Advocate magazine spring 2018

advocate the magazine from the UK’s leading business advisory

cover feature

mission accomplished page 6.

advo joins Working Forward - my story page 8.

are your employees engaged? page 12.

Issue #25 spring 2018

Employee Benefits

Private Clients

Payroll

HR & Training

advogroup.co.uk | who we are

who we are and what we do... advocate Magazine is produced by advo group and published quarterly. advo is an award winning advisory with a focus on people and technology.

Our aim is to deliver essential services with added value, a philosophy to be different and invaluable.

Our business technology platforms are standalone or linked, delivering corporate style benefit management and communication to SMEs and small corporates, a unique proposition.

Our clients have dedicated account managers with smaller portfolios allowing active account management, and better understanding of client needs.

As an IIP Gold employer we continually update staff knowledge to ensure we can integrate and apply the best of new thinking.

For general information, and/or to join our online community, please follow http//issuu.com/ advogroup.

Speak to us for: • UK and overseas employee benefits • employee benefit and payroll technology platforms • staff wellbeing and wellness programmes • HR consultancy and support • payroll & auto-enrolment solutions • private client protection insurance t: 01622 769210 e: info@advogroup.co.uk w: advogroup.co.uk

lola muddiman account manager

advo supports

advocate spring 2018 | advogroup.co.uk |02

advogroup.co.uk | what’s inside issue #25

“what’s inside issue ” #25 raising money for ellenor

Welcome to the Spring 2018 edition of advocate, the quarterly magazine from advo.

We also take a closer look at staff benefits and the financial case for implementing a wellness programme. Our head of After the many months of employee benefits considers why training we were delighted that dental should be considered an both Jamie and Amy, our novice important part of a staff benefit runners, had both successfully package and the expected completed their Marathons, a increase in demand from staff fantastic achievement made for health insurances as the even more amazing as they NHS continues to experience have both smashed their fundpressure on its services. Our HR raising targets. You can read all team also consider employee about their marathon motivation engagement and how SMEs can in this month’s issue. replicate the approach of their PLC counterparts.

In this edition, we also look at the Working Forward initiative.

In health related matters we look advo has become part of at testing for prostate cancer this movement to promote and the little talked about best practice for pregnant cancer, bowl cancer. women and new parents in the workplace. Our Operations Remember that all editions of Manager, Lucy Irvine also talks advocate magazine are free about why she is so passionate to read online at issuu.com/ about the Working Forward advogroup. initiative and why advo is a member.

meet the advo team For more information visit www.advogroup.co.uk

larry bulmer

gill mateo

kevin crew

colin boxall

Larry founded advo in 1997 and leads the group across all advo companies

Gill joined advo in 2006 becoming Operations Director in 2013 overseeing the smooth running of advo.

Kevin oversees our award winning online service and is further developing staff, HR and Payroll platforms.

Colin joined advo group’s board in 2008 and has over twenty five years employee benefits and business experience.

lbulmer @advogroup.co.uk

gmateo @advogroup.co.uk

kcrew @advogroup.co.uk

cboxall @advogroup.co.uk

ceo

operations director

it director

commercial director

advocate spring 2018 | advogroup.co.uk | 03

advogroup.co.uk | contents

contents

ISSUE #25 | spring 2018

advo news Page 06

| mission accomplished - cover story

Page 08

| advo joins Working Forward

Page 10

| my story - Working Forward

Page 16

| advo are Corporate Adviser finalists

Employee Benefits news Page 18

| dental: part of a successful benefit package

Page 21

| staff benefits: the current trends

Page 22

| increased demand for health insurance

mission accomplished page 6.

Human Resources news Page 12

| are your employees engaged?

Page 24

| the case for wellness investment

Health & other news Page 28

| new prostate screening research

Page 30

| healthy on the inside: Bowel cancer

are your employees engaged? page 12.

advocate spring 2018 | advogroup.co.uk | 04

advogroup.co.uk | contents

advo joins Working Forward page 8.

working forward - my story page 10.

Dental should be part of a successful staff benefit package page 18.

the case for wellness investment page 24.

advocate spring 2018 | advogroup.co.uk | 05

advogroup.co.uk | mission accomplished

“

they say it was the hottest ever London marathon, but I loved it and would definitely do it again.

Although it was hot the crowds were out and they were fantastic, the sunshine, cheering and everyone having a great time ‘hi-fiving’ and joining in was really motivating and spurred you on

”

Amy Jones (middle) & friends advo’s two novice marathon runners complete the challenge and smash their fund-raising targets.

Jamie Tuffield completed the Brighton Marathon, while Amy Jones ran, and completed, the London Marathon despite record temperatures for the event.

This was Jamie and Amy’s first full Marathon.

Together they have raised to date over £2,000 for ellenor, advo’s chosen charity. This was nearly 40% more than they hoped.

Kate Barnes from ellenor said “We would like to say a huge thank you to the two team members from advo who ran the London and Brighton Marathons in aid of ellenor.

This is an absolutely fantastic achievement,particularly on the hottest London Marathon day on record, and the

funds they have raised will go a long way in support of local families facing terminal illness.”

On completing his Brighton run Jamie said “As an experience, it was one of the few occasions that I have been truly proud of myself because of the months of hard training to get over the finish line.”

Jamie supported ellenor because “they do amazing work, for those in most need.

advocate spring 2018 | advogroup.co.uk | 06

“ I was lucky t support they with life limitin families at the The support th the wider fam people is inva relationship th them shines t

Why support “Through my opportunity to children and hand the fan ellenor provid

As a mum of know there is children and difficult times support such

Asked about and experien “they say tha marathon is a

to view first hand the provide to young people ng conditions and their eir annual summer party. hat the charity provides to milies and around young aluable, and the close he volunteers have with through.”

advogroup.co.uk |mission accomplished

mission accomplished Jamie running outside the Brighton Pavillion time they finish but for me, it was the hours of training that made the biggest impact. I really struggled with intense knee pain, caused by IT band syndrome.

