— PEOPLE SOLUTIONS

Health cover for employees

Small business, big health cover benefits

Small business, big benefits

Providing brilliant health benefits gives your teams peace of mind, makes everyone feel valued – and empowers colleagues to take control of their wellbeing. We’re here to guide you to the most appropriate solutions for your business and your people, set everything up – and take care of the admin. Which means your teams will have everything at their fingertips to get access to healthcare and support, exactly when they need it – so they can look after all aspects of their health.

Reduce sickness absence with a culture of caring and tailored options for support.

Improve productivity by giving teams fast, flexible access to the care they need.

Compete for top talent with standout benefits that show you truly value your people.

Boost loyalty and satisfaction with thoughtful benefits that make a real difference.

Health cover that delivers

You care for your teams – and you know it’s down to them to drive performance and make your company successful. So we design healthcare benefits solutions that deliver. We take time to understand your goals, we identify exactly the right providers – and we help your employees understand and get the most out of everything their company is providing. Talk to us to arrange health cover for your employees.

Ambitious small and medium-sized companies need to offer the same types of benefits as their large, corporate counterparts. Why? So that they can attract and hold onto the kinds of employees that will help them to grow. We’re here to make it easy for you to access competitive health insurance for your teams.

Most cover available for teams of two employees and more
Some cover is available for sole traders and freelancers

And remember, we secure great deals that are normally only available to bigger companies.

Health cover that gets results

Private medical insurance

Give your teams the peace of mind that comes with private medical insurance. This can vastly reduce the amount of time they need to wait for care – as well as opening up access to a range of services.

Private and virtual GP

No more struggling to get an appointment. With the right cover, your employees can set up an in-person or online appointment for themselves and their families.

Dental insurance

Make dental treatment more affordable for your teams. Provide insurance that can be used at any dental surgery – and that gives employees the freedom to choose the right level of cover for them.

Optician appointments

Make it easy for your teams to get regular, paid-for optician appointments. Which will help to make sure everyone can see clearly – and pick up on any potential eye-related issues.

Health assessments

Give your teams access to tests and assessments that allow them to take control of their health – and set long-term wellness goals.

Healthcare cash plans

With a cash plan, your colleagues will be able to claim back money spent on a wide range of treatments – including at opticians, dentists, complementary therapies and more.

Employee Assistance Programmes

When your employees need counselling and wellbeing support, you can make sure it’s available to them. Solutions include quick access to services, as well as wellbeing apps.

Preventative health

Dealing with illness quickly is one thing – but being able to prevent it is everyone’s goal. So give your teams access to testing, assessments and check-ups.

Expat private medial insurance

If you have colleagues working on secondment or permanently in other countries, this gives them access to health cover.

Great healthcare benefits are good for business

0^%

of employees don’t feel supported by employers when it comes to mental health (Deloitte: Mental health and employers)

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of SMEs say that offering health and wellbeing benefits significantly supports company productivity (Association of British Insurers (ABI))

0^%

of SMEs provide at least one proactive health promotion scheme (UK Department of Work and Pensions)

0^%

of companies with well-designed wellness benefits see a return of £1.50-£3 for every £1 invested in them (Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine)

0^%

of employees don’t feel supported by employers when it comes to mental health (Deloitte: Mental health and employers)

Trusted partner to small and medium-sized businesses

We’re passionate about providing benefits for small and medium-sized businesses. When you partner with Lockton, you’ll notice that our high levels of service make us feel like a small business too. But the reality is that, although we’re still a family-owned business, we’re now an international organisation. Whatever your sector, and wherever in the world you are, we empower your teams to enjoy better health and wellbeing.

Support rooted in independence

As a family-owned business, we understand the journey of growing a company and have never forgotten our roots. That’s why we’re we’ll always be here to support small businesses as they grow and make a big impact in the world.

Our SME healthcare benefits team is here for you

Stewart Waddy

Head of SME Consulting & Production
stewart.waddy@lockton.com
+44 790 108 2802

Jackie Carribine

SME Consulting Lead, VP
jackie.carribine@lockton.com
+44 73 9376 4383

Mark Hathaway

Pension Pillar Lead
mark.hathaway@lockton.com
+44 73 8511 6978

Get in touch

enquiries@uk.lockton.com

Health cover for small businesses: FAQs

Do small businesses have to offer health insurance to their employees?

Small and medium businesses are not obliged to provide healthcare to employees in the UK. However, there is increasing evidence that shows that it can be a great idea for small businesses to invest in health cover for their employees. The top reasons for small businesses to provide health insurance to their teams include attracting and holding onto the best people, improving productivity, reducing sickness absence and boosting reputation.

What are the tax implications of small businesses investing in health insurance for employees?

For a small or medium-sized business, any amount invested in health insurance for employees is regarded as a business expense. Any money invested in employee health insurance therefore brings down the amount that a company is taxed on.

For employees, benefits may be considered as a “benefit in kind” – which may mean that they have to pay tax on them.

How much does it cost to provide health insurance for employees?

Costs for small businesses providing employee health insurance can vary. Premiums could be different, depending on factors such as the age and health of employees, the level of cover provided and the numbers of employees covered.

What does employee health insurance cover?

Health insurance for employees of small businesses can cover a wide range of options. Typically, employers look for solutions that span physical and mental health and primary healthcare (like GP and dentist access). The range of services that ambitious small business owners make available to their teams can include everything from digital apps, through to advanced cancer care, fertility treatment and more.

Can families be included?

Often, yes they can. This will depend on the types and levels of cover that are provided.

Can employees take their health cover with them when they leave a company?

Usually, no. Health insurance and benefits are typically provided as a direct component of an employee’s remuneration and benefits package. Normally, when they leave, the cover ends.

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