Eight in ten willing to replace monthly treats with health benefits, reveals Unum UK

• Nearly a fifth (19%) of employees would cancel a subscription to a video streaming service in exchange for health and wellbeing benefits.
• Those aged 18-34 are most likely (25%) to exchange a video streaming service for benefits.

The majority of UK employees would exchange small monthly treats for access to better health and wellbeing benefits, finds new research from specialist employee benefits provider, Unum UK. 

According to Unum’s data, 81% of employees would trade a monthly treat for health and wellbeing benefits. For instance, 30% of those surveyed would swap a cup of coffee and a pastry worth £3 to £5 per month for access to benefits that support health and wellbeing, whilst 20% would exchange a supermarket takeaway meal for two worth £11 to £15 per month.

“These numbers suggest a powerful new trend, whereby employees are choosing to prioritise their wellbeing over small luxuries,” said Mark Till, CEO of Unum UK. “Whilst motivations may vary, from past experience of the positive outcomes of timely support for everyday health concerns to current difficulties accessing health services through the NHS, our research has repeatedly shown that employees are putting increasing importance on their overall health, and now we can see that in monetary terms.”  

Interestingly, almost a fifth (19%) of employees would swap a subscription to a video streaming service, such as Netflix, worth £6 to £10 per month for health and wellbeing benefits, with those aged between 18 and 34 most likely (25%) to make the trade. 

“With a wave of young talent entering the workforce and employees of all ages seeing the value of timely access to quality health and wellbeing benefits, employers have a golden opportunity,” added Mark. “By creating benefits packages that put health and wellbeing front and centre, businesses can offer employees what they really value and build a culture where everyone feels a sense of belonging and engagement.” 

“During the winter months, the NHS is often stretched even further, and people will be struggling to balance their jobs with personal responsibilities as we approach the end of the year. This puts easily accessible health and wellbeing workplace benefits at the top of the agenda for many employees. Those employers offering comprehensive benefits packages centred around health and wellbeing go a long way to keeping their workforces healthy, happy and productive.”