Unfortunately rest does not solve the problem, but I was determined not to give up.

To see so many people out there running for good causes and the people who came out to support them showed me how much good there is in people.

I will definitely do it again, and hopefully I’ll be in better shape when I do! I did this to show my children that you can With sports massage, blood flow therapy, achieve anything if you persevere and additional stretching, strength training, work hard enough, and I think that ellenor? Amy explains, swimming and less running! I made it to although the end result wasn’t what I employer, advo, I had the the start line - albeit nearly covered head initially hoped for it actually means more o meet a number of the to toe in kinesiology tape! to me because of everything I had to their families and see firstovercome.” ntastic care and support that I was so excited just to be there on the de. day! And I can honestly say I have never Please help support our runners and their been more proud to be British. The fantastic commitment and achievement.

2 myself, it is reassuring to crowds were amazing, so supportive s such support available for and encouraging. People put so much Amy’s JustGiving page is www.justgiving. their families at their most effort into making signs, giving out ice com/fundraising/amy-jones90 s. I feel proud to be able to poles and drinks to us as we ran past, a deserving local cause” even applying sun tan lotion. It was so Jamie’s JustGiving fundraising page is hot they were all so needed! Children www.justgiving.com/fundraising/j-tuffield her first marathon run were out cheering us on, giving out high nces of the day Amy said fives and sweets to keep us going. Even You can find out more about ellenor at the person who starts the squirting us with water guns to keep us great work on https://ellenor.org/ a different person by the cool.

advocate spring 2018 | advogroup.co.uk | 07

advogroup.co.uk | advo Working Forward

advo joins Working Forward

The advo group has officially become a member of Working Forward, a nationwide initiative launched by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) which encourages businesses to adopt best practice for pregnant women and new parents in the workplace.

Working Forward is a coalition backed by some of the UK’s leading businesses and industry bodies, including Barclays, BT Group, Ford, HSBC, Royal Mail and Transport for London, among others. These members recognise the pressing need to eliminate maternity-related discrimination and disadvantage in the workplace, and the value that such action has in attracting, developing and retaining parents.

As part of its membership of Working Forward advo has made a number of pledges of support and commitments to how the initiative will be taken forward within the group.

On leadership: advo has appointed Operations Manager, Lucy Irvine, as the representative to focus on improving practice in relation to pregnancy, maternity and return to work.

On employee confidence: advo will provide employees with a communications plan that they can tailor to cover pregnancy, maternity and return to work, and ensure early ongoing conversations with their line managers.

On support for line managers: advo will encourage all line managers to complete the free Acas maternity/ pregnancy training course available to

advocate spring 2018 | advogroup.co.uk | 8

Working Forward members and will offer advice on how to identify and tackle health and safety risks for both pregnancy and breastfeeding.

On flexible working: advo will trial new ways of working and be transparent and clear about the types of flexible working the organisation has considered, offered and granted.

David Isaac, Chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, said: “We are thrilled to welcome the advo group as our latest member and look forward to working with their team on generating real positive change within their business.

advogroup.co.uk | advo Working Forward Outlining the initiative, David Isaac, said “Discriminating against women at work because they are pregnant or newly returned from maternity leave is simply unacceptable. That is why we are calling on employers across the UK to sign up to the Working Forward pledge.

“By doing the right thing, companies can improve their bottom line and gain a competitive edge when they encourage and support female staff. Attracting, developing, and retaining talent, regardless of gender, is absolutely critical for the UK economy.

“Our Working Forward members all recognise the importance of women in their workforces, the contributions they make, and the value they add. Together, we want to raise the bar across the business community and ultimately improve the experiences of employers and employees.” advo’s Operations Manager, Lucy Irvine commented,

“With a large percentage of our [advo’s] workforce being talented women in their 20’s and 30’s, we would be foolish not to address how best to manage the situation and future proof the needs of the business.

The Working Forward campaign has given us the perfect opportunity to properly look at how we can handle this situation.“

The Working Forward initiative was launched following research commissioned by the EHRC (reference below) which found a number of new and expectant mothers face maternity-related disadvantage and discrimination in the workplace: 77% report a negative or discriminatory experience during pregnancy, maternity leave or return to work 41% report a risk or impact to their health or welfare 20% experience harassment or negative comments related to pregnancy or flexible working 11% felt forced to leave their job Women make up half of the nation’s workforce, with over 15 million women active in the UK labour market at any time.

want to work and over one and half million women in work would like to do more hours.

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) and the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) commissioned a programme of research to investigate the prevalence and nature of pregnancy discrimination and disadvantage in the workplace.

The full report can be downloaded from the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC website www. equalityhumanrights.com)

You can find out more information on membership benefits and how your business can sign up here by emailing: pregnancy@ equalityhumanrights.com

Findings show that if women’s participation in the labour market increased to roughly the same as men’s, it would add 10% to the size of the economy by 2030.

