, it’s important to understand what we mean by ‘preventative care’. In this case it means the need to prevent, detect and manage a health problem before it becomes a major issue. Aviva Group Protection policies can help your clients improve their preventative care by offering insured employees access to an annual finger-prick Health Check accessible via the Aviva DigiCare+ Workplace app, which they can complete themselves at home.
After an employee completes the Health Check, the results are compared against 20 different health markers, including liver and kidney health, gout risk, cholesterol status, and more. They will receive an easy-to-understand report explaining the results of each test. The report breaks down the results, showing whether they need improvement or are okay.
Once they have received the results they can choose to speak to a Digital GP to discuss the results. The employee can also speak to a nutritionist if they’d like to discuss dietary changes and advice.
Are Workplace Wellness Initiatives Overlooked?
According to a survey by GRiD, currently only 9% of employers actively prioritise preventative care [2]. This could be down to a multitude of reasons including employers traditionally being hesitant to discuss Group Protection as they may be concerned about the cost [3]. However, here at Aviva, Group Life cover can often be put in place for as little as 1% of your client’s salary roll.
There are many reasons why this statistic may be low, including differences in long-term and short-term thinking. Sometimes, health problems aren't noticed until visible signs appear. Providing preventative care can help employees identify health concerns earlier, maintaining a healthier workforce and can also help save the employer money by reducing the need for temporary cover.
GRiD noted that 57%[2] of employers provide health and wellbeing support after a set number of weeks of absence. This is a great starting point as it provides employees with the support they need; however, more can be done to catch issues before the employee takes a leave of absence.
The Benefits of Prioritising Employee Health
Employees’ health issues may lead to major problems for employers. By not prioritising the health of their workforce, the following future issues may arise such as needing to hire cover, sick pay costs, unknown length of absence, no return-to-work pathway and potentially strained relationships with employees.
When an employer focuses on their employees’ health, it can have positive ripple effects throughout the entire business. Staff will feel that their employer is looking out for them, which may lead to an increase in productivity while simultaneously helping to reduce absenteeism.
With an improved company culture, hiring new talent may become easier, as many job-seekers will be attracted to the positive employer reputation and the focus on employee health.
Case study
The annual Health Check could prove to be essential to an employee. Take Marlena, for example who used the Health Check service after feeling run down for a period of time. Thanks to the finger-prick health test, it highlighted that Marlena had a very low white blood cell count. From this she was able to get the help she needed to manage her illness and return to work.
Next steps…
In summary, the importance of preventative care cannot be overstated. It can help benefit the employer and employees by helping reduce absenteeism and increase productivity.
Encourage your clients to promote the use of the annual Health Check service available through the Aviva DigiCare+ Workplace app as it may be able to help detect, manage and prevent health issues before they become a problem.
Aviva DigiCare+ Workplace is a non-contractual benefit Aviva can change or withdraw at any time. Terms and residency restrictions apply.
Sources
[1] Office for National Statistics - Rising ill-health and economic inactivity because of long-term sickness, UK: 2019 to 2023, released 26 July 2023, ONS website, article, Rising ill-health and economic inactivity because of long-term sickness, UK - Office for National Statistics Licensed under the Open Government License V3.0 [Accessed 25 October 2024]
[2] GRiD (Group Risk Development) - Just 9% of employers prioritise preventative care, released September 3 2024, GRiD website, article, Just 9% of employers prioritise preventative care - GRiD [Accessed 25 October 2024]
[3] Department for Work and Pensions - Sickness Absence and Health in the Workplace: Understanding Employer Behaviour and Practice, released 2023, GOV.UK website, report, Sickness Absence and Health in the Workplace: Understanding Employer Behaviour and Practice - Department for Work and Pensions Licensed under the Open Government License V3.0 [Accessed 31 October 2024]