Employers believe there is a clear link between employee health and organisational performance, a study has suggested - yet nearly twothirds also believe the rising cost of providing healthcare benefits means that current levels of provision will be unsustainable in the future.
A poll by Jelf Employee Benefits found that 93% of employers believe positive health interventions and prevention can influence personal and organisational performance. Yet worryingly, nearly two-thirds (62%) did not believe current healthcare benefits were sustainable over the long term, primarily because of concerns over increasing cost. One of the biggest worries for employers was the cost of managing and providing benefits for an ageing and ailing workforce, rated as a concern by 57% of employers.
"It is important that employers get the right strategy in place to support the structure of their employee benefits by addressing the shortterm costs of premiums and the longer-term healthcare strategies to support both the business and the employee."
Employee health linked to performance of businesses. (2014). Occupational Health, 66(1), 5.