In addition, more than two million women who are not working

advocate spring 2018 | advogroup.co.uk | 9

advogroup.co.uk | my story - Working Forward

my

advo’s operations Forward initiative

“Nowadays, few women choose having a family o more to the point, few wa

In my own experience, b with work, although some incredibly rewarding; ho work if an employer reali of being flexible to the in

With a large percentage workforce being talented and 30’s, we would be fo how best to manage the proof the needs of the bu

The Working Forward cam us the perfect opportunit how we can handle this s

A lot of employers have to flexible working and th treated by many decisio dirty word, leading empl making a flexible workin

In most cases flexible wo happier staff, lower costs productivity. Many busin dismiss any requests on t ‘open up a can of worms than one person raises th

Looking at the individual productivity when sat at alternative is absolutely k working can be as bene as it can be for the

Lucy Irvine, advo operations manager advocate spring 2018 | advogroup.co.uk | 10

employee. Of course, the where it isn’t always ach instances where it is, why miss out on working hour member of staff because the school run when they

advogroup.co.uk | my story - Working Forward

story

s manager, Lucy Irvine, talks about why she is so passionate about the Working that supports pregnant women and new parents at work.

n can afford to over a career and ant to.

balancing family life etimes tough, is also owever this can only ises the importance ndividual’s needs.

to do that work once they’ve put the kids to bed?

In the majority of cases, the largest expense for any business is people and

property. Flexible working can lead to reduced rental costs, which when utilised effectively, can save hundreds e of our [advo’s] of thousands of pounds to a d women in their 20’s larger employer. oolish not to address e situation and future As well as attracting and usiness. retaining talent, one of the greatest business cases for mpaign has given flexible working is improved ty to properly look at productivity. A report found situation. that three in five people who work flexibly put in more hours an archaic attitude as a result of being allowed he term is often to do so. 72% of businesses on makers as a also reported increased loyees to fear even productivity as a direct result of ng request. flexible working.

orking means s and greater nesses are quick to the basis that it will s’ the minute more he question.

It’s time that businesses give this matter (and the individuals concerned) the time it deserves as currently, the people who are missing out the most are the employers themselves.

l’s role and their their desk versus the We certainly can’t afford key in why flexible to repeatedly recruit and eficial for the business train new members of staff who ‘fit the ideal mould’ when compromising on an ere are some roles alternative arrangement may hievable, but in the in fact be of greater benefit to y should a business all involved. rs from a valuable e they have to do y’re willing and able

advocate spring 2018 | advogroup.co.uk | 11

advogroup.co.uk |engaged employees?

are your employ advocate spring 2018 | advogroup.co.uk | 12

advogroup.co.uk | engaged employees?

advo hr’s Carly Gregory and Faye Baker take a closer look at employee engagement and how SMEs can match their PLC counterparts.

As surveys and research from past and present confirm time and time again if employees feel appreciated it leads to improved retention rates, employee satisfaction and them having a sense of value at work with an employer seeing improved productivity. The term for this that is often used is ‘Employee Engagement’, but what is it?

In the words of CIPD “in the broadest terms, employee engagement brings together a range of established concepts, including job satisfaction, motivation, work effort, organisational commitment, shared purpose, energy and ‘flow’.

It describes an internal state of being – both physical, mental and emotional – but can also include behaviour, such as commitment and ‘going the extra mile’.”

But essentially the long CIPD description translates into a happy employee is a productive employee.

improved business performance improving the bottom line. Research links how people are managed, their attitudes and behaviour, and business performance.

What are the benefits of Employee Engagement?

• Higher employee satisfaction: Employees that are engaged and satisfied at work, have a greater connection to the company and are therefore more likely to produce quality work.

• Higher retention and lower turnover: With satisfied and ‘happy’ employees less likely to Employers want engaged leave a company and employees because, as therefore saving the well as being happier, employer a huge cost healthier and more and time on recruitment fulfilled, they are more and on-boarding. As well motivated and deliver as retaining corporate

knowledge that is sometimes invaluable.

• Higher productivity When employees are engaged they are more likely to deliver higher productivity coupled with a sense of responsibility if they are treated well by their managers.

• Less absenteeism: Disengaged employees can sometimes feel less responsibility to the business and therefore less likely to be present.

Engaged employees feel part of the organisation and therefore feel a sense of value of their own contribution.

• Increased employee loyalty: Engaged employees will often act as company ambassadors.

yees engaged? advocate spring 2018 | advogroup.co.uk | 13

advogroup.co.uk |engaged employees

are your employees engaged?

Continued from page 13.

So how can an SMEs do employee engagement successfully?

4. Relationships Building relationships with employees is key to them feeling valued and understood. Do this It is rare for a small businesses to by showing that you understand have an in-house HR department that their role and contribution is an important part of the and therefore they can company’s success. sometimes miss the benefits of HR initiatives such as ‘employee 5. Frequent feedback engagement’. However employee engagement can be Constant communication with employees is key in successful no matter the size of engagement. the company.

Below are 10 ways you can improve engagement: 1. Formal on-boarding process Research has proven that employees who receive a formal on-boarding process are more likely to stay within the company longer than those that do not undergo a structured onboarding process.

Constant feedback including constructive feedback keeps employees on track to achieve their goals. This can be done through frequent check-ins or monthly 1-1s.

6. Recognition Encourage employees to support each other, a ‘thank you’ from a co-worker is almost as rewarding as one from you.

9. Benefits and wellbeing An apt and supportive employee benefits package makes employees feel happy, valued and work a more enjoyable place.

Easy and low cost examples to introduce are to include free fruit in the office and an element of flexible working.

Encourage employees to take holiday entitlement and breaks throughout the day and support them to take care of their health.

10. Room for innovation Seek new ideas from your employees, encourage them to share ideas for improvement and respond with feedback.

7. Growth opportunities Investing in employee’s personal 2. Work environment Consider if the work environment and professional growth demonstrates to the employee is fit for purpose and whether it that you value them and see creates an engaging place to them as a valued long term work, does it meet the needs of employee. the employees and business?

3. Culture Culture does not need to be forced and employees should eventually build this themselves, under guidance and support from the business leaders. The employers’ role is to create a supportive and encouraging environment.

