Over a third of employers (37%) anticipate increased difficulty in encouraging staff participation in health and wellbeing programmes, according to research from Towergate Employee Benefits.
Hybrid and remote working arrangements have altered how organisations connect with their workforce on benefits matters. Debra Clark (pictured above), head of wellbeing at Towergate Employee Benefits, said that "new workplace dynamics, including hybrid working and virtual meetings, have come into play over the last few years and are making it increasingly difficult to engage employees."
Clark noted that engagement with health and wellbeing support creates a positive feedback loop, with employees who utilise benefits experiencing greater organisational loyalty.
Organisations are deploying varied tactics to increase benefit uptake. A third of employers (34%) rely on digital platforms, while 26% use company intranets to disseminate information. Digital channels offer centralised access to support materials, though intranet-based approaches tend towards passive promotion.
More proactive strategies include written communications such as emails, deployed by 22% of employers, frequently developed in partnership with benefits advisers and providers.
In-person engagement remains prevalent across the sector. Some 21% of employers organise events with health and wellbeing specialists, whilst 18% engage external providers to conduct sessions. A quarter of surveyed employers (24%) have appointed Wellbeing Champions to champion available support internally.
Additional engagement methods include wellbeing event calendars (22% of employers), regular promotional campaigns (18%), and webinar series (16%).
Yet engagement challenges extend beyond programme communication. High-performing employees continue to depart organisations seeking career advancement as traditional promotional pathways narrow, prompting employers to restructure career frameworks encompassing lateral transitions and skill development opportunities.
Research further indicates that workplace experience – encompassing respect, autonomy, and intellectual challenge – supersedes annual financial incentives in determining retention. Within the insurance sector, stability and trust have proven more effective than traditional deferred compensation structures, with senior professionals expressing disillusionment regarding unfulfilled incentive promises.
Flexibility extending beyond remote arrangements to encompass adaptable roles, continuous learning pathways, and internal mobility opportunities has also emerged as a defining factor in retention strategies.
A substantial proportion of employers, however, take limited initiative on engagement. One-third (33%) only direct employees to support when explicitly requested, whilst 13% do not actively encourage uptake at all.
"Employers who are either not encouraging the use of health and wellbeing support at all, or who are relying on employees making the effort themselves to investigate the support offered, are missing out hugely," Clark said.
