Group Protection

One in four (23%) of the 325,000 newly diagnosed cancer patients in the UK - an estimated 70,000 patients each year - lack support from family and friends during their treatment and recovery, according to Macmillan Cancer Support.

Protection advisers need to help clients identify health risks to negotiate lower premiums, online health and wellbeing service vielife has said.

Legal & General has partnered with a national charity to help employers minimise absences due to staff mental health problems.

A new app designed to help employers rebalance their employee benefits package to the advantage of their business and staff has been launched by Unum.

Positive working relationships in the workplace are the most fulfilling part of a job, according to a Samaritans and Simplyhealth survey.

Aviva has reported concern about long waiting times for mental health treatments despite the government having pledged to provide greater access by 2015.

An employee benefits advisers has called on insurers to address neglected workplace mental health issues, by building better group income protection rehabilitation and support programmes.

The ageing workforce is creating absence management issues for employers unaware of an exemption which can keep overall protection costs down, Group Risk Development (GRiD) has found.

Group income protection premiums could soar by as much as 17% with minimum rises predicted to hit at least 7% this year, according to Capita Employee Benefits.

It was great news when the Coalition Government decided to look at what it could do to improve Britain's sickness absence record. It is an area of public policy that is important to get right if Britain is going to win the global race for business.