8. Transparency and trust Employees feel more engaged if they are communicated with all levels of the business, as they feel they are part of the bigger picture and they can align their work to the company vision, thus their work feels relevant and valued.

Carly Gregory & Fa advocate spring 2018 | advogroup.co.uk | 14

advogroup.co.uk | engaged employees

One of the most powerful tools at an employer’s disposal is recognition and an employee’s understanding of their ‘Total Reward’ Recognition is one aspect of encouraging and increasing employee engagement. April/ May tends to be a common time of year when companies review their employee’s annual salary. If an increase is not on the cards, employers could consider putting a recognition and reward strategy in place, and this does not have to cost much.

The strategy put in place should encourage behaviour and productivity to support the business objectives and be aligned with the employee’s needs and desires. Recognition from peers is also just as valuable as recognition from management.

Inexpensive ideas of recognition and total reward in the workplace can include: • Engage peers to vote for employee of the month, by encouraging employees to support each other, this will be just as rewarding as a thank you from management.

• Pass on praise – if you hear something positive about an employee, pass it on to them!

• Implement a suggestion programme.

• Ask the employees what they would value in terms of rewards, you may be surprised many perks may not be monetary or be low cost.

• Express an interest in employee’s personal development and support them in their personal achievements.

This will show that you care about their personal wellbeing.

• Where possible, allow employees to work autonomously. Allowing them to choose their next assignment, may make them more engaged and focused.

• As a manager – take time to know your employees.

• Something as simple as sending a thank you note to an employee for working longer hours etc. can make the difference and make them feel appreciated.

• Considering employees for opportunities of promotion or to gain experience within the

Company, where appropriate.

• Provide an employee with an extra long lunch break on occasion.

• Include employees in the planning of company events.

• An attractive working environment.

• Flexible working hours and, opportunity to work from home.

• Flexible benefits and total reward statements (TRS). Putting a recognition and total reward strategy in place can not only help to retain and engage existing employees, but also to recruit new ones. However, in order for this to be a success, managers need to support the Company’s commitment to reward and recognition.

Staff need to be educated by the Company and communicate the value of any reward package. The package needs to take into consideration what the employee needs and wants, otherwise they will not see its value.

aye Baker, advo hr business partners advocate spring 2018 | advogroup.co.uk | 15

advogroup.co.uk |advo awards

advo are Corporate Adviser Award finalists advo are finalists in the overall category of ‘firm of the year’ and for use of technology.

The Corporate Adviser Awards are an annual event recognising and rewarding both advisers and providers that have brought real innovations to the field of workplace financial services, bringing together industry leaders. advo has been confirmed as finalists in two categories, the ‘Best use of technology by a corporate adviser’ and ‘Corporate adviser firm of the year’.

On hearing that advo are finalists Colin Boxall, advo’s commercial director commented “This is bl**dy marvellous! It’s great news that advo has been recognised by our peers in such important categories to us [Corporate advisor firm of the year & best use of technology]. advo has in the past been successful at the awards, so fingers and toes crossed for this year” The adviser categories are judged by a panel of experts drawn from all corners of the protection, investment and wellbeing industries.

The Corporate Adviser Awards 2018 take place on July 3, 2018 at the Grange St Paul’s Hotel, London where the winners will be announced.

advocate spring 2018 | advogroup.co.uk | 16

em pe en

advogroup.co.uk | advo payroll

mployers must offer a workplace ension scheme and automatically nroll eligible workers

“

our solution automatically links payroll and pension provider while managing every employee, simplifying the whole process

andy henderson, advo payroll manager

advo payline:salaries simplified

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advocate spring 2018 | advogroup.co.uk | 17

advogroup.co.uk |the most popular staff benefits

“

employees know that dental is a staff benefit they will use

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advocate spring 2018 | advogroup.co.uk | 18

d o b

advogroup.co.uk | the most popular staff benefits

dental should be part of a successful staff benefit package Lucy Pearce, advo’s head of employee benefits recently outlined her views on the importance of dental cover in a recent article in Cover magazine.

Over half of UK companies (56%) have received employee requests to introduce a dental employee benefit. Mindful of this statistic Lucy Pearce comments on advo’s approach to dental.

is seen as an easily accessible Setting up a new dental scheme benefit that people know they will is a relatively painless process. claim on it throughout the year.

From a HR point of view, they do not need to get too involved, I would definitely say this benefit a good broker will handle has increased in popularity driven this. Once in place ongoing in part by the change in the management for HR is also “A large number of our customers general approach to wellness generally low. include dental as standard in their that we have seen in our industry. benefit propositions. This tends to A lot of the dental providers now be seen even more with central Companies are more aware have online claims processes London customers, particularly of health and wellbeing in the and most provide useful apps in the finance and private equity workplace and dental fits nicely and some providers allow sectors, where dental clinics are within this. When clients are direct settlement within clinics, more numerous and easier to reviewing their wellness strategies, a completely seamless process access. thinking about how to engage that encourages good dental people in benefits and how heath. The success of a dental advo predominantly looks after to retain individuals through a scheme is however driven are SMEs and smaller corporates, competitive staff package, then by communication and staff typically those with up to 500 dental definitely should form part awareness, again something that employees. Of these about of these conversations. a good broker can advise on.

