Author: Eleanor Chilvers

“By taking a look back over the last ten years and charting progress, we can understand a little bit about the pressures, the trends, and the influences that are brought to bear on employee benefits.”

Engage recently participated in a webinar hosted by The HR World which explored the evolution of employee benefits over the last decade. The expert panel comprised of our Founding Director, Nick Hale, Kate Palmer (HD Advice and Consultancy Director Peninsula UK), and Alison Richardson (Director of HR Operations Yodel). The event was hosted by Head of Content at The HR World, Simon Kent.

The illuminating discussion covered the following issues:

• The evolution of employee benefits
• The impact of a positive workplace environment
• The importance of communication
• The growing role of technology

Read on for a summary or watch the whole thing at The HR World.

Need help creating the ideal employee benefits scheme for your business and staff? Get FREE one-to-one advice from our award-winning team of brokers at enquiries@engagehealthgroup.co.uk or call us on 01273 974419.

The evolution of employee benefits

Employee benefits have changed radically over the last decade. From a top-down discussion, it’s now very much bottom up as employees have gained more of a voice.

Mental and financial wellbeing has joined physical health as a top priority for businesses and their employees. A holistic approach is very much in fashion.

Nick Hale:

• “Businesses really viewed employee benefits simply as a cost, a business expense, sometimes a low-level HR initiative, rather than a meaningful part of their overall business strategy. The attitude of benefits was around frills, bells, and whistles – very much a secondary consideration.”
• “All the focus was on physical wellbeing and insurance mechanisms. Things like Health Insurance, Group Life, for example. More preventative measures simply weren’t part of the conversation.”
• “Whereas what used to be offered was exclusive and pretty vanilla, things are now improving significantly. Today, businesses are now trying to align their benefits more with their own internal values.”
• “Employers are looking at the objectives of their business and trying to offer something which is more inclusive and far-reaching.”
• “Employees are much more empowered to now ask what’s in it for them, viewing their relationship with their employer really as a partnership.”

Kate Palmer:

• “The interview process, the recruitment process, is very much the employer being interviewed as well as the employee.”
• “You’re very much selling your business in the face of the talent shortage.”

The impact of a positive work environment

As remote work is clearly here to stay, our panellists discussed how important it is to create a positive “family-like” workspace and dynamic – almost as important as offering the right employee benefits. But how do you create that feeling within a work environment?

Kate Palmer:

• “At the core is a really good, strong leader. We’ve worked a lot with our clients over the past two years, in particular, around emotional connection and emotional resilience and understanding of your people. I think that’s an area a lot of businesses need to focus on.”
• “It’s brilliant having all the products and certainly peripherals, but emotional connection, understanding someone’s mental health position, supporting with that, caring – these are what’s important.”

Alison Richardson:

• “As you walk around and you talk to people within the network, I think much more than in past years, people talk about things like bereavements, loneliness, menopause, fertility issues, those sort of things.”
• “Within that family environment, they do pull together, they support each other.”

Communication really matters

Many businesses will spend weeks, if not months, designing their employee benefits scheme, but forget a crucial step – successfully communicating it to staff. Technology can play an important role in this:

Alison Richardson:

• “We rely on multiple streams, so it would be things like your internet and SharePoint and push messages, through to apps where people access pay slips or connected screens on the wall as you walk in to one of our service centres across the country.”

Tech is useful, but over-obsessing on providing the latest tech isn’t always recommended:

Nick Hale:

• “There are lots of options based on what your budget is and there’s no one-size-fits-all. I don’t think anybody should feel under duress as an employer to be out there spending tens of thousands of pounds on really expensive snazzy benefits tech.”
• “The point is to try and get the comms out there in whatever way you can, by whatever means you can. And there’s various options available depending on where you are in your business.”

The significant role of technology

The use of technology allows for greater choice, flexibility, agility, and immediacy in selecting workplace perks while improving access to services like telemedicine, virtual GPs, and private medical insurance. However, keeping up with technology can end up feeling like an endless loop for businesses as the next new thing is always just around the corner:

Kate Palmer:

• “I was thinking how historically we have the TV channels. We were told what to watch, when to watch it, and that it’s going to be good. This is your Saturday night! Now we’ve got Netflix, choice, immediacy, a toolbox or a sweet shop to choose from. We’re greedy, we want it quick, we want it now. We want to be able to be empowered to choose what we want.”
• “A platform where it’s a bit of a sweet shop and you can have flexible benefits which change, being quick and fresh. That’s certainly what I see people wanting now as opposed to being told what they’re going to like and what’s going to keep them in a job.”

