Simplyhealthnews WIN. Flexible working patterns are being used as a tool to tackle absence

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1 Simplyhealthnews Winter issue 2013 The newsletter for Simplyhealth s business clients Flexible working patterns are being used as a tool to tackle absence CIPD confirms there is more to employee benefits than meets the eye Putting you in control with Corporate Self Service Wales & West Housing share their Simplyhealth experience on camera WIN A delicious Hotel Chocolat Chocolatier s Table to share with your colleagues!

2 Season s greetings from Howard The festive season is here which means it s our final newsletter of In this edition we highlight the many changes employers are making to support the wellbeing of their employees. Key changes reported include adopting a flexible approach to working patterns in an effort to reduce absence and employers moving towards aligning their strategy and benefits. These can only be good things for both the business and employee. Have you signed up for Corporate Self Service yet? It s a fantastic service which allows you to instantly access and make changes to your plan online. Speak to your account manager to find out if it s suitable for you. Plus, don t forget to enter the competition on the back page for a chance to win some Hotel Chocolat to share with your team. Good luck and best wishes for Christmas and the New Year. Howard Hughes, Head of Employer Marketing Employee benefits reward the business too The latest CIPD Reward Management survey reveals that businesses are taking steps to ensure the employee benefits they offer support company objectives. For example, if a company is focussed on customer service, the benefits may be associated with employee training, whereas if the strategy is aligned to cost, the benefits may be voluntary. The survey supplement, Aligning strategy and benefits, shows benefits are also being tailored according to the demographic profile of the workforce. It also reveals there is a strong link between employee engagement and effectively communicating the benefits on offer. It shows that those organisations that are clear about their benefits are more likely to have good employee relations, increased productivity results, lower absenteeism, greater employee retention and less discontent with pay. Simplyhealth s view Employee benefits need to be aligned to the needs of the business and the employees, in order to make sure objectives are met and rewarded appropriately. From speaking to our clients we already know that employee benefits are carefully chosen to support business objectives and workforce demographic, and these findings confirm it. Our health plans work well to support wellbeing strategy and clients have been able to see a positive impact when addressing business challenges, such as employee absence. This research also confirms that being transparent about your benefits will ensure you get a real return and the best results with employee engagement. If you need any assistance with communicating your benefits, speak to your account manager.

3 Employers adopt flexible approach to working patterns in an effort to reduce absence The number of employers making changes to working patterns in a positive move to try and reduce long term absence levels has increased by 20% in the last year alone. The benefit of changes to working patterns has been recognised by many employers, with over 70% of organisations reporting a positive impact on employee motivation and employee engagement. A further 46% also stated they were using flexible working options to support employees with mental health problems. While it seems obvious that greater flexibility in turn reduces absence it s now official. As with most things, as long as it is managed effectively, flexibility enables employees to balance work and their personal lives. Employers benefit from reduced absence and employee engagement, with employees going the extra mile, and flexible working even helping attrition. Getting flexible working right can lead to higher motivation levels, better productivity and increased flexibility. Balancing both the needs of the company and the employee often results in happier and healthier employees and lower absence levels. Helen Dickinson, Head of People, Simplyhealth Annual survey report 2013 in partnership with ABSENCE MANAGEMENT 2013 Once again, we are delighted to have been able to partner the fourteenth edition of the annual CIPD Absence Management Survey. It reveals that, after a small decrease reported in last year s survey, absence is back up to the levels observed in 2011 and 2010, at an average of 7.6 days per employee. Absence levels are highest in the public services sector at 8.7 days per employee per year and lowest in the manufacturing and production sector at 6 days per employee per year. Flexible working patterns are also increasingly being used as a tool to manage short term absence. Now reported at 62%, it has grown by 11% in the last four years. This is particularly important given two thirds of working time lost to absence is accounted for by short term absence. Worryingly a quarter (26%) of organisations say pulling a sickie is still a common cause of short term absence, which is an increase on last year s figure of 17%. It s fantastic to see employers recognising the benefits of increased flexible working opportunities. And it s not just about benefits for employers, over 50% of employees report that flexible working helps them achieve a better work life balance generally, also citing that it makes them healthier, more productive and reduces the amount of time that they take off sick. Dr. Jill Miller, Research Adviser, CIPD WORK WORKFORCE WORKPLACE Simplyhealth s view The role of the line manager is essential. Flexible working works well when line managers and employers are aware of the different lifestyle demands employees may have. By helping employees to manage those demands better and perhaps adapting how, when or where the employee works can help to achieve greater commitment and motivation. As well as the employer s role, employees must recognise that flexibility is two way and must be adaptable to help the business succeed too. It is about building an environment where the employee can have open and honest conversations about the challenges they are facing.