60% either have dental or are actively interested in wanting to There is a big education piece The only frustration from a include within their staff benefit that still needs to be done broker point of view is that it is a proposition. advo account regarding the direct connection reasonably small market in terms managers actively promote this between general health and of the number of companies we as an important part of any staff oral health, I think the big are able to do business with only benefit package. misconception remains that there four or five main players. These is not a link between the two. are good, but from an advisory Through our employee surveys, point of view, it would be great to we find dental is highly rated by Poor oral health can increase have more options. employees, matching the findings the risk of all kinds of other health of wider surveys where dental complications including serious Dentistry is something which is comes out as one of the main conditions such as strokes, needed by people of all ages benefits employees want to have. diabetes and heart-related and from all walks of life. This problems. The communication makes a dental plan a popular Employees know that dental is a is out there to inform HR staff of product for both your clients and staff benefit they will use. I think the importance and added risks their employees.” the perception is that private but there needs to be a clearer medical insurance is there when message. you are poorly, whereas dental

advocate spring 2018| advogroup.co.uk | 19

advogroup.co.uk |the reasons for a dental benefit

a staff dental benefit, the reasons.......

Why is dental important when creating a balanced staff benefit package?

Popular with staff

gum disease and provide people with measures to treat A poll by The Oral Health the condition and prevent it Foundation in May 2017 from reoccurring, reducing their discovered that about one in 20 risk of other associated health UK employees have been forced problems. Offering a dental plan to take time off work in the last employee benefit helps prevent year due to oral health issues. This long-term illness from occurring, means an estimated 1.2 million days of work have been missed in the past year, costing the UK reducing employee absenteeism economy more than £105m and saving your clients money in annually. Dental plans are an sick pay. everyday, tangible benefit with advantages for both your clients as employers who can maintain Mental wellbeing the health and wellbeing of their workforce, and their employees Dental problems can disturb how who are able to claim back the employees eat, sleep and work, cost of their oral health care affecting their mental wellbeing. including routine, restorative and By enabling employees to stay on emergency dental treatment. top of their oral care, preventing dental problems before they occur can prevent any mental Duty of care unrest or pain.

All-encompassing dental plans address an employer’s duty of care obligations to their employees by supporting the three pillars of good health in the workplace: physical, mental and financial wellbeing. The oral health of your clients’ employees has an impact on their general health and wellbeing with links shown between gum disease, heart disease and diabetes.

Financial Wellbeing

Offering staff dental as an employee benefit is a cost-effective way of facilitating access to private or NHS dentists without them having to worry about a large bill at the end of treatment. Dental plan cover can be extended to cover employees’ Physical wellbeing dependants and partners (both young It is now widely recognised that and old), which can be there are proven links between funded either by the gum disease and serious health employer or the conditions. Dentists can diagnose employee themselves.

advocate spring 2018 | advogroup.co.uk | 20

This can help to remove employees’ financial burdens of supporting their families’ everyday dental needs.

When it comes to looking for support 40% of employers choose to work with an intermediary to assist with the administration, research and delivery of their employee benefits packages

Figures have been taken from Cover Magazine’s ‘Adviser Guide to Dental Benefits’ which was put together in association with Simplyhealth

advogroup.co.uk | current benefit trends

the right staff benefits can motivate and retain staff, but what are the current trends?

Research continues to identify trends allowing employers to better understand what motivates their staff allowing higher retention and productivity.

Employers face a challenges on many fronts. Having the right benefits package can however help build a stronger workforce and have a direct impact on the bottom line. In fact 3 out of four employers rate productivity as one of the most important reasons to offer benefits to staff.

programme within a benefit package continues with 9 out of 10 (87%) of employees, who took part on the MetLife research, confirming that a wellness programme has had a positive effect on their health. The use of wellness programmes stands at 35%, up by 24% from 2015.

Communicating benefits using a blended communications approach appears to be the best way to connect with employees effectively. The use of technology platforms continues to support communication but 62% of employees say face-to-face is still effective.

Research from insurer, MetLife reinforces the need for a good benefit package but also found that over a third of businesses (36%) found retaining employees a challenge. The majority (73%) are using their benefits’ package to attract new talent, which is a priority for many as half (46%) expect a shortage of suitable candidates over the next 12 months.

Health and employee happiness are important to productivity & sustainable growth. If your people love coming to work, their output is raised. MetLife found that ‘Happiness’ makes people about 12% more productive.

The conclusions reached by the MetLife research suggests that Staff Benefits work best when they put the needs of employees first.

Listed in the top three reasons, after higher salary and job security, employees look for a new job for improved staff benefits (34%), with 38% of employees saying a customised benefit package would increase their loyalty.

The recognition of a supportive wellness and wellbeing

Communicating benefits and engaging staff continue to gain importance with Firms with low Employee engagement facing lower productivity (18%) and profitability (16%). Disengaged workers have 37% higher absenteeism and 49% more accidents.

Despite the importance however, a third of employers however say that communicating their benefit package to staff remains a challenge.

The four key points are: 1. It’s best to give employees as much certainty as possible.

2. Give financial wellness prominence in your benefits strategy.

3. Make effective communication a continuous commitment.

4. Recognise that different benefits suit different employees so tailored benefits are likely to work best.

When it comes to looking for support 40% of employers choose to work with an intermediary to assist with the administration, research and delivery of their employee benefits packages.

If you would like to discuss your current staff benefit package please contact advo.

advocate spring 2018| advogroup.co.uk | 21

advogroup.co.uk |increased demand for health insurances

employers are likely to see an increased demand for staff health benefits As pressure on NHS services continues to be the focus of the media attention employers are likely to see an increase in demand for benefits that allow their healthcare to be better supported.

The demands for good quality private medical insurance and health cash plans are expected to continue to be at the forefront of employee benefit discussions says Lucy Pearce, advo’s Head of Employee Benefits who commented “We are seeing employees increasingly looking to their employers to provide far

wider support than just a good wage. Good quality medical insurance allows wider choice over treatment options and can help support NHS care.

Employees are not immune to recent press coverage and are expected to continue to press for access to private care where necessary.”

Recent press releases from the Nuffield Trust and MacMillan Cancer Support continue to provide background behind recent headlines and the expected demand from employees to have better access and more control over their healthcare needs.

