Two-thirds of healthcare workers (62%) are threatening to quit their jobs unless their benefits package is improved, research has warned.

The poll from employee benefits technology provider Zest found that nine in ten (87%) workers in the healthcare sector want their employer to invest more in employee benefits packages this year.

However, they are likely to be disappointed, because the healthcare sector was the least likely to increase investment, the research also found, with just one in five (18%) healthcare businesses saying were planning to invest more in employee benefits this year.

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The result could be an exodus of talent, Zest warned. Alongside the 62% of employees who said they would leave their current job if another company offered a better benefits package, 38% admitted they would even consider making a switch to another sector completely.

The warning has come as NHS England is now set to be abolished and the health service will be going through significant reform and upheaval, further factors that could put pressure on recruitment and retention.

The poll of 2,000 UK employees and 872 HR decision makers found more than eight in 10 healthcare workers (81%) wanted more financial support at work, higher than the UK average of 74% for all sectors.

Increased pension contributions were the most popular extra benefit desired by healthcare professionals, cited by 45% of the employees polled. However, less than one in five (18%) healthcare businesses currently offer this.

Private medical insurance (PMI) and wellbeing allowances were the other priority benefits for healthcare employees (38% and 30% ranked these as the most important benefits). The two-thirds who felt their benefits package was inadequate was the highest proportion of any sector, Zest added.

Less than half (48%) felt their benefits package offered good value for money, ranking second last out of all sectors surveyed and only ahead of the education sector (42% of employees believed they got value from their benefits).

Yet the disgruntlement could be as much down to a communication disconnect as anything else, the research highlighted.

Just six in ten (60%) of the healthcare employees polled said they knew exactly what benefits they had access to, the second lowest proportion from the research.

This was despite 99% of healthcare businesses believing their employees were aware of the range of benefits that are available to them.

Healthcare employees were, by and large, frustrated with the benefits packages on offer to them. Just a quarter (26%) said their employer listened to their needs and responded through the benefits on offer, whilst 56% admitted they did not use the majority of their benefits.

Matt Russell, chief executive officer of Zest, said: “Healthcare professionals are demanding increased financial support from their employer and aren’t afraid to move elsewhere to get it, even if that means switching to another sector. Given the existing pressures on the NHS, a talent drain could have catastrophic consequences.

“Without increased investment in benefits packages and an improved understanding of the support employees are calling for, healthcare organisations are at risk of losing out on talent. Currently, it appears that HR leaders across the healthcare sector remain unaware of the apathy many of their employees have when it comes to engaging in their benefits packages. This leads to poor value for money for both employer and employee.”

 

 

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