The research, conducted by Opinium from a survey of 5,000 employees and 500 HR decision makers across the UK, finds that employers are already seeing strong value from their investment in workforce health. However, the data also reveals a stark perception gap between businesses and their staff when it comes to the workplace healthcare benefits on offer.  

While 90% of employers who offer benefits say that their healthcare benefits are flexible, over half (52%) of employees say they need more flexible healthcare options than are currently available to them. These findings suggest there is an opportunity to increase that impact by making healthcare support more flexible, more relevant to employees’ circumstances, and easier to access when support is needed. 

Flexible healthcare options can include benefits adapted to meet the needs of people in different life stages, digital and virtual healthcare services, and out-of-hours access such as 24/7 GP appointments, helping employees fit healthcare around work and personal commitments. As an organisation dedicated to removing barriers to healthcare, Simplyhealth believes improving access is one of the biggest opportunities employers have to support workforce wellbeing, productivity and retention. 

The research also found that 15% describe their current access to healthcare as difficult. 38% say workload makes it difficult to prioritise their health, 38% say taking time off for health reasons is viewed negatively by their workplace, and 42% say that poor access to NHS healthcare impacts their ability to perform at their best.

When employees cannot access the healthcare support they need, the impact is felt by employees and employers alike. The top impacts of healthcare access challenges seen by employers include:

• Reduced productivity (32%) 
• Increased sickness absence (30%)
• Staff stress (29%)
• Staff burnout (23%)
• Presenteeism in the workplace (23%)  

The findings feature in a report due to be launched later this year by Simplyhealth. The Access Gap: Building healthcare around real working lives, explores the health access barriers faced by employees across the country.

Combining data-led insights with practical advice for managers and HR decision makers, and economic analysis from WPI Economics, the report demonstrates that healthcare access is no longer just a health issue. It is a productivity issue, a retention issue, and a fairness issue – shaped in large part by barriers created by one-size-fits-all approaches that are not built around the diverse needs and experiences of the modern workforce.

While health needs differ by generation, important – and potentially overlooked – differences emerge through life stages and personal circumstances. Recent parents, people experiencing menopause or perimenopause, carers, people living through divorce and relationship breakdown, and employees approaching retirement all face distinct barriers to accessing care.  

The report will explore the challenges facing employees and employers alike, and the human and economic impact of these challenges. Combining original research with expert insight and examples of good practice, it aims to help organisations create healthier, more engaged, and more productive workforces.

Paul Schreier, CEO of Simplyhealth said: “The reality is that healthcare needs don’t arise evenly across a workforce. A parent returning from maternity leave, someone caring for an elderly relative, an employee experiencing menopause, and someone approaching retirement all face different challenges in accessing healthcare. Yet many workplace healthcare benefits are still designed as if everyone has the same needs.

“Today’s workforce spans multiple generations, life stages, and personal circumstances, often requiring distinct access to healthcare. To best support employees, businesses need to move beyond a one-size-fits-all approach and offer flexible benefits that provide targeted support that is tailored to the realities of people’s lives.

“Employees are not looking for one single fix but need adaptable benefits that work around their work and life patterns, allowing for easy access to benefits while helping to improve their long-term health and wellbeing.”

The findings suggest that employees increasingly value healthcare that is fast, flexible, and easy to access. Simplyhealth believes employers have an opportunity to support workforce health through benefits that remove barriers to care, encourage earlier intervention, and help employees access services such as GP appointments, mental health support, and physiotherapy when they need them. Health cash plans can play an important role by helping employees manage everyday healthcare costs and access support more quickly, complementing NHS and other healthcare services.