But tech moves fast and brings its own challenges:

Nick Hale:

• “There’s so much that it brings in, but you are chasing it all the time. The moment you’ve spent 18 months, which is sometimes the case, putting in a really top-level employee benefits platform, which is all singing, all dancing, can deliver total reward statements, can link in with your group life provider, your PMI and everything else that’s rolled out. It’s out of date, and you’ve got to start again!”

How will you evolve your benefits?

There was clear agreement from across the panel that choice in what you’re offering staff is incredibly important – and technology is key in being able to deliver that. However, it’s easy to get lost in trying to provide absolutely everything, for everybody. As an employee benefits consultancy we’ve helped disentangle overly complex benefit schemes,which have provided more difficulty than it has rewards.

So, how do you provide choice while keeping things simple and delivering a strong ROI? This is where an expert team of consultants like Engage Health Group can help.

Our award-winning team will review your employee benefits scheme and ensure it’s delivering optimal benefit for employee and business. And our services come at no extra cost to your business.

Contact us at enquiries@engagehealthgroup.co.uk or call +44 (0)1273 974419 for FREE no-obligation advice and support.

Whether you’re opening new offices abroad, or looking to hire remote workers in a different country, you will need to abide by the relevant employment regulations. 

The complexity usually goes beyond the expertise of a regular HR department to handle. That’s why many companies end up outsourcing those tasks to an Employer of Record (EOR) service. In essence, they do the work on your behalf.

Read on to learn about:

• The logistical challenge of recruiting abroad
• How an Employer of Record (EOR) service helps 
• Potential pitfalls to look out for before investing
• Where to find free expert advice on EORs

Need free impartial advice about EORs or how to deliver employing employee benefits abroad? Get FREE one-to-one advice from our expert international brokers on 01273 974419 or email enquiries@engagehealthgroup.co.uk. 

The challenge of recruiting abroad

Whether your businesses is breaking into new markets or struggling to find the right skilled people closer to home, there can be huge benefits to expanding your talent search around the world. But this opportunity also comes with logistical challenges.

Performing HR duties for a UK workforce can be difficult enough, but people management becomes a whole lot more complicated when it expands into different jurisdictions. 

You might know how to abide by employment tax laws in the UK, but how about in the US, Nigeria or wherever else you might be looking to find staff?

The complexity of employing abroad requires country-specific expertise.

A few of the challenges businesses face when going international, include: 

• Abiding by different employment laws and regulations
• Setting up legally compliant payroll systems 
• Onboarding new employees
• Managing cultural differences 
• Providing state-required employee benefits
• Providing necessary insurance policies, including health insurance
• Overcoming communication barriers 
• Overcoming time zone barriers 

How an Employer of Record (EOR) service can help 

An EOR is a third-party organisation that takes care of HR duties on behalf of your company in a foreign location. In essence, the EOR becomes your company’s full legal employer in that country – taking care of all employment laws and regulation.

There are a few variations in how they work: 

• Global vs one-country: some EORs can handle multi-country requirements, while others may specialise in one country only
• Scope of responsibilities: some EORs may only cover payroll and tax compliance, while others can carry out a full range of HR duties, including employee onboarding, risk management and employee benefits.
• Legal structure: an EOR can be a fully independent legal entity or a subsidiary of the client company.

EORs allow you to hire international employees without the lengthy and expensive process of setting up local entities in different countries. It also minimises the risk (or outsources the risk altogether) of falling foul of local labour laws.

A quick overview of what an EOR does: 

• Helps you hire international staff without risk of misclassification and non-compliance
• Helps you pay employees across multiple countries
• Helps you to administer benefits per local labour laws
• Helps you to manage employees located around the world
• Provides advice on employee stock options, local entities, and labour laws

What services does an EOR offer? 

