Talent is more mobile and more value-driven than ever before. Benefits are no longer “nice to have” extras with a job offer. How you reward your people illustrates your culture, productivity and brand, directly impacting your recruitment and retention.

Research shows that while traditional perks like flexible work and pensions are still important, health and wellbeing benefits are now at the top of employee priorities. In fact, 25% of employees picked private medical insurance as the single most important benefit, but only 43% employers offered it. (Epassi UK)

Healthcare benefits: as valuable as pay

Pay is no longer the be all and end all for today’s talent.

Private medical insurance (PMI) has been named the most wanted employee benefit, with around 25 – 33% of employees ranking it as the single most important benefit in their reward package. Yet, only about 15 – 43% of employers currently offer PMI as part of their benefits.

Demand for employers to provide PMI is particularly high among female employees (37%, compared with 29% of men ) and staff aged over 55 (42%). (Zest) Often, employees consider health benefits as important as their salary.

In reality, offering PMI benefits is a win-win scenario. Over half of employees say that access to health insurance would make them more likely to take a job or stay with their current employer. (Vitality) Among those already covered by PMI, this figure rises to 61%. Wow.

Employers need to acknowledge the growing workplace necessity for PMI benefits and manage their employees’ expectations.

Why employee benefits matter

Offering robust healthcare or private medical access boosts recruitment success by attracting key talent, and also:

• Boosts retention as care and wellbeing are directly linked to loyalty.
• Improves health outcomes, reducing absenteeism and workplace stress.
• Provides a caring culture, which is increasingly what employees equate with fairness and respect.

Ultimately, benefits like health insurance are tools for wellbeing, productivity and loyalty.

Where to start

There are many providers out there. Looking at Which? assessment results, not-for-profit WPA continually offers the best service. The 2026 shows top of the table once again, a staggering 12% above the second-placed provider. WPA is also the PMI of choice at Heneom HR.

Does your company offer healthcare benefits to employees?

Now is the time to consider how this can be introduced to your organisation, helping recruitment, retention and performance while reducing absenteeism. For help in creating a valued employee benefit programme, talk to the friendly team at Heneom HR, based between Welwyn and Stevenage. We’d love to help you write policies that offer true value to your employees.