More than four in ten employers do not target benefits by the demographics of their employees, despite requests to do so.
Research with 500 HR professionals, conducted by Opinium on behalf of Towergate Health & Protection, showed that 44 percent of employers offer the same benefits to all staff irrespective of age, lifestyle or risk profile. A similar number (40 percent) offer the same benefits to employees regardless of gender.
This might seem surprising as the survey also found that 76 percent of employers said they have had requests for specific and targeted support, said Debra Clark, head of wellbeing for Towergate Health & Protection.
Reality check
More than half (54 percent) of employers have had requests from different age groups for support specific to their age, and 49 percent said they have had requests for gender-specific support.
But Clark said: “The reality is, however, that knowing how and where to direct benefits spend is a complex matter that requires expertise.”
The majority of employers (70 percent) said they would like to target their benefits according to different demographics but it was “too complicated”. This is because benefits are being continually developed as new options are added and current support expands.
For example, support for neurodiversity, fertility, eldercare, and menopause was uncommon a few years ago, but now these types of support have become more mainstream.
Clark said: “Benefits are constantly being advanced to offer more specific support for more specific needs. This is a good thing for employees and employers alike but both are likely to need some expert guidance to navigate the system.”
Advantages of targeting
The more targeted health and wellbeing support is to meeting the needs of the workforce, the better, the benefits provider said. This is true for the employees themselves and also for the business as a whole because strong benefits provision and wellbeing reinforce recruitment and retention of talent and set a company apart from its peers.
The provider also highlighted the role of targeted benefits in absence management where preventive benefits can help employees stay at work and help them return more quickly.
“Employers should not be put off the idea of targeting support more specifically to their employees. With a bit of assistance, they will be able to make their health and wellbeing support more effective and cost-efficient, with benefits to recruitment, retention, engagement and productivity,” Clark said.