“

we are seeing employees increasingly looking to their employers to provide far wider support than just a good wage lucy pearce advo’s head of employee benefits

advocate spring 2018 | advogroup.co.uk | 22

”

advogroup.co.uk |increased demand for health insurances

Commenting on the most recent NHS performance data Nuffield Trust Chief Economist John Appleby said: “Today’s figures provide hard evidence on just how bad a winter the NHS is having: over 80,000 patients waited on trolleys for more than four hours at A&E in January, of whom over 1,000 were waiting for over 12 hours. These are the highest numbers since records began.

Commenting on cancer waiting times, Moira Fraser, Director of Policy at Macmillan Cancer Support, said: “Figures once again paint a dismal picture for cancer patients in England, marking two years since the 62-day treatment waiting time targets were last met.

in contrast health insurances continue to be rated highly in employer and employee surveys.

A recent survey from risk insurer “Meanwhile waits for planned ellipse highlighted that nearly one care are at their longest for nine third of employers (28%) make years. Every part of the NHS is a private medical insurance creaking at the seams. It is time to scheme available to staff and face facts and offer sustainable 18% a health cash plan. funding increases to the health service.”

advo’s Lucy Pearce continued “The NHS remains excellent when a life threatening situation occurs but with limited resources it can struggle to provide the wider treatment choices. A good quality health insurance can allow an employee to have more choice over who looks after them, where treatment is undertaken, the scope of treatment and when” If you would like to investigate options for your staff or believe your existing arrangements need an overhaul you can contact Lucy Pearce at advo on lpearce@advogroup.co.uk

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advogroup.co.uk |the case for wellness investment

the case for investmen

Colin Perry, Head of Corporate Marketing at Simplyhealth, explores the link between fit and healthy employees, workplace productivity and corporate reputation: all the elements that a company simply cannot survive without. So why are many senior managers still wrangling over return on investment?

It’s generally understood that good employee health and wellbeing equates to good productivity. Vast amounts of column inches and research reports are dedicated to the subject. Equations, statistics and case studies abound. Yet the endless search for meaningful measures still places a barrier in the way of some companies putting in place much-needed initiatives.

This is not only having a negative knock-on effect on employee health, happiness and productivity, it also puts companies at risk of damage to reputation and that may cost them a whole lot more

in the long run. Gone are the days when companies defined their own brand and image, it is now bestowed upon them by employees, thanks largely to the popularity of employer review sites like Glassdoor. In other words, a focus on employee health pays in both financial and reputational terms.

input / output equation) need to be used in conjunction with ‘effectiveness’ measures.

In other words, those that take into account output quality, employee and customer satisfaction, training or resources used and the demand for a product or service. For example, despite organisations as a Is ROI too generic? whole striving to achieve high The problem is, although there level goals and objectives, is lots of evidence out there the functions that make up an on the link between health organisation will each operate to and productivity, it’s largely achieve their own relative goals. meaningless when applied to With this in mind, work quality is individual companies due to all often as important, if not more so, their various nuances. It could be than quantity – particularly given argued that ‘efficiency’ measures the increase in globalisation and of productivity (the traditional consumer demand for value.

advocate spring 2018 | advogroup.co.uk | 24

advogroup.co.uk |the case for wellness investment

nt in wellness

The same goes for employee benefits. Return on investment (ROI) might give you an industry standard figure but what does it tell you about quality? Outcome measures can be much more tailored to individual corporate need.

For example, you wouldn’t put in place management training and then measure success in monetary terms. Instead you’d assess whether your managers were performing well and teams were happy.

helping to reduce short term absence over time.

As opposed to the current trend of having to prove ROI before senior leaders will even sign off the initiative. The Simplyhealth Health and Wellbeing Guide 2017 found that the responsibility for approving employee benefit packages sat with the CEO / Managing Director in the majority (45%) of instances, whilst 32% said HR Director / Manager and in 21% of cases the Finance Director held final sign off responsibility.

wellbeing strategy. And it’s worth noting that providers are ready, willing and able to help.

Price & obligations

It’s telling that the majority of companies (45%) still choose what benefits they offer staff based on value for money considerations as opposed to something that will be used regularly by employees (33%), according to Simplyhealth’s research(1).

Legal obligations obviously dictate the types of benefits Likewise, if you identified a Perhaps if those same senior included too. For example, need in the workplace for leaders were presented with employers have a duty to assess physiotherapy and osteopathy more evidence of need and the risk of stress-related illnesses services to help tackle short-term clearly defined and tailored in the workplace and take absences due to musculoskeletal outcome measures, this hurdle reasonable measures to control issues, it makes more sense to could be overcome. Whilst this it. Plus if employees work with put those services in place with might not be an area many are display screen equipment, their a clear idea of what you are familiar with, it’s a rapidly growing work areas should be assessed trying to achieve (the outcome) requirement as more companies for risks and training must be and then assess whether they’re seek to define and implement a provided.

advocate spring 2018 | advogroup.co.uk | 25

advogroup.co.uk | the case for wellness investment

the case for investment in wellness Continued from page 25.

They’ll also offer insight into performance over time. This could include management information such as the number of sign ups and level of usage broken down by individual benefit, plus qualitative feedback from employees.

Employees are also entitled to request the full cost for an eye test and a basic pair of prescription glasses as regularly as an optician recommends.

However, these are minimum legal obligations and employers would be well advised to go above and beyond this by introducing a robust employee benefits package.

Understand employee needs In order to ensure employees are engaged with benefits, using them and valuing them – and, hence, the business is also reaping the rewards – it’s vital that employee needs and opinions are taken into account. This seems obvious but is so often missed. Almost half (43%) of HR professionals currently base their employee benefits research on simple web searches, again according to Simplyhealth’s research(1).

