Wellbeing | Nearly half of employers plan to expand health benefits despite access gap

Nearly half of UK employers plan to expand their workplace healthcare benefits this year, despite evidence of a disconnect between how accessible organisations believe their schemes are and employees’ experiences of using them.

Research from Healix Health’s Hidden Workplace Healthcare Gap Report found that 49% of employers intend to increase their benefits provision during 2026. However, one in ten employees have not attempted to use the benefits already available to them.

The findings come as businesses involved in the Government’s Keep Britain Working programme develop best-practice guidance on workplace health, which is due to be published by the end of the year.

Employers overestimate ease of access

Nine in ten employers (91%) believe their workplace healthcare benefits are easy to access, but only 69% of employees who have used them agree.