Helping your employees check for cancer: Our guide to the employee benefits you need

The WHO estimates that 37% of cancers are caused by infections, lifestyle choices and environmental pollutants that could be avoided.

So how can companies help their staff?

This blog post features preventative tips from Cancer Research UK and outlines the different employee benefits that can help with early detection and treatment.

Need help finding the right employee benefits for your staff? Contact our friendly team at hello@hoorayinsurance.co.uk or use the chatbox in the bottom right.

Preventative tips from Cancer Research UK

Cancer Research UK know a thing or two about preventing cancer and here are their tips:

• Achieve a healthy balanced diet: Cancer Research recommends plenty of fruit and veg, high fibre foods like whole grains, and a good mix of health proteins (such beans, pulses, fish and chicken)
• Lower alcohol intake: Employers may have to get imaginative and suggest out of work activities that aren’t centred around the pub!
• Stop smoking: Smoke Free London offers a practical guide to help employers help their employees.
• Get active: Employer’s can transform one-to-one meetings into walk and talks, arrange staff meet-ups around exercise or create step challenges among other possibilities.
• Keep a healthy weight: Usually achievable when following the steps outlined above.
• Enjoy the sun, safely: Don’t forget to use sun tan lotion and avoiding spending too much time in the direct glare of the sun on the hottest days. More guidance here.

Whether you are looking to find the best employee benefits package that compliments who you are as a business, or simply have a query regarding how to best support your staff, our Hooray team are here to help. Call 01273 222805 for advice and support.

The employee benefits for your staff

The workplace can be more than financial security and healthcare benefits – it is a support system providing comfort to employees when they need it most. It is a great place for difficult discussions, offering education on cancer risk factors, and pushing employees towards a healthy lifestyle.

Organisations can help ease the pressure of cancer by providing cancer screening tests for their employees, enabling them to take control of their health. This proactive approach to managing cancer helps early detection, leading to better treatment options.

Ensuring more of your staff members are going through employee health checks at work, places employees in a worry-free environment and diverts strain away from the already huge cancer screening backlog.

So, without further ado, we provide you with examples of insurance products/employee benefits that can be used in relation to cancer risk and lifestyle in your company.

• Health screenings
• Digital apps
• Mindfulness apps
• Access to different mental wellbeing providers (reducing stress which in turn reduces the need for unhealthy coping mechanisms e.g., smoking, unhealthy eating, excessive regular drinking)
• Cancer screening tests

Employee health checks:

• Blood pressure
• Cervical cancer screening
• Chest X-ray
• Prostate cancer screening
• Full biochemistry profile
• Lung function test
• Testicular examination
• Bowel cancer screening
• Screening mammograms to detect early breast cancer

Business Health Insurance:

• Employees have direct access to treatment & specialist consultations
• Consultations with specialists
• Diagnostic tests
• Operations & surgical procedures
• Cancer treatment (radio/chemotherapy)
• Cancer drugs
• Mental health & psychiatric treatment

Health cash plans:

• Popular & affordable alternative to Company private medical insurance!
• Help staff cover the costs of everyday healthcare
• Mental health services (CBT, counselling, EAPs, support lines): very meaningful to staff when offered access to this during such a stressful and overwhelming situation that cancer brings
• Primary care: virtual GP & nurse services, online health risk assessments, specialist consultant
• Homoeopathic and wellbeing: reducing stress and prioritising wellbeing support to combat the effects of first/second-hand cancer
• Health screening
• Diagnostic scans
• ECGs
• Lung function tests
• Biopsy fees
• NHS car parking costs
• Cashback for stays in hospital

These employee benefits are an easy way for organisations to show they care for their staff, targeting both the physical and mental fallout experienced by cancer.

Employee Benefits and Wellbeing at work

The earlier an employee can receive treatment, the greater the chance of successful recovery, leading to less time off work (from a business perspective!).

Supporting staff through cancer and providing access to reduce the risks of cancer is more than a presenteeism issue – it comes down to workplace culture. Wellbeing strategies are integral parts of any successful business, and ensuring staff are happy and cared for needs to be a top priority for employers.

Especially during the current climate of stress, anxiety, and uncertainty, employers need to be promoting policies that support the cancer care ecosystem, taking away strain on our healthcare services, as well as providing for the individual needs of their staff.

At Hooray, we can help you achieve your business goals by ensuring the employee benefits you choose are the best for your staff. Our friendly team of experts are here to find out more about you and your business, making sure your chosen employee benefits reflect what your organisation stands for.

We help start-ups and SMEs negotiate the often-confusing employee benefits and health insurance market. Contact us today and we’ll be happy to answer any queries. Call 01273 222805 or click on the bottom right chatbox.