A good benefits provider will work with intermediaries and their clients to help structure a benefits package suited to needs.

They will help with internal benchmarking, putting a stake in the ground before the benefits are introduced and help companies define their goals so that outcomes measures are clear.

All of this will help to provide a clear picture of the ongoing success of a company’s health and wellbeing strategy, which can be fed back to the leadership team. This information can also help clients to build further business cases to introduce additional measures or extra employee benefits.

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Act now

Wellbeing is not legislated at present but it’s not beyond the realms of possibility that we get to a stage where companies are legally bound to report publicly on employee wellbeing.

Government is reportedly mulling over such an eventuality.

In the meantime, forward-thinking companies are pre-empting things and doing it anyway.

And why not? It shows to shareholders that the company cares about its staff. That, in turn, helps keep a lid on the high costs of recruitment and retention, helping ensure that staff are healthy and happy with the obvious knock on effect on both productivity and corporate reputation.

advocate spring 2018 | advogroup.co.uk | 26

REFERENCES 1 Health an Simplyhealt 2 Profits rack mental hea

This article w definitive gu put togethe

advogroup.co.uk | advo: the best people

ifficult to make a direct correlation ll of that and profit figures, it’s telling SE 100 companies that include o ‘mental health’ or ‘wellbeing’ twice in their annual reports enjoyed a mean profit of three times as much as those that didn’t include such phrases(2).

In short, employee health and wellbeing is no longer a nice toow a corporate essential.

may be entitled to shared parental n the first year of a child’s birth or

ho earn less than £112 a week are not statutory maternity pay; instead most maternity allowance. Fathers may to one or two weeks paid paternity

S nd Wellbeing Guide 2017, th (2017) k up for FTSE 100 firms with eye on alth, study

was first published in HI Daily’s ‘A uide to Health Cash Plans’ which was er in association with Simplyhealth.

omid khademzadeh account manager

advo: the‘best people’ advocate spring 2018 | advogroup.co.uk | 27

advogroup.co.uk |new approach to prostate screening

new res screeni

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Researchers at the and Oxford found show no symptoms standard PSA test d that would be unlik harm*** but more i aggressive and leth This highlights the fl as a way to screen and shows the nee ways to diagnose c

The CAP Trial, whic GP practices in the than 400,000 men a trial ever to investig screening. The trial who were invited t test with 219,439 m for screening.

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advocate spring 2018 | advogroup.co.uk | 28

advogroup.co.uk | new approach to prostate screening

search has confirmed that one-off PSA ing for prostate cancer does not save lives

with no symptoms to a one-off PSA* test for prostate cancer does not save lives the results from the largest ever prostate cancer trial conducted over 10 years by arch UK-funded scientists and published in the Journal of the American Medical JAMA). **

e Universities of Bristol that testing men that s of the disease with the detects some disease kely to cause any importantly misses some hal prostate cancers. flaws of a single PSA test n for prostate cancer, ed to find more accurate cancers.

that would never have caused men harm during their lifetime can have a serious impact on quality of life, including the worry of a cancer diagnosis, the possibility of infection following a biopsy and impotence and incontinence following treatment.

Professor Richard Martin, lead author and Cancer Research UK scientist at the University of Bristol, said: “Our large study has shed light on a highly debated issue. ch spanned almost 600 We found that offering a single PSA test to e UK and included more men with no symptoms of prostate cancer aged 50-69, is the largest does not save lives after an average gate prostate cancer follow-up of 10 years. l compared 189,386 men to have a one-off PSA “The results highlight the multitude of issues men who were not invited the PSA test raises - causing unnecessary anxiety and treatment by diagnosing prostate cancer in men who would never of 10 years follow up, have been affected by it and failing 4.3%) prostate cancers in to detect dangerous prostate cancers. up and 7,853 (3.6%) cases Cancer Research UK is funding work that p. Crucially, both groups will allow us to follow the men for at least centage of men dying a further five years to see whether there cer (0.29%). is any longer-term benefit on reducing prostate cancer deaths.” al screening programme er in the UK, but men over Dr Emma Turner, a Cancer Research UK P for a PSA test. scientist at the University of Bristol and coauthor of the study, said: “Prostate cancer men die of prostate is the second most common cause of in the UK. While some cancer death in men in the UK. We now are aggressive and lethal, need to find better ways of diagnosing y insignificant and will aggressive prostate cancers that need to harm or death if left be treated early.” ly, aggressive prostate be identified and treated Dr Richard Roope, Cancer Research UK’s GP expert, said: “The PSA test is a blunt tool missing the subtleties of the disease and causing men harm.

ded?

e. But finding a cancer

“This trial illustrates that we need to develop more accurate tools if we want to save men’s lives. Cancer Research UK’s hunt for finding early stages of aggressive prostate cancer is not over. For example,

we’re funding research into faulty genes which make some men more likely to develop prostate cancer and studying how these genes could help doctors to identify patients who are more at risk.

“We do not recommend that the PSA test should be routinely offered to men without symptoms. However, if a man is particularly worried about his risk of prostate cancer, he should have a full discussion about his risk with his GP.” The UK National Screening Committee does not recommend PSA screening for prostate cancer, but men over the age of 50 without symptoms can ask to be tested as per the Prostate Cancer Risk Management Programme PCRMP).

Cancer Research UK is calling for Public Health England’s PCRMP to be updated to reflect the evidence from the CAP trial.

Each year there are about 47,000 cases of prostate cancer and more than 11,000 deaths in the UK.

