The Canadian component of a global survey by Mercer Marsh Benefits reveals significant gaps between what workers need and what employers do to support their health and well-being. The survey was conducted in October and November 2022.
Julie E. Duchesne, Partner and Health Business Leader at Mercer Canada, discussed the Canadian component of the survey highlights with The Insurance Portal. Called Health on Demand, the global survey is conducted every 18 months “to get employees’ perspectives about their wellbeing and how their employer is supporting them,” she explains. “While there are over 17k participants globally, we have over 1,000 participants in Canada,” adds Duchesne.
In explaining the survey results, Mercer emphasizes that “employers have an opportunity to fill gaps where the need is unmet by other sources.” In Canada, offering great benefits is no longer just an opportunity to stand out: The employee value proposition has become “an operational necessity, not to mention a mitigation against wage inflation.”
Enduring issues and new findings
Julie Duchesne said that the Health on Demand 2023 results are in line with the findings of the previous survey (2021). She lists several continuing themes:
- Supporting employees at moments that matter
- Better supporting mental health
- Delivering benefits equitably
- Enabling digital access to healthcare
- Providing varied and valuable benefits
What’s more, the 2023 study provides new insight. “Two key takeaways from the 2023 study is the difference in Gen Z’s needs and wellbeing, and the importance of women’s health as an element of DEI [diversity, equity and inclusion] when it comes to benefits. Further, while we have seen a big shift towards telemedicine over the last couple of years, the demand for digital health support is much broader," Duchesne says, adding that telemedicine is now offered by about 55 per cent of employers.
Gen Z stressed
The survey data also reveal that Generation Z is the most stressed, Duchesne continues. For example, 63 per cent of Gen Zers say they are stressed in their everyday life compared to 49 per of the broader population. Generation Z consists of people born between 1997 and 2010.
Different factors can contribute to that stress, Duchesne adds. They include the desire to thrive professionally and personally, financial security, and the fact that 42 per cent of Gen Zers are caregivers. They are also influenced by social networks. Employers need to start thinking about this age group now because they are becoming an increasingly important part of the talent pool.
“Gen Z has a different perspective when it comes to their health. They don’t want to wait until they are sick, they want to be proactive. This is the “TikTok/You Tube” generation that wants to learn by themselves how to get the best health outcomes,” Duchesne explains.
The Health Business Leader gives examples of Gen Z employees’ take charge attitude: 51 per cent are looking for genetic testing; 49 per cent want alternative mental health therapies; and 49 per cent seek treatment or support for substance abuse. “That’s half of all Gen Z!” Duchesne says.
Digital: Fostering diversity
The days of the one-size fits all group insurance plan are long gone. “The study confirms this trend,” Julie Duchesne says. She believes that plan benefits must support inclusion, equity and diversity. “People are looking to their plans as an indicator of belonging,” she adds.
Traditional benefit plans, that is, those lacking digital wellness solutions, no longer meet the needs of a diverse workforce, she continues. “Personalization and choices are key to supporting employee health and wellbeing,” Duchesne says, citing factors related to age, ethnicity, gender, being a caregiver and sexual orientation.
Women's health: Everyone's business
“Interestingly, as many men as women want their employers to look at women’s health issues. This is very heartening to see,” Duchesne continues. “We also see an openness to broader women`s health–not just to include contraceptive and fertility but also to support menopause, postpartum care, preventive cancer screenings and mental health through various lifecycles. There is clearly work to do on this front: As an example, 42 per cent of women would find it helpful to have some support during menopause, while only 17 per cent of employers offer some kind of support,” she explains.
“Phygital" needs
About 45 percent of employees are looking for a digital experience to help them manage their well-being, but a much smaller percentage has such access, the 2023 survey reveals. Mercer has even coined a word to describe the new reality. “We now refer to PHYGITAL needs, which is a combination of digital and physical support and access,” the Health Business Leader says.
“The message is not to replace physical support but to add digital health solutions, such as virtual gyms and, iCBT [Internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy],” she says. The goal is to “expand in order to include more people and offer support at the moment that matters.”
More reliable than the insurer
Julie Duchesne believes that employers are in the best position to understand and support employees' needs. “Employees see their employer as a trusted source–above insurers and retailers when it comes to delivering wellbeing solutions,” she notes.
This support “can play a key role in attracting and retaining key talents,” Duchesne continues. For this story, the Health Business Leader responded to The Insurance Portal’s questions via email. Soon after, she elaborated in greater depth on what the survey results mean for the group insurance industry. Her views will be reported in the June 2023 issue of Insurance Journal in a feature on mental health and wellness in the workplace.
