In late 2024, the UK government made changes to Statutory Sick Pay (SSP), including removing the waiting period and Lower Earnings Limit, increasing the SSP rate, and making payments as a percentage of overall earnings. What exactly do the changes in SSP mean for employers, and how can preventative healthcare measures improve outcomes?
The impact of changes to SSP for employers?
Changes in Statutory Sick Pay largely aim to make the system more accessible for those who need it most. The changes include no waiting period (employees will be eligible from the first day of absence), removal of LEL (people earning below the Lower Earnings Limit will be eligible for SSP), changes in how much individuals are paid (a percentage of their earnings or a flat rate, whichever is lower), and an increase in the SSP rate starting in April 2025.
How will employees benefit from the changes to SSP?
These changes should ensure that more people feel able to take sick leave when they need it, which in theory should reduce long-term sickness absences and the number of people who leave work entirely due to ill-health. The changes should also improve the potential for employees and organisations to manage health and wellbeing in the workplace.
However, it’s estimated that the costs of SSP will increase from 0.06% to 0.09% of total annual spend on wages. In addition to increased costs, organisations can anticipate the changes leading to higher numbers of short-term sickness absences.
Preventative healthcare for proactive workplace wellness
Prevention has always been better than cure. As changes to SSP put the focus onto workplace wellness, the old adage is more relevant than ever. As organisations navigate adjustments to SSP, it’s important to include long-term solutions that promote employee health.
What does preventative healthcare mean?
Preventative healthcare encompasses strategies and practices designed to reduce ill-health and promote wellbeing. It’s a holistic approach that might include routine screenings, health education, and lifestyle modifications to encourage employees to actively participate in their wellness. For organisations, shifting to a preventative healthcare stance means empowering employees with tools, resources, and knowledge around health, fitness, and wellness.
Preventative healthcare isn’t just about keeping people healthy (although that’s important), it’s about creating a culture of wellness that resonates throughout the workplace and in employees’ personal time too. By investing in preventative healthcare measures, companies can mitigate the impact of absences and help employees feel valued and supported.
Physical exercise as preventative healthcare
Physical activity and formal exercise are key elements of preventative healthcare. The benefits of exercise are widely known – from reducing the risk of chronic diseases to managing obesity and improving mental wellbeing. Regular exercise can reduce the risk (and help with the management of) many issues, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and even some cancers. It contributes to improved mood and reduced stress levels, and vastly improves quality of life as a person ages.
One of the great things about physical activity is its flexibility. There’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to exercise. The best form of exercise is the one that the person will enjoy enough to do regularly. That might mean walking, running, weight training, gym sessions, exercise classes, yoga, dance, team sports…the list goes on.
Employers can encourage uptake of physical activity by offering fitness-as-a-benefit. Make sure your fitness benefits are flexible, accessible, and designed for the modern workforce. The best fitness benefits allow individuals to choose how, when, and where they engage with fitness. Rather than providing access to an onsite gym, or discounted membership to the local leisure centre, offer a fitness benefit that unlocks access to a nationwide network of gyms, fitness centres, pools, and spas. That’s exactly what we offer here at Hussle.
Of course, encouraging physical activity is just one element of preventative healthcare. You might also set up workplace fitness challenges, encourage walking meetings and regular movement breaks, give access to on-site spaces for stretching and walking, and arrange workshops around healthy lifestyle and nutrition topics.
How can employers incorporate preventative healthcare into employee wellness?
Integrating preventative healthcare into your organisation’s wellbeing strategy requires thoughtful planning. Start by evaluating the specific needs of your workforce, considering factors like age, job role, health issues and wellbeing challenges.
Providing access to resources, including discounted gym access, will help your employees take charge of their health today rather than waiting for problems to arise. Collaborating with external wellness providers can offer variety and flexibility that will make your fitness benefits stand out.
With SSP changes coming into force, employers should look beyond compliance and think about how they can go the extra mile to support staff members’ health and wellness.
Future-proof your employee benefits with preventative healthcare
As the average workforce gets older, we need to have deeper conversations about age-related illnesses and health challenges. By prioritising prevention, employers can future-proof their organisations and help staff members enjoy healthier lives.
Choosing the best employee benefits should be a significant part of your overall preventative healthcare mission. Hussle’s flexible fitness benefits, which offer discounted access to thousands of different gyms, pools, and leisure centres around the UK, are an easy way to make a difference.
Talk to our team to find out how Hussle’s popular fitness benefits can integrate with your overall wellness offering–request a quote to find out more.
