Mental health is now the biggest cause of claim in group risk markets. Katharine Moxham outlines the scale of the problem.
Living and working with a mental health condition takes tremendous effort and courage and, as an industry we will support in any way that we can. People overcome extraordinary difficulties on a daily basis to come to work and work is often the thread that holds their life together.
There is also the issue of normally resilient workers who can be pushed over the edge by life events or by excessive strains at work or home. Soap operas have nothing on real life and it is crucial for line managers to have adequate training, strong HR support, an effective Employee Assistance Programme and pro-active rehabilitation support.
That is why the group income protection product has been re-engineered to include added value services such as HR support, legal support, EAPs, case management, vocational rehabilitation, second opinion services, fast-track access to CBT and other talking therapies, occupational health – the list goes on.
Most of these services are free. All can be used on a daily basis – even if a claim is never made – and they can be extremely effective in keeping people in the workplace, giving them the support they need to makes their lives better and achieving a sustainable return to work for those who have had to take time off.
Some providers even give a financial incentive for prompt notification of absences to encourage employers to get them involved as soon as possible.
Group income protection providers will work with employer, employee, line manager, treating physicians and other providers to achieve a sustainable return to work – that means a return when it is safe and appropriate to do so.
They also provide continued support after a return to work for as long as it is needed.
Financially astute employers will make full use of these additional services and will make the effort to communicate the value of the EAP to both employees and line managers and to regularly reinforce this message.
They will also invest the time to work with their adviser and all providers to agree protocols and trigger points so that line managers and HR know at which point to involve occupational health, private medical insurance, group income protection provider etc… and how best they can integrate these services.
This does take time and effort but is worthwhile on two counts. Firstly, it ensures effective interventions at the optimum time in terms of supporting the absent employee and secondly, efficient use of added value free or discounted services under a group income protection policy can release savings to spend elsewhere.
For the smaller employer, this process may not always be so practical but understanding what comes along with the group income protection policy – and when and how to use it – is a vital first step. After all, what other services would an employer purchase but not use?