EOR’s specialise in HR and payroll, services, including: 

• Legal compliance 
• Risk assessments/mitigation 
• Employment contracts 
• Verification/security checks
• Staff attendance 
• Payroll 
• Benefits and compensation 
• Taxation 
• Stock options 
• Termination and rehire procedures

How do you know if you need to use an EOR? 

Employer of Records are usually required when a company is looking to expand its talent search globally. Whether you’re employing global workers remotely or opening new offices around the world, an EOR service can simplify the process.  

What impacts the pricing of an EOR?

There are a range of factors impacting the cost of an EOR, such as: 

• The number of workers under the EOR
• The range of services you require 
• The specific pricing structure of the EOR e.g., some might have a fixed monthly fee per employee while others might take out a percentage from payroll
• Other administrative fees, setup fees, onboarding charges, tax and termination fees

What are the benefits to using an EOR? 

Often when it comes to hiring globally, using an EOR is a necessity. They are essential in helping a company navigate the international markets and ensuring businesses are protecting themselves and their staff correctly. 

Key benefits include: 

• Time and money saving
• Faster recruitment processes, while avoiding the lengthy legal work of setting up an international subsidiary
• Compliance with payroll, local taxation, and social contributions that naturally vary country-to-country 
• Easy delivery of employee benefits – both those legally required and those offered as a goodwill gesture
• Easier expansion into new markets

What are the downsides?

Hiring globally and partnering up with an EOR is a big step to take and it doesn’t mean all EORs will be the best fit for your business. To help, we’ve gone over some of the risks and things to look out for when exploring the possibility of EORs. 

1. Possible limitations on your business authority 

As an EOR becomes the acting full legal employer, it may limit your ability to manage staff directly. For example, before any disciplinary action can be taken, it must be run past the EOR first. To avoid this, specify in your contract that the EOR must comply with company directives. 

2. Possible risk of co-employment for your staff 

This can become quite confusing for your staff where the lines become blurred as to who their employer is. Your business and the EOR are both treated as your staff’s legal employer. Understanding contract terms is crucial here.

FREE impartial advice on EORs and employee benefits

Expanding your business into new global markets can be a daunting process, but finding the right EOR service can certainly help. However, the best first step is to speak to an employee benefits broker with international expertise.

Engage Health Group has worked with a wide range of EOR and has expertise covering 61 countries. We can advise on what type of EOR will be best for your business and the market’s you’re looking to expand into, and answer any number of questions about how they operate.

As an impartial broker, we will only give advice in your best interest – not those of a preferred partner.

Contact us at enquiries@engagehealthgroup.co.uk or call 01273 974419 for FREE no-obligation advice and support.

The working world has seen huge changes over the last few years as the trend towards homeworking has accelerated. But what has the impact been? And what does the future hold? We’ve scoured the latest remote working stats to find the answers to these questions and much more.

It’s important to note that we are still in the early stages of this huge social and economic shift. Both employee and employer will continue to adapt to the potential advantages and drawbacks of this new way of working. 

In the below resource, we’ve gathered up the latest trends, business stats, employee surveys on all things remote work, including:

• The rising trend of remote work
• Impact of remote working on employees
• Demand for homeworking
• Demographics of remote workers
• The home office set-up
• Future of remote work 

Seeking out employee benefits for your hybrid workforce? Engage Health Group is a team of award-winning brokers who advise businesses on all issues related to employee benefits. For FREE advice email enquiries@engagehealthgroup.co.uk or call 01273 974419.

Remote working stats 2023

The rising trend of remote work

We’re all aware that working from home has spiked in popularity since the pandemic, but to what degree? Felstead, A and Reuschke, D [3] have traced changes over time:       

• In 1981 only 1.5% of employees worked mainly from home in the UK
• In 2019 this increased three-fold to 4.7%
• By April 2020 this rose to 43.1% due to the pandemic
• By June 2020 it dropped to 36.5%
• More recently, ONS data from 2022 shows that 24% of UK workers combined working from home with workplace commuting [11]. 

