News & Insights

At a time of distinct uncertainty, anything that boosts emotional wellbeing should be welcomed with open arms. That’s why new research into the impact of professional financial advice makes for compelling reading.

According to the survey, conducted on behalf of Royal London, professional financial advice helps improve people’s emotional wellbeing by making them feel more confident and financially resilient.

Almost half of employers have increased their focus on employee health and wellbeing as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, new research shows.

According to research by Employee Benefits, which surveyed 200 HR decision-makers, 46% of organisations said they have boosted their employee health and wellbeing offerings in light of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Employers are more concerned about the health and wellbeing of baby boomers than they are any other generation in the workplace, new research reveals.

Generally defined as people born from 1946 to 1964, during the post–World War II baby boom, baby boomers are fast approaching retirement. Nevertheless, they are the generation that employers worry about most when it comes to health and wellbeing, according to a poll carried out for trade body Group Risk Development (GRiD).

Weight-related stigmas need to be tackled to save the NHS and social care systems. The cost of obesity in the UK is rising, so much so that it could end up bankrupting the NHS and the country’s social care system. And it’s a “fear of offending people” that is largely to blame, new research suggests.

COVID-19 peak results in record high NHS sickness absence. The NHS lost a staggering 2.3 million full-time equivalent days of work from a total of nearly 36.6 million in April 2020, the highest level in a decade. By comparison, the NHS lost 1.4 million full-time equivalent days out of nearly 35 million in the same month last year.

UK workers overestimate state benefits, yet few companies have any protection in place. Research has shown that workers overestimate how much support they would receive from the government if they found themselves unable to work due to an illness or disability. Yet only a tiny proportion of UK SMEs have suitable protection in place to safeguard their employees financial security. This suggests that both a huge protection gap and enormous opportunity exist.

Worrying times ahead for people awaiting routine or non-urgent treatment through the NHS. As the coronavirus pandemic continues to run its course, a devastating toll is being taken on the NHS, with non-COVID-19 patients affected in particular.

Employees want workplace wellbeing initiatives — especially ones that involve apps — and by providing them, employers can retain their best talent. These are the main findings of some new workplace wellbeing research.

At a time when employees are feeling unsettled, despondent and generally uncertain, and many businesses are really feeling the pinch, employers that focus on wellbeing now could weather the storm and come out the other side in a strong position.

Individuals who earn above a certain amount should pay for private healthcare to help relieve pressure from the NHS, a leading eye surgeon has said.

According to Dr Allon Barsam, co-owner of Ophthalmic Consultants of London in the Harley Street area, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the NHS could be eased with greater private funding, helping the industry as a whole recover from the crisis.