Successful employee benefit programs are tailored to meet the needs of all employees. They leverage effective communication, engagement, digital and data insight strategies to design and implement targeted health and wellbeing programs to address specific organizational issues.
Accessibility refers to the extent to which a product, device, service or environment can be used by anyone, however they access it.
Each one of us has diverse access preferences, and considering employee benefit programs through a lens of accessibility enhances engagement with health and wellbeing benefits and programs. Some employees may prefer to visit a doctor in person, whilst others favor virtual appointments. When it comes to benefit communications, some like to read the information whilst others would prefer to listen or watch a video.
Creating a wider range of employee benefit access choices has universal advantages. However, some key groups of employees will have a more specific need for accessible benefits than others. These key groups include employees who are disabled and neurodiverse. The Family Resources Survey 2022 – 2023 found that 24% of working adults in the UK are disabled. Disability can be permanent or temporary and can affect any of us at any time in our lives.
Although sometimes disability is visible, many disabilities are hidden. Hidden disabilities include chronic pain or fatigue, epilepsy, digestive disorders, mental health conditions and many more. Under the Equality Act 2010 or the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (in Northern Ireland) employers are legally required to make reasonable adjustments for people who are disabled.
Latest UK figures show that approximately one in six working-age adults are neurodivergent. The CIPD mentions in their "Neuroinclusion at work report 2024" that there could be as many as 20% of people who identify as neurodivergent in some way. Neurodivergence exists on a spectrum and refers to human differences in processing which impact upon sensory experience, learning and social interaction. Whilst some neurodiverse individuals consider themselves disabled, many do not. It is important to understand that everyone identifies differently and to use appropriate language accordingly.
WTW's 2024 Global Benefit Attitudes Survey (GBAS) found that in the UK six in ten neurodivergent survey respondents reported having deferred healthcare, versus four in ten neurotypical respondents. Deferred care includes those who delayed or cancelled care on their own, failed to fill a prescription or had an appointment cancelled or delayed by a provider.
The benefits of building a diverse workforce are well understood; a diverse workforce brings unique perspectives, creativity and improved problem-solving amongst many other advantages. To ensure benefits are engaging for and accessible to all employees, employers need to understand employee preferences and engagement style to make their benefits more accessible.
Multiple other stakeholders in the business, including senior leadership, must be responsible for developing an inclusive health and wellbeing program.
A critical component to ensure success is to understand the health data of the organization and consider health risks that need to be targeted and addressed. Employee demographics, such as age and gender composition, form an important part of this analysis, as employers need to understand specific gender or age-related health issues that may be more prevalent within their organization and should be targeted accordingly.
Aligned with this, employers also need to spend time listening to their employees and understanding what their needs are. Pulse surveys and virtual or in-person focus groups are excellent ways for organizations to hear from employees about their health and wellbeing challenges and concerns. Understanding the voice of the employee enables an employer to create communication materials that will resonate and support greater engagement with health and benefits. It is important to reflect on any additions or changes that are made in response to staff feedback – this will support engagement and ensure staff feel listened to. In a similar vein, it is essential that, if you are asking for staff input, acknowledgment of the input is given otherwise, this can be frustrating for employees.
By consulting with disability ERGs, employers can gain valuable insight from those with lived experience on how inclusive or not the company benefit programs are. ERGs also support colleagues who have disabilities to share experiences and receive information about health and wellbeing benefits and programs that could support them in the workplace.
It is important to know your staff, understand their health and wellbeing needs and create an open culture with accessible health and wellbeing support.
To ensure employee benefits are accessible, employers should request information from their vendors on how employees with specific needs can use their services. Access questions could include:
Importantly, benefits accessibility information should be clearly displayed to the full workforce alongside other benefits information, to give peace of mind that the company benefits can be used conveniently at a time of need, without there being a burden on individual employees to research accessibility features themselves.
When communicating the benefits you make available to your workforce, considering language and format, and using multiple communication channels is key to ensuring the information is accessible. Each one of us has different communication preferences, but the needs of some employees can be more specific than others.
The following examples are a good place to start:
Technology, such as Bionic Reading, can also help neurodiverse employees to access written documents. This technology guides the readers' eyes through text with artificial fixation points, which makes them focus only on the highlighted initial letters, while the brain center completes the word.
Although hearing aids are typically available at no cost via the state healthcare system, they may not be compatible with business software. Organizations can consider offering hearing impaired employees private hearing aids as part of a benefit package or through occupational health programs, as well as providing hearing loops.
When planning initiatives to encourage employees to socialize, build stronger teams and have fun at work it is vital to offer a range of activities that are inclusive of different abilities, cultures and preferences.
Not all employees like to socialize or network in the same way. Social events should be optional or designed in a way which allows some individuals to stay for a shorter time or fully opt out if they would prefer, especially if they take place outside of core work hours or at a non-work place location.
If using external venues to run events, carefully consider accessibility options to ensure all employees can access the venue and fully participate in the activities. A team building activity that focuses on physical activity, such as step challenges or group running events, for example, is not fully inclusive and will not appeal to all.
WTW's 2024 GBAS research highlights that employees are twice as likely to take action to improve their wellbeing when they receive clear communications from their employer about programs and initiatives that support their health and wellbeing.
Prioritizing accessibility in employee benefit programs must form a key focus for employers; inclusive workplaces promote employee engagement, improve productivity, and drive better wellbeing and health outcomes for everyone.
If you would like to talk with one of our team about how to audit, assess, benchmark or redesign your current benefit and communication programs to ensure they are accessible and engaging your employees to proactively manage their health wellbeing, please get in touch. Our expert teams can help you understand current trends, best practice approaches and benefit program designs that meet your specific organizational needs.
