Recruitment firm Gi Group offers group risk products to support its employees experiencing a range of health conditions that affect both their mental and physical health.
The group, which employs more than 650 workers, offers life assurance at four times employees’ basic salary from day one of employment, critical illness insurance, a health cash plan and private medical insurance, through which employees can access a 24/7 GP. It also offers dental insurance, pays for all employees to have an annual flu jab, and has enhanced its long-term sick pay policy to up to six months dependant on service, with the highest allowance up to three months of full pay and three months of half pay.
These benefits are important for creating a happy and healthy place to work, where employees want to be and stay, explains Marcelle Stewart, people director at Gi Group UK and Ireland.
“Recruitment can be a particularly pressurised sector to work in and anxiety and depression have always affected our industry, which is why at Gi Group we see it as paramount that our people can flourish in a supported and nurturing environment,” she says.
In order to further support long-term health issues, the organisation provides an employee assistance programme and in-work programmes to manage mental health challenges, such as anxiety and depression, and to provide an inclusive and supportive environment for neurodiverse colleagues. It also allows all employees to work in a hybrid way, fully remotely, or fully in the office with flexible start and finish times where required. This is also offered in order to support those experiencing menopause symptoms or having IVF treatment.
Gi Group communicates its group risk benefits and support for long-term health conditions regularly via email, through one-to-ones and team meetings, on social media and at in-person events. It has also produced a brochure to outline its employee promise and to provide details of its benefits. It held a launch event last September where it introduced all employee-focused initiatives and invited benefits providers to hold a schedule of webinars throughout the month.
The group has a wealth of internal literature that employees can access any time covering all benefits, with more to come this year, adds Stewart.
“Through our internal Let’s Talk sessions, which we introduced to nurture a powerful community within our business, people can communicate across locations and teams, and support each other with advice,” she says. “These have grown in size and frequency, and are wholly led by our people, with recent sessions discussing the menopause, mental health and neurodiversity, enabling our employees to connect with and support each other.”