The process of hiring employees for any business can be a long-winded one. During that time, you may spend a lot of fees on recruitment adverts, interviews — and eventually once the right candidate is hired — training costs.

Naturally, the right person for any job is one that is enthusiastic, positive and can demonstrate that they want to contribute to your team long term.

What comes high on the list of corporate must-haves for potential employees these days?

Well, it might surprise you to learn that a decent corporate healthcare plan is right up there as one of the most important considerations for would-be employees when they apply for jobs.

If this isn’t currently part of the package you offer when you’re recruiting, it might be time to think again.

Employees Appreciate a Decent Healthcare Plan

It isn’t just employees who appreciate decent health cover, it’s their families too. Ensuring you’re providing corporate healthcare that also includes family members not only helps the employee feel more valued, but it also means they’re likely to stick around and stay in their job.

Sick leave costs can run into billions of dollars each year, so by investing in your employee’s health you’re making sure everyone is happy and covered.

Promoting a Healthier Lifestyle

It isn’t healthy to keep working all day without a break, but we all do it. How many times have you or your employees sat at a desk to eat lunch, or not moved at all during the course of a working day because your to-do list was a mile long?

Inactivity in the office is a killer. Sedentary office lifestyles can negatively impact the main organs of the body. This, coupled with the number of bacteria that collect on your desk and computer when you decide to sit and eat whilst you work is a recipe for ill health.

Simple steps such as making sure everyone has access to a separate room to eat lunch, make a hot drink, or simply sit and take a quiet break can make all the difference.

Some companies even provide gym memberships to their employees or offer exercise spaces and showers as part of their office space.

Promoting Positivity in the Workplace

A decent healthcare plan will also give employees that extra peace of mind to know that they’re being cared for should anything happen to them while they’re at work.

In people or patient focussed roles within the healthcare service, such as the ones provided by www.fusionmedstaff.com, it’s important that the people who work in these jobs have support mechanisms and healthcare in place as standard. This is so they can stay fit and healthy for as long as possible.

Knowing that they’re working for an employer who has their wellbeing at heart will naturally lead them to want to give their best in return. It also allows them to feel safe in the fact that there might be times when they’re not well and can’t work.

Many people worry about taking sick leave in any form, and some even worry they might not have a job to come back to if they take more than a day off. Some companies develop a culture of fear because of this, which ultimately helps no one.

Providing Private Healthcare

Making sure there’s a private healthcare plan in place means that your employees will have the benefit of the following essentials:

·         Maternity cover

·         Home nursing

·         Cancer treatment

·         Medical care abroad (if an employee falls ill or has an accident whilst away for work, or on vacation)

Fast, effective healthcare that cuts out waiting lists benefits everyone in the corporate environment. From the employee’s point of view, it means they know they will be treated quickly and efficiently. From the employer’s point of view, they know that they’ll hopefully be able to get their employee back to work as soon as possible without their salary being affected.

Wellbeing Programme

Some companies now offer wellbeing programmes as a standard part of their company package. Those that have it report reduced sick leave, decreased turnover of staff, and most positively, a drop in the number of people needing referrals to the programme in the first place!

Health and wellbeing support can encourage employees to improve their lives for the better, both personally and professionally. As an example, employees who are perhaps overweight, or would like some help with quitting smoking, could speak to a company doctor or a therapist for help and advice.

Those who are struggling with chronic or long-term health conditions that may impact their ability to work can be offered workable solutions and accommodations so that they feel valued and involved. Similarly, any employee with mental illness can be offered counselling or therapy as part of a wellbeing plan, which can help them feel more positive and valued.

A happy and healthy place to work produces staff that are content, positive and motivated to do their best at all times. Businesses that offer solid corporate health programmes will benefit from having higher retention of staff, healthier, fitter and happier employees and ones that are likely to need less time off in the event they are taken ill on the job. Future proofing your workers isn’t just a necessity, it’s something that will benefit the company as a whole now and in the long run.