Employees miss out on health packages
AN nebusiness poll has revealed that most North East bosses are failing to provide healthcare benefits for staff - although they are by no means the worst in the country.
The poll showed that only 27% of companies provide healthcare benefits for employees - marginally better than the national average of 24%.
According to a poll of more than 3,000 people by online recruitment service www.reed.co.uk, three out of four UK companies fail to offer employees any health benefits despite demand from 88% of staff.
But the region's bosses believe they can incentivise staff in other ways, such as cash bonuses and flexible working hours.
Nick Riley, dealer principal of agricultural plant machinery suppliers Claytons of Carlton, which employs 20 people, said he had not seen huge employee demand for health schemes.
He said healthcare resources were adequate enough in the North-east.
Steve Guest, managing director of Redcar-based recruitment firm TechConsult UK Ltd - which supplies workers to the offshore, engineering and construction industries - said many small firms found it difficult to justify the cost of healthcare schemes.
He said: “We are in discussions with a couple of firms about providing this type of benefit.
“In the past we have found that most staff prefer cash incentives.”
He said there are other, less expensive ways of protecting workers’ health, including encouraging them to take regular breaks and exercise during their lunch hour.
