'Proactive effort is required to raise awareness and incentivise employees'
Utilisation of health and wellbeing services has remained low in Singaporean workplaces despite widespread offers from organisations, according to HR leaders.
Cigna Healthcare's poll among 1,000 HR leaders and managers, including 200 in Singapore, found that 89% of employers offer health benefits.
It is the second-most offered Employee Value Proposition (EVP) in the city-state, just behind time off and working arrangement, which is offered by 91% of the respondents.
Source: Cigna Healthcare's Harnessing Health – Measuring the Impact of Employee Health and Well-being Benefits
The widespread offering among employers comes as health benefits are believed to be the second-most impactful EVP for attracting talent (20%), tying with time off and working arrangement, and just behind career progression (22%).
Raymond Ng, CEO and Country Manager, Cigna Healthcare Singapore & Australia, also attributed the widespread offers to employers being pushed to offer a "holistic set" of EVPs to would address the challenges and stressors faced by the workforce.
"This includes robust health and well-being benefits, which may include health insurance, and fostering a workplace culture that prioritises employees' health and vitality," Ng said in a statement.
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Underutilisation of health benefits
However, health benefits being offered widely doesn't immediately mean employees are taking them up, according to the report.
Two-thirds of HR leaders in Singapore said wellbeing services in their organisations are underutilised, which could mean many employers are missing out on the gains from these benefits such as:
- Shortened working hours (62%)
- Reduced number of sick days (60%)
- Reduced absenteeism (58%)
Source: Cigna Healthcare's Harnessing Health – Measuring the Impact of Employee Health and Well-being Benefits
According to the report, employers need to ensure that employees are aware of the benefits available to them and that these benefits are easily accessible in order to increase utilisation among the workforce.
"With effective dialogue and a keen understanding of employees' priorities and pain points, companies can ensure sensible investment and fully harness the positive impacts of the most valued health and wellbeing benefits," said Julie Lim, Key Accounts and Broker Relations Director, Asia Pacific, Cigna Healthcare, in a statement.
"Proactive effort is required to raise awareness of existing benefits and incentivise employees to take advantage of them."