Impact of remote working on employees

Productivity:

Remote work productivity statistics generally suggest that remote working is beneficial, but there are still contrasting findings. This may be due to different variables at play. For example, how effectively remote workers are managed will be an important factor affecting productivity as will the suitability of each individual’s home workplace setup:

• 40.9% of homeworkers reported that they were able to get as much work done in June 2020 as they were 6 months earlier – Understanding Society [7] 
• 28.9% said they got more done, yet 30.2% said their productivity had fallen – WISERD [3] 
• 48% reported they need to communicate more to demonstrate their value – CIPD [17] 

Work-life balance: 

• 78% of those who worked from home in some capacity said it gave them an improved work-life balance – 11
• The top three reported benefits of WFH were ‘flexible scheduling’ (according to 50% of UK respondents), ‘avoiding the commute’ (43%) and being able to better look after family, pets, ageing or unwell relatives (34%). – Gitlab [16] 
• 30% find it difficult to separate home life from work life – Nuffield Health [19] 
• 30% report an increase in their hours whilst working from home – CIPD [17] 
• Biggest struggle with remote work is not being able to unplug, followed by difficulties with collaboration and communication – Statista [20] 

Finances: 

• 86% reported their spending on utility bills had risen – Census 2021 [22]
• Half of homeworkers (50%) reported spending less on fuel and parking for commuting, and 40% reported spending less on commuting via public transport – Census 2021 [22]
• 33% ‘love’ the savings that WFH brings – Gitlab [16] 
• The working from home tax relief was claimed by more than 3 million people for the 2020/21 tax year – HMRC [12] 

Wellbeing: 

There is a real mixed bag of remote working stats related to wellbeing. Many people will miss the social contact of the workplace, even if they don’t miss the daily commute! Some may have room for a bespoke office, others might be cramped into a corner of their bedroom – and this too will impact on health.

There’s no doubt that overall, remote working has provided a new set of challenges for mental wellbeing.

• 32% of respondents said they experienced less anxiety/stress when homeworking – Gitlab [16] 
• A quarter (25%) cited improved health, whether it’s mental, physical or spiritual – Gitlab [16]  
• Reduced office politics is another big benefit to working from home, according to 19% of respondents – Gitlab [16] 
• 47% of workers recorded improved well-being from working from home in some capacity – 11
• The RSPH found similarly with 45% of people saying that working from home was better for their health and wellbeing, compared to more than a quarter (29%) who thought working from home was worse for their health and wellbeing – RSPH [21]
• But, there are potential downsides, with the most common being feeling less connected to colleagues (67%), taking less exercise (46%), developing musculoskeletal problems (39%) and disturbed sleep (37%) – RSPH [21]
• 60% reported they feel less connected to colleagues – CIPD [17] 

Are you seeking out the right blend of employee benefits for your workforce? Engage Health Group is a team of expert brokers working on behalf of businesses to help them achieve the best value benefits for their employees. Email enquiries@engagehealthgroup.co.uk or call 01273 974419.

Demand for homeworking

All the remote working stats gathered suggest that there’s a big demand – and expectation – for some form of remote working arrangement.

• 58% of UK workers prefer to work in a hybrid model – Credit Summit [14] 
• 21% who had quit their jobs in 2021 reported doing so because of lack of flexible working hours/location – Microsoft [13] 
• Perceptions of remote work has improved for 40% of respondents – ONS [4] 
• 5% of the above perceptions got slightly worse – ONS [4] 
• 80% would recommend working at home to a friend – Gitlab [18] 

Demographics of remote workers

Location: 

• London residents reported the highest levels of hybrid work – 4 in 10 workers both working from home and travelling – ONS [2] 

Types of worker: 

• Self-employed workers more likely to work from home 32%, compared with employees 14% – ONS [2]
• The higher the pay, the more likely a person is to work from home, according to ONS data: 38% of workers earning £40,000+ and 32% of those earning between £30,000 and £40,000, were hybrid working between 27 April and 8 May 2022. But only 8% of those earing up to £15,000 were hybrid working. – ONS [11] 

Dependents/familial relationships: 

• Employees with dependent children in general reported higher levels of hybrid working 31% – ONS [2] 
• Employees without a dependent reported lower levels of hybrid working 26% – ONS [2] 
• 48% of staff who were married, cohabiting, in civil partnerships reported hybrid working or fully remote, while 36% of single employees reported doing so – ONS [2] 

Gender: 

• Women were slightly more likely to do some work from home than men: 47.5% to 45.7% – ONS [4] 

Age: 