4 Are you interested in managing your Simplyhealth plan online? Corporate Self Service could be the ideal tool for your business. It makes it simple for you to manage your plan online and make changes, such as adding new starters and removing leavers, changing employee details or adding dependants. Once you sign up you won t look back: You are in complete control of your plan Any changes you make will be updated immediately You get instant access to information at any time You can easily view the employees on your plan Your invoices will be updated immediately It s easy to set up Corporate Self Service is available to Simply Cash Plan and SME PMI customers. Speak to your account manager for more information, and ask about our self service solution for your employees too. Enhanced Denplan products Denplan has reviewed its range of products to incorporate some useful enhancements to the benefits on offer. Significant changes have been made to ensure that employees continue to receive the best possible benefit from their policy, helping them to maintain good oral health and hygiene. Improvements to the Wellbeing range include cover for implants now offered as standard under the restorative treatments benefit, the limit for mouth cancer claims being increased from 12,000 to 20,000 and an increase in the cash benefit for hospital stays to 100 per night. The limit for hygiene treatments has also been increased and unlimited cover for telephone consultations when referred by Denplan is now included so that dental advice is available 24 hours a day without cost. Blogging about back care We ve had lots of insightful blog posts which may help you since our last newsletter, including guest bloggers, Dr Jill Miller, Research Adviser at CIPD and Simon Cabot, Lead Physiotherapist at Nuffield Health. Here is an extract from Simon s blog: The average person spends 90,000 hours at work in a lifetime; couple this with the fact that back pain is one of the most common musculoskeletal problem, particularly in the workplace, and we can see why most adults have an episode of back pain at some time in their lives At Nuffield Health, we believe, where possible, that prevention is better than cure. Our partnership with Simplyhealth is based on providing employers and employees with the information to manage back pain in the workplace, as a main cause of musculoskeletal absence. You can read all our blog posts at The Lucent range of products has also seen significant changes, with all benefits being increased, some by as much as 200%. It also includes cover for implants as standard and features two completely new levels of cover. For more information about the Denplan corporate range, visit

5 Customers on camera We are proud of the relationships we have with our customers and our commitment to customer service, so quite rightly we want to shout about it and give our customers the opportunity to share their experience. Wales & West Housing kindly volunteered to be the first of our customers to produce a video testimonial. The whole office got involved, creating an air of excitement, with a handful of brave employees also having their moment in front of the camera. Hear the benefits to the business Giles Taylor, HR Manager What do the staff think? Stuart Chadwick, Computer Officer Judith Norris-Jones, Head of HR It allows us to invest in our staff and really make a difference, providing depth and breadth to our benefit package. We know our staff use it and get a lot from it. For us it has strengthened our recruitment offer, reduced sickness absence and increased employee engagement. Administration is easy and from an employee point of view they find claiming easy too. I used the Simply Cash Plan to buy prescription glasses They sent me a claim form, I filled it in, sent it off and I got my cheque back. I used the Simply Cash Plan for health screening It s something I have been meaning to do for ages and this presented me with the opportunity to have an MOT on myself, so it was great. What words would you use to describe Simplyhealth? Here are just a few words Wales & West Housing used to describe Simplyhealth: Friendly Customer focused Supportive Good Service Quality Simplicity Value for money Take a look at our video testimonial with Wales & West Housing on the business section of our website or on our YouTube channel. Want to create your own video testimonial? We would love to hear about your Simplyhealth experience and work with you and your employees to create a video testimonial at your workplace. Have fun making it, plus raise your company profile as a forward thinking organisation that takes the wellbing of its employees seriously. Talk to your account manager or us at clientnews@simplyhealth.co.uk Jayne Orchard, Customer Services Officer I used the Employee Assistance Programme element of the Simply Cash Plan They were comforting and gave lots of advice and support and also made follow up calls to see any outcomes. It was brilliant. Welcome new clients We re proud to welcome all of our new clients including: Aldridge School Rutledge Recruitment & Training Ltd Sutton Housing Partnership The Organic Herb Trading Company

6 Healthy Workplace Awards Our Healthy Workplace Awards continue to recognise UK organisations, in both the private and public sector, that show they care about the health and wellbeing of their employees. Recent winners include: Horder Healthcare Land Registry Raphael Healthcare Ltd Horder Healthcare Land Registry Raphael Healthcare Ltd If you would like to enter, or to find out more, please visit: Win Have you ever wondered what it would be like to try every type of chocolate in Hotel Chocolat s exquisite collection? Well wonder no more! You could be in with the chance of winning the Large Chocolatier s Table which will entertain you and your team with an array of chocolate delights such as luxurious ganache truffles, dreamy pralines and mellow caramels. What better way to beat the January blues than with a delicious Hotel Chocolat Chocolatier s Table to share with your colleagues? All you have to do to be in with a chance of winning this winter warming prize is answer the following question: According to the CIPD Absence Management Survey 2013, in partnership with Simplyhealth, what percentage of organisations say pulling a sickie is still a common cause of short term absence? Simply your answer, along with your contact details to clientnews@simplyhealth.co.uk Good luck! The closing date is 24 January Entries received after this time will not be considered. The prize draw will be independently supervised, the winner will be chosen at random from the correct answers and will be notified by telephone by 31 January If we are unable to contact the winner within four weeks, another winner will be chosen at random and notified by telephone within one week of being drawn. Only existing corporate clients can apply and only one entry per company. The prize consists of one Hotel Chocolat Large Chocolatier s Table to be delivered to the office of the winning workplace. Simplyhealth s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into. We reserve the right to replace the prize with an alternative prize of equal or higher value. This promotion is only open to UK residents aged 18 or over and only open to mainland UK addresses. The prize is non-transferable and no cash alternatives are available. The winner agrees their name and company will be promoted via all Simplyhealth communications channels. The Promoter is Simplyhealth, Simplyhealth House, Derwent Avenue, Manchester, M21 7QP. People connected with Simplyhealth, their families or anyone else involved in the administration of this offer are not eligible to enter. For details of the winner, please write to Marketing Team, Simplyhealth, Simplyhealth House, Derwent Avenue, Manchester M21 7QP Simplyhealth is a trading name of Simplyhealth Access, which is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. Simplyhealth Access is registered and incorporated in England and Wales, registered no Registered office, Hambleden House, Waterloo Court, Andover, Hampshire, SP10 1LQ. Your calls may be recorded and monitored for training and quality assurance purposes.