51 Percent of Employers to Bolster Wellness Offerings December 09, 2009 Even during a recession employers don't back down on employee health benefits
By Sarah Knapp
Companies haven't forgotten the importance of keeping employees healthy, despite continued tight budgets. A recent study by Watson Wyatt and the National Business Group on Health of 282 U.S. companies found that 51 percent of employers plan to maintain or increase employee health benefits.
Additionally, companies reported an increase in employee's use of offered wellness programs. Forty-two percent reported that more employees are using the company health plan, 47 percent have seen an increased use of employee assistance programs and 30 percent reported an increase in the number of workers filing disability claims.
"Most likely some of this is due to fear of job loss and plan members taking advantage of health coverage while they still have it. They're no longer putting off surgeries, such as a knee repair or bunion surgery,” said Shelly Wolff, national leader of health and productivity consulting at Watson Wyatt. “The up-tick in leave benefits may be due to fewer employees to do the work and a need to take some time off due to overwork. EAP use has been related to the economy, financial counseling services and assistance with stress management.”
Overall, a majority of employers have observed an increase in their employees’ stress levels from stressors such as excessive work hours (78 percent), lack of work/life balance (68 percent), fear of job loss (67 percent) and an increased connectivity during non-work hours (59 percent).
Only 21 percent of employers reported that they are actively working to address the issue of excessive work hours, while 38 percent are seeking to address lack of work/life balance and 41 percent are attempting to remedy fear of job loss.
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