Private health insurance has come third in a recent questionnaire of the most popular benefits provided for employees. Over two thirds of the 277 organisations that took part in the survey by ‘Employment Today’ now provide health cover for their 1.35 million workers. There are many benefits to health insurance policies for a workplace, in particular, losing less hours to sickness. By having access to immediate and high quality healthcare, a workforce will have a better general health and will be able to get the treatment they need to get them back into action when they fall ill.

Paid time off for dental and medical appointments topped the results of the investigation into the most common benefits, with over 80 percent of businesses providing the service. Seventy percent of employers also supply childcare support, either through th provision of vouchers or an through an allowance. Some of the least popular options were financial help for car parking fees and the congestion charge in the capital.

In a survey carried out by BUPA in March this year, 98 percent of businesses agreed that an important part of their role as an employer was to support the health of their workers. Cash plan private medical insurance policies can provide more relevant and employee focused benefits than other types of private health cover. Employers can cover their routine health responsibilities like sight testing and stress counselling while reaping other benefits from the policy, for example by attracting higher calibre staff and increased choice of facilities. Simon Bailey, head of marketing for employee benefits at Aegon, told Professional Broking, "Employers offering flexible benefits packages see a much higher level of employee satisfaction."