Unfortunately, GIP doesn’t have the best reputation, which risks sending what should be the most important benefit employers provide into terminal decline. According to Swiss Re’s recent Group Watch report, whilst the number of people covered by GIP policies is up, the number of policies “in force” has been dwindling for the past several years.
There is sometimes a belief among employers that having a GIP benefit in place will somehow encourage their staff to spend months at a time off sick, but this isn’t the case. Having policies in place isn’t enough - they need to be effectively communicated to staff, so they understand they won’t be reprimanded for taking time off when they need it.