Creating diverse and inclusive benefits programmes 

Employers that wish to support a diverse workforce, need to offer inclusive benefits that meet the needs of all employees. Yet far too many traditional benefit plans are based on the “average employee” and framed around traditional life events.

This means that traditional benefit plans don’t take into account the diversity of your workforce, resulting in missed opportunities to make all your employees feel valued and engaged.

According to our Health on Demand survey, just three in twenty low-income workers have support for fitness, gyms and nutrition, compared to one in five employees with above average household incomes.

The changing nature of work also means that remote workers, at increased risk of musculoskeletal (MSK) issues, are also at risk of being overlooked. Low-income workers are also less likely to receive health insurance and short-term disability protection. While women and single mothers are the least confident they can afford healthcare; putting these groups, which typically include business-critical essential workers, at increased risk of sickness absence.

Another way to introduce inclusive employee benefits is to increase the choice of benefits on offer. Although there are some benefits that most people want, there are others that a small portion of employees really value. Offering a broad range of support makes it more likely you will offer something for everyone.

Three quarters of employees who have access to ten or more health and well-being resources feel energised at work. 92% are confident they can afford the healthcare they need and three in five feel cared for by their employer. One in two employees also say that the benefits they are provided make them less likely to want to work elsewhere. (59% compared to 24% of those offered the least support.)

Over half (54%) of all employees would like to customise their benefits to meet their needs. Flexible benefits, which allow employees to tailor benefits to their individual needs can make them feel more valued and supported.