01 July 2025
Health and wellbeing benefits used to prevent absence by 59% of companies
Health and wellbeing benefits are used to prevent absence by 59% of companies, according to new research from Towergate Employee Benefits. The majority of employers are looking at prevention rather than cure and this forward-thinking approach means that health and wellbeing support is put in place to help employees to stay healthy and happy at work, reducing absenteeism.
The size of the problem
Absence rates cause problems for nearly a quarter (23%) of businesses. And the bigger the business, the bigger the problem:
| Business size | Percentage stating absence rates cause problems |
|---|---|
| 2–20 employees | 16% |
| 21–249 employees | 22% |
| 250+ employees | 36% |
Health and wellbeing as a preventative measure
Historically, companies offered private health care as a perk to senior staff, to fast track treatment if required. Things have moved on, and health and wellbeing benefits now encompass much wider support, which companies are using to prevent ill health and, therefore, absence, in the first place.
Preventative support now comes in many forms, to suit a wide spectrum of approaches, needs and budgets. Employers may choose to look at standalone support, or they may focus on selecting benefits with built-in additional support.
David Williams, head of group risk at Towergate Employee Benefits explains: “There is now a lot more additional preventative care within employee benefits. Preventative support works, and employee benefits providers know that preventing illness is cheaper than treating illness.”
Preventative care can encompass things like screening, access to a virtual GP, support to help improve lifestyle, fitness and general health and wellbeing, discounted gym membership, fitness trackers, nutrition advice, smoking cessation and much more. All of these are focussed on preventing illness in the first place and can be found within a range of benefits including PMI and income protection cover.
David Williams comments, “With so many possibilities available for preventative health, and the list ever-changing and growing, it is important that employers take time to discover the options and take advice if needed, to ensure they incorporate the right support for their staff demographic.”
Health and wellbeing supporting return to work
The research also showed that 46% of employers use health and wellbeing benefits to get people back to work sooner. It’s crucial to tackle health issues early, to mitigate against them escalating and then potentially becoming a long-term absence. Whilst prevention is vital, supporting returns to work is still very much on the agenda, and health and wellbeing benefits are being used to support this important aspect too.
David Williams concludes: “Preventative care brings advantages to every size of business. The health and wellbeing industry recognises the importance of preventative healthcare so is making developments all the time, and options are available that will provide solutions for all employers and their employees.”
- Research conducted by Opinium on behalf of Towergate Employee Benefits among 500 HR decision makers across the UK from 7 to 16 January 2025.
For more information please contact:
Georgina Dunlop
SMUK Marketing and PR
gdunlop@smuk.org.uk
Mobile: 07912 178156
Kate Kilpatrick
Head of Marketing
Towergate Employee Benefits
Kate.Kilpatrick@ardonagh.com
Mobile: 07890 661387
About Towergate Employee Benefits
Towergate Employee Benefits is one of the UK’s largest independent employee benefits advisers, dedicated to delivering tailored solutions to employers and their employees. The company aims to help employers attract, retain and engage the very best talent, resulting in a healthy, motivated and productive workforce.
Specialist advice and solutions from Towergate Employee Benefits include healthcare benefits - such as private medical insurance, cash plans, dental insurance and employee assistance programmes; financial benefits - such as group income protection, group critical illness and life insurance; and additional services such as wellbeing, occupational health and pensions governance, as well as award-winning benefits technology.
For global companies, Towergate Employee Benefits offers international private medical insurance, travel insurance, global employee assistance programmes and kidnap and ransom cover; as well as the expertise to manage comprehensive global benefits programmes. Through a worldwide network of partner firms, Towergate Employee Benefits can deliver tailored global benefit design and governance, ensuring business are supported wherever they operate.
Towergate Employee Benefits has a nationwide team of specialist advisers with a commitment to service that has been recognised as gold in its accreditation by Investor in Customers. For further information please visit www.towergatehealthandprotection.co.uk/