Debra Clark, Head of Wellbeing at Towergate Employee Benefits says: “Employee benefits have traditionally been viewed by some, as the perks of the most senior members of staff. Far from this, an effective employee benefits strategy for 2025 should encompass not only employees of all levels within the organisation but also the business itself, and those businesses that do this will be the winners this coming year.”

The needs of employees are expanding and changing. It is vital, therefore, that employers planning their support programmes for 2025 fully understand the requirements of their workforce, and are able to put in place the most appropriate support that promotes the wellbeing of both the company as well as the employees.

Changing employee pressures and requirements

Pressures and requirements have changed, and employers need to keep up.

For instance, many of today’s employees are now part of the sandwich generation, being squeezed between their offspring and their parents, both of which are requiring greater support than ever before. ONS census figures show that over 2.5 million carers are in employment1, so employers need to ensure the support they offer keeps on top of this growing need if they don’t want to lose their workforce.

All aspects of primary care are facing challenges, from accessing an NHS dentist to a GP, with over 1.6 million patients waiting over a month for a GP appointment.2 With routine procedures severely limited, and the long-term sick not getting the support they need to get back to work, the employers that do provide access to support are more likely to have a workforce that’s present.

Mental health is top of the list for where employers expect to see increased demand for support according to Towergate Employee Benefits’ own research.3 This is closely followed by financial health and health screening in general. Not far behind were diverse needs, such as fitness, fertility, neurodiversity, addiction and gender identity. Employers would do well to consider these areas when looking at how to support their staff best.

Support for employers

With these pressures, employers are clearly going to need support themselves in 2025. With such varied and distinct areas where employees are demanding support, keeping the workforce happy, healthy and at work will not be easy. Employers will be left behind if they are not careful as health and wellbeing support options are also developing fast.

New programmes are becoming available all the time, such as gender-specific support, and low-cost whole-of-workforce options now much more readily available. To make the most of these developments, employers will benefit from taking expert advice on what is available but also how best to understand the specific needs of their employees.

Benefitting the business

Of employers surveyed by Towergate Employee Benefits, 41% stated that offering health and wellbeing support boosts productivity. Increasing loyalty, staff retention, and engagement were the main advantages of offering health and wellbeing support, stated by 38%, 37% and 36% of employers respectively, with 31% also stating it supports recruitment and 26% saying it reduces absenteeism.3 So employers understand the clear benefits to the company, and this needs to be reflected in the support they offer.

Debra Clark concludes: “Offering the right support to employees means that the company ultimately benefits too: in terms of enhanced recruitment, retention, engagement, productivity and loyalty, and from lower absence rates, but only when the right support is put in place. It will be a missed opportunity in 2025 if employers don’t get this right.”

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