• Over 55s are the most likely to want to work from home permanently – TechTalk [10] 
• 16-24 year olds favour working in the office full-time – TechTalk [10] 
• 81% of younger workers say they would feel more isolated without time in the office – HRNews [15] 

Profession: 

• IT and telecoms professionals are most likely to work from home full-time – TechTalk [10] 
• Healthcare employees are least likely to work from home – TechTalk [10] 
• The larger the business, the more likely it is that employees are working from home full-time – TechTalk [10] 

The home office set-up

• 28% of respondents work in their study – TechTalk [10]
• 27% of respondents work from their living room – TechTalk [10] 
• 17% of respondents work in their bedroom – TechTalk [10] 
• The average remote working day starts at 8.45am and finishes at 5.22 pm – TechTalk [10] 
• Over one in four (26%) are working from home from either a sofa or a bedroom – RSPH [21]

Future of remote work 

Looking ahead to the future, most remote working stats suggest that homeworking is here to stay:

• 50 of the biggest UK employers have said they no plans to return all staff to the office full-time – BBC News [6]  
• 21% of respondents never want to work from home in 2022 – CEPR [8] 
• 19% of respondents want to work from home 5 days a week in 2022 – CEPR [8] 
• 85% of employees currently working from home want a ‘hybrid’ approach of both home and office working in future – ONS [9] 

References: 

1. Business News Daily article – ‘Working from home increases productivity’ – 2023 
2. Office for National Statistics – ‘Characteristics of homeworkers, Great Britain’ – Sep 2022-Jan 2023 
3. WISERD – ‘Homeworking in the UK: Before and During the 2020 Lockdown’ – 2020 
4. Office for National Statistics – ‘Coronavirus and homeworking in the UK’ – 2020 
5. BBC News article – ‘Why more people are working from home on Fridays’ – 2022 
6. BBC News article – ‘No plan for a return to the office for millions of staff’ – 2020 
7. Understanding Society – ‘Homeworking in the UK’ – 2020 
8. CEPR – ‘Working from home is revolutionising the UK labour market’ – 2021 
9. Office for National Statistics – ‘Business and individual attitudes towards the future of homeworking, UK’ – 2021 
10. Techtalk – ‘What works when working from home?’ – 2020 
11. Office for National Statistics – ‘Is hybrid working here to stay?’ – 2022 
12. GOV.UK – ‘Working from home? Customers may be eligible to claim tax relief’ – 2021 
13. Microsoft – ‘Microsoft New Future of Work Report’ – 2022 
14. Credit Summit – ‘How COVID-19 changed the way we work’ – 2022 
15. HR news – ‘Survey reveals…’ – 2021 
16. GitLab – ‘The remote work report by GitLab: The future of work is remote’ – 2020
17. CIPD  – ‘Work Smarter to Live Better’ 
18. GitLab – ‘Remote Work Report’ – 2021 
19. Nuffield Health – ‘Working from home taking its toll on the mental health & relationships of the nation’ – 2020 
20. Statista – ‘Struggles with working remotely 2020-2022’ – 2023 
21. Royal Society for Public Health – Survey reveals the mental and physical health impacts of home working during Covid-19 – 2021 
22. Census 2021 – Homeworking and spending during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Great Britain: April 2020 to January 2022 – February 2022 

Industry magazine, Health & Protection, recently unveiled the highest-rated global health insurance providers as voted for by brokers and intermediaries in 2023.

The International Private Medical Insurance Report makes interesting reading for both customers and industry insiders alike. After all, brokers work with different providers on a daily basis and must constantly keep abreast of policy changes and new product enhancements. In other words, they know the topic only too well!

So, which insurers garnered five-star reviews? Read on to find out…

Need advice on how to get the best support in the International Health Insurance market? Get Free one-to-one advice from our expert international brokers on 01273 974419 or email enquiries@engagehealthgroup.co.uk.

The International Private Medical Insurance report

Health & Protection’s April 2023 report surveyed providers and advisers to create a detailed and unbiased analysis of the health and protection sector from both sides of the industry. More than 200 advisers, intermediaries, and brokers rated current services, with five global providers coming out on top with a five-star-rating:

• April International
• Cigna Global
• Bupa Global
• Expatriate Healthcare
• William Russell

Health & Protection’s overall aim is for this report to act as a resource for brokers and advisers to assist their understanding of which providers operate in which sectors, the key proposition points, and how the market is evolving.

