The survey of 1,000 UK adults found that more than half (56%) of under-30s say mental health support is the workplace healthcare benefit they value most, compared with 37% of those aged 51-70. This highlights a significant generational shift in employee expectations.

The findings come as employers face growing pressure to tackle workplace ill health. According to the CIPD, mental ill health is now the leading cause of long-term sickness absence, reinforcing the need for earlier and more accessible support.

Occupational health is a rising priority

Almost half (47%) of respondents also say access to mental health support would influence their decision to join or remain with an employer, underlining how wellbeing provision is increasingly shaping recruitment and retention. Employers are increasingly expected to move beyond managing sickness absence and provide proactive occupational health support that helps employees access the right care early, before physical or mental health issues become more serious. 

The findings suggest mental health support is no longer viewed as an optional extra, but as a core component of modern workplace health provision. Regionally, expectations also vary in how central healthcare is to job decisions. One third of respondents in London and the South (33%) describe private healthcare as a “must have” when evaluating a role, compared with 15% in Scotland.

Harjeev Rai, CEO and medical director at national occupational health provider, Hessington Health said: “We’re seeing employee expectations shift significantly, with people increasingly expecting proactive mental health support that enables them to seek help early, before issues become more serious. Alongside this, organisations are recognising their legal obligations under the Equality Act 2010 to identify employees experiencing mental health problems and make reasonable adjustments to support them at work.

“Occupational health is no longer solely about managing sickness absence; it’s about understanding the relationship between health and work. Forward-thinking organisations are treating investment in employee wellbeing as a core part of their ESG framework and policies – taking a proactive approach rather than a reactive one. In our experience, organisations that embed this into their benefits strategy tend to have a happier, more loyal workforce, with stronger engagement and retention as a result.”

Christoph Lippuner, co-founder and CEO at Semble, added: “Employees increasingly expect occupational health provision to be proactive, easy to access and embedded into everyday working life rather than only available at moments of crisis. For employers, this is an opportunity to take a more joined-up approach to wellbeing, using technology to identify needs earlier and provide more consistent support. Done well, this can strengthen both workforce health outcomes and retention.” 

To learn more about how providers are putting proactive care into action, visit Semble.