Private medical insurance (PMI) is the most important company perk that employees look for in their benefits package while HR professions believe it has become a workplace necessity.
Opinium surveyed 2,000 UK adults and 500 HR decision makers on behalf of Zest this summer and the research found a third (33%) of employees ranked PMI as the most in-demand employee benefit.
PMI ranked ahead of increased pension contributions (32%), employer support on energy bills (24%) and a wellbeing allowance (20%).
Four in ten (42%) employees aged over 55 ranked PMI as their top benefit.
Women were more likely to prioritise private healthcare support; more than a third (37%) of female employees claimed this was the most important benefit compared to 29% of men.
PMI a workplace necessity
Just 15% of employees said they thought PMI was available through their company benefits package, but the research also found four in ten (40%) businesses offered this benefit to employees.
And three quarters (73%) of HR professionals surveyed said they believed PMI was now a necessity in the workplace.
Matt Russell, CEO of Zest, said: “With NHS waiting times on the rise employers are seeing increased demand for private healthcare insurance.
“Greater numbers of employers need to introduce private medical insurance into their benefits packages – not doing so risks losing out on key talent as employees may be forced to turn elsewhere.
“The research also highlighted that many employees remain totally unaware that they may have access to private healthcare – organisations need to ensure they are effectively communicating their benefits offering to boost engagement and ensuring employees aren’t losing out.”