This blog post provides a brief summary of its findings. For more detailed coverage, access the full report here.

1. April International

April International was formed in 1988 as part of the April Group based in France. With its 2,400 employees, April International operates in 18 countries, covering 150,000 lives from more than 1,500 companies across more than 180 countries.

April International’s global health plans are available for individuals, small and medium businesses, and large corporations.

In the report, April International achieved the highest overall rating of 88.5.

The breakdown was as follows:

• Appreciating and developing my business: 89
• Claims handling: 86.6
• Compliance support: 86.8
• Ease of use of adviser-facing technology: 80.2
• Quote and application support: 92.4
• Speed of response to queries: 92
• Staff expertise and problem solving: 93

What intermediaries had to say:

“Excellent provider which really cares for its customers.”

“Value for money, a great service to brokers and easy to understand products.”

“Friendly and approachable support.”

2. Cigna Global

In second place were Cigna Global, a Fortune 500 company with more than 73,000 employees and 94 million customers globally. It is part of the Cigna Group based in the US providing health insurance and managed care services. Cigna Global offers International Private Medical Insurance to individuals and organisations across more than 200 countries worldwide, paying more than 6 million claims each year.

Cigna Global’s overall score was 75.8.

The breakdown was as follows:

• Appreciating and developing my business: 75.6
• Claims handling: 77.6
• Compliance support: 72.6
• Ease of use of adviser-facing technology: 72.8
• Quote and application support: 79.4
• Speed of response to queries: 74.8
• Staff expertise and problem solving: 78

What intermediaries had to say:

“Continue to lead the way with the strength of its provider network including CignaLinks.”

“Quick replies to questions and underwriting.”

“Stability, fastest turnaround times, and best broker support.”

3. Bupa Global

Bupa Global was formed as the International Health Insurance division of Bupa Group, based in the UK, with 79,000 employees and more than 31 million customers across the world. The international division covers 460,000 members in more than 190 countries and territories.

Bupa Global’s overall score came to 75.3.

What intermediaries had to say:

“Broad offering, easy onboarding, various products for different markets.”

“Their dedicated contacts ‘go above and beyond at all times.” 

4. Expatriate Healthcare

Expatriate Healthcare is an International Health Insurance provider based in Burgess Hill, established in 1997. It covers more than 100,500 customers in more than 182 countries. Alongside the iPMI services, Expatriate Healthcare also provides Travel Insurance, Life Insurance, and Income Protection. These are included for free as standard to all existing and new policyholders on their Group iPMI plans.

Expatriate Healthcare’s overall score came to 75.1, improving from last year’s 70.4!

The breakdown was as follows:

• Appreciating and developing my business: 73
• Claims handling: 76.4
• Compliance support: 74.2
• Ease of use of adviser-facing technology: 69.4
• Quote and application support: 80
• Speed of response to queries: 76.4
• Staff expertise and problem solving: 76.4

5. William Russell

Rounding off with the final H&P five-star rating is William Russell, founded in 1992 to provide international health, life, and income protection services. With their 75-manned team, William Russell covers its members in more than 160 countries. Offering Global Health Insurance cover for individuals, families, as well as organisations and their employees, William Russell offers a range of cover for varying sizes of business.

William Russell’s overall score landed on a 75 – up from 73.8 last year.

The breakdown was as follows:

• Appreciating and developing my business: 72.8
• Claims handling: 78.2
• Compliance support: 72.4
• Ease of use of adviser-facing technology: 69.8
• Quote and application support: 76.2
• Speed of response to queries: 79.2
• Staff expertise and problem solving: 76.2

Who will provide the best support for you?

Every international insurer will have its strengths and weaknesses. For example, some insurers are stronger in certain territories than others, and each customer has their own unique requirements. This means the best fit might not always be the highest rated service.

Seeking help first from an independent international broker like Engage Health Group is your best bet to landing on the ideal policy and provider and create a top international benefits plan. Engage is a broker with global expertise spanning 61 countries, so if you’d like free, unbiased and truly expert advice, don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Contact us at enquiries@engagehealthgroup.co.uk or call 01273 974419 for FREE no-obligation advice and support.