Employers Recognise Advantages of Dental Health Schemes
According to the latest Annual Dental Survey conducted by Simplyhealth, more than 70% employers in the UK believe that they are responsible to some extent for the dental health of their employees. However, only 56% of companies actually offer benefits to look after this aspect.
Around 250 HR managers and Directors were surveyed as part of the annual exercise and it was found that almost 40% firms who do offer dental schemes said that such benefits help in enhancing engagement with the employees.
There have been a lot of changes in the results of the survey since last year. While only 73% of the employers were concerned last year about the fact that the employees cannot afford to take care of their dental health, the number has risen to 84% this year. Similarly, till last year, only 51% of the HR Managers thought introducing dental schemes boosts staff morale, however, around 64% of them held the view this year. More than 50% HR Managers agree on the fact that such schemes help reduce medical absence from work, and improve recruitment and retention of employees.
James Glover, Corporate Director of Simplyhealth, said that only 56% of the respondents actually offered oral health benefits to their employees, and of these, almost half believed that they help lessen absenteeism caused by dental health problems. Nearly 50% believe that such schemes make it easier to check absences for appointments with dentists.
The biggest barrier to implementing dental benefits is cost, with complexity coming in a close second. However, since it is widely agreed upon that access to good dental care has become difficult, employers who are concerned about the welfare of their employees should make a genuine effort to put such schemes in place.
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