Although over four in five employers (82%) say they use one or more support mechanisms aimed at mitigating absence when a member of their staff has an injury or new illness/disability, this disguises the fact that the utilisation of some useful mechanisms for this situation is comparatively low. 

We also believe that employers should be making more use of the support embedded into employee benefits than they are currently doing, particularly in the event of a new illness or injury, as supporting individuals both physically and emotionally is key at this time.

Our research also found that 12% of employers do not have support mechanisms in place for newly injured or ill staff at all, either because they say they can’t afford it or because they don’t feel it is their responsibility.

Under-utilised support mechanisms for staff following an injury or new illness/disability:

• 18% of employers say they offer access to a virtual GP.
• 15% of employers say they offer access to an Employee Assistance Programme.
• Only 13% offer physio support for employees.
• 12% offer access to practical support, such as a rehabilitation specialist.
• 10% offer access to a second medical opinion.
• Just 8% offer access to medical specialists such as oncologists.

Many of these under-utilised types of support are widely accessible either on a standalone basis or embedded within employee benefits, including widely within group life assurance, group income protection and group critical illness, so the fact that employers are not stating that they are being deployed raises the question as to whether employers fully understand the depth and breadth of the extra services they have access to.

For example, employee assistance programmes (EAPs) and virtual GPs, frequently available as part of other benefits are designed for in-the-moment support to help employees. With only a small proportion of organisations deploying these mechanisms, many newly ill staff will be missing out on help.

The research results paint a picture that many employers could do more to support newly ill staff.

Helping staff understand support is available, and ensuring it is utilised during times of need including ill health, not only supports the individuals but also sends a message to the broader staff community who will see their colleagues benefitting.