When it comes to your workforce, the aim is to keep employees happy and motivated enough to work at maximum productivity no matter the job role or task. Just one of the ways you can easily improve this is through a medical provision as an employee benefit.
Although it can be tempting to offer rewards such as vouchers, bonus schemes or something similar as an acknowledgement for hard work, access to private healthcare can be more beneficial for both employers and employees in the long term. Here are just some of the benefits to look forward to:
Lower absence rate
The biggest benefit of a healthy workforce for an employer is undoubtedly a lower absence rate. On average, employees in the UK lose over 2% of their working hours per year due to absence. Usually there are a number of costs associated with this, such as the cost of cover whilst the person is off, potential additional overtime costs for other employees and possible retraining depending on the terms and length of the absence. In addition, absence can become a problem if employees are having to wait any length of time to be seen by a GP. If they continue to come to work in the meantime they can end up taking a longer period of absence, or spreading a contagious illness to others in the workplace. By proactively offering a solution which could cut waiting times, this could mean employees are more health-conscious and health-focuses, ensuring a person is treated sooner.
Less time out of the office
If you choose to provide your staff with access to private GP appointments and treatments, you will find that not only are they off sick less, they will also take less time out for GP appointments. This is usually because such a service can be provided to work around normal working hours and to fit in with the patient’s lifestyle. By choosing a private practice close to your office, you minimise downtime from travelling to and from GPs. This rolls over to check-ups, follow up appointments and routine medicals which may be a regular thing for some of your employees.
Proactive Employees
Did you know that the most common cause of employee absence is neck, back and muscle pain? Often this can be related to working conditions such as sitting at a desk all day. By offering a health benefit, you then encourage your employees to become more proactive about their health. When it becomes more convenient and efficient to see a GP about a problem, people are more likely to make an appointment to do so. In this instance you can again minimise absence and time out of the office whilst keeping overall morale generally high.
Prompt care and attention
With prompt care and attention, an employee can be at the top of their game again sooner than if they had to wait days, or longer, for medical attention. Additionally, if you are a global business you can save precious time with prompt visa medicals and appropriate vaccinations prior to travel. This can ensure smooth and efficient business travel for every employee.
Productive workforce
If an employee is fit and well, their productivity is much higher than if they are working whilst ill, generally run down, or waiting for referrals and results. By offering a prompt and efficient medical service to your employees, they are less likely to do any of the above, and so be performing in a more productive way. Also, studies have shown the link between employee engagement and their health and wellbeing. This means that if your workforce is generally well and healthy, they will be more engaged in their role, offering a happier and more efficient environment to work in. This means a corporate GP service can be both an employee benefit and an employer benefit in the long term.
For more information on corporate GP services provided by Glasgow Medical Rooms, please email info@glasgowmedicalrooms.com