Notes * Prostate specific antigen (PSA) is a protein produced by both normal and cancerous prostate cells. The PSA test is a blood test and it’s normal for all men to have some PSA in their blood. Men’s PSA levels can range hugely and can vary with age. ** Martin et al. Effect of a low-intensity PSAbased screening intervention on prostate cancer mortality: *** Overdiagnosis occurs when a disease is detected but would never have gone on to cause any harm during a person’s lifetime. More information can be found on the Cancer Research UK website: https://www.cancerresearchuk.org

advocate spring 2018 | advogroup.co.uk | 29

advogroup.co.uk | healthy on the inside

“

excessive stress can cause slowing of the digest advocate spring 2018 | advogroup.co.uk | 30

tive system

advogroup.co.uk | healthy on the inside

healthy on the inside, healthy on the outside Bowel cancer is the third most common cancer in the UK, but its profile remains low. We look at ways to keep your digestive system healthy.

Our digestive system is set up to provide us with the energy and nutrients we need for our bodily functions to perform at their best. Bloating, constipation, fatigue and more serious conditions such as bowel cancer, all point to the need to look after our digestive system.

Close to 41,000 men and women are diagnosed with bowel cancer each year, making it the 3rd most common cancer type in the UK.

employees to check their processed meats such bowel health, using a as ham, bacon and simple kit at home. sausages.

Through this method we have helped to identify many bowel disorders at an early stage, which is incredibly important for treatment to be effective.”

• Stay hydrated – lack of fluids can slow digestion.

Oli adds, “Increasing your movement at work is easier than you might think. For example, always use stairs; stand up when on the phone; walk at every opportunity; try to park the car further away.

• Focus on managing your daily stress levels.

Whatever you decide on needs to be consistent Oli Barnard, Senior to be effective and Wellbeing Consultant remember, all the efforts, at wellbeing provider, Healthy Performance has no matter how small, so all add up.” carried out thousands of employee health Tips for optimal digestive checks and knows how health include: important bowel health and increasing daily • Aim for 30g of daily activity are. dietary fibre.

”

“During our onsite employee health assessments, we provide hundreds of bowel screening kits every month to enable

• Get your 5-a-day fruit and veg.

• Limit your intake of refined foods and

• Keep active – a sedentary lifestyle can contribute to constipation.

Excessive stress can cause slowing of the digestive system or, for some people, acceleration of the process (diarrhoea). advo works with Healthy Performance on a range of health and wellbeing for Clients including onsite health screening.

More information on Bowel Cancer can be found at the Cancer Research UK website https://find. cancerresearchuk.

advocate spring 2018 | advogroup.co.uk | 31

advogroup.co.uk | thanks for reading

find every copy of advocate magazine online at issuu.com/advogroup Issue #24 Winter 2017 In this edition, we look at how the partnership with our chosen charity, ellenor, has become part of the advo daily life. We announce the 2017 ‘advonian’ of the year and other award winners, and focus on two marathon runners who are taking to the streets of Brighton and London. There is a closer look at what benefits work for employers and In keeping with the benefits theme we highlight an important benefit often overlooked, eyecare, and how it can better support your overall health. With one of the biggest structural and organisational changes coming in 2018 with the implementation of GDPR we ask whether it is a force for good or just more red tape, advo’s operations director also gives her 5 tips on how to make the transition easier.

Issue #23 autumn 2017 In this edition, we look at recognition from our peers with a night out at our industry’s ‘Oscars’ where glitz and reward came together. And he spotlight fell on both our people and technology. There has been criticism of annual staff appraisals with some calling them pointless and time consuming. advo disagrees and in an article focusses on the positives and how instead the system just needs modernising. Also with mental health in the spotlight once again we have included useful information to help HR professionals. What is the difference between anxiety and depression? We take a closer look. We look at the largest risk insurer’s claims figures, We take a look at how advo recruits and supports staff with a focus on Ellie Sultana’s career journey in ‘an advonian’s journey

Issue #22 summer 2017 In this edition we look at some new changes at advo. Sue Smith has been appointed as Head of Private Clients with our Oxford office now dedicated to managing individual health insurance contracts. advo’s work with ellenor, our chosen charity continues with our staff busy raising money and helping out at the children’s Summer Party. We also highlight new industry recognition with our IT Director, Kevin Crew, included in the 2017 Data 50 listing and there is an exclusive interview with Axa’s Global Healthcare CEO, Tom Wilkinson. We look at how advo staff got on at the annual ‘Bupa challenge’ and reminisce with one of our Directors in a copy of an article first published in Cover magazine.

don’t miss a copy, subscribe to our issuu channel... its 100% free! advocate spring 2018 | advogroup.co.uk | 32

advogroup.co.uk | the advo group

advogroup empowering people solutions

advo: solutions for the future, delivered today, protecting tomorrow.

An award winning advisory delivering linked services

advo benefits: advise | engage | reward

employee benefits independent advisory services with dedicated account management across a range of health, wellbeing and risk insurance

advo online simple and secure advo online gives small to medium-sized employers a useful tool to manage and communicate employee benefits effectively

advo payline:salaries simplified

payroll & auto-enrolment we make running payroll and payrolling of benefits simple helping clients to remain compliant ensuring employees and their benefits are paid correctly and efficiently

HR & training services all the protection and advantages of an in-house HR and training team ensuring compliance with legislation while supporting best employee practice and performance

advo sis (success in systems) award winning and innovative, our technology is designed, built and managed in-house enabling us to provide clients with good value systems for both employer and employee

advo personal protection solutions

private clients award winning advisors of personal protection both UK and overseas recognised for quality of advice and ongoing service each and every year

advo has a reputation for cost control, innovation and customer service excellence. Having been recognised as the UK’s ‘best’ advisory firm by our peers on numerous occasions we have the best people supported by linked technology that gives control.

advocate spring 2018 | advogroup.co.uk | 33

advogroup empowering people solutions

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