EMPLOYEE PERKS
“ Employers have assessed their caregiving support was not as effective as hoped , and as a result the mental health of their workforce is suffering ,” said Rachael McCann , senior director , Health and Benefits , Willis Towers Watson .
“ Many solutions were short term in nature , which contributed to their ineffectiveness . With the stakes so high , employers need a revamped approach to caregiving support that includes a holistic view of benefits , paid time off and flexible work policies .”
Such numbers are reflected in Pacific Prime ’ s Global Employee Benefits Trends 2020 report . While 34 per cent of businesses have already introduced additional private mental health support , 44 per cent have started to provide professional mental health support , and 35 per cent have introduced extra physical or mental training sessions .
“ Increasingly , companies are offering programmes that help employees monitor and reduce their stress levels , provide apps to assist with relaxation and sleep , and hold workshops on emotional resilience ,” states Pacific Prime ’ s CEO , Neil Raymond . “ Employers are also progressively using telehealth programmes to provide mental health counselling and are more willing to offer counselling sessions through EAPs ( emotional assistance programmes ).”
The report highlights six global benefits trends : 1 . Refinement and reassessment of group health insurance 2 . Adoption of technology 3 . Mental health benefits 4 . Family-friendly benefits 5 . Flexible working arrangements 6 . Financial wellbeing
76 April 2021