Investing in employee health is key to retention and recruitment

Many employers offer comprehensive health benefit plans, but without realizing it, these plans likely include features and requirements that can be barriers to accessing health care.

Workers across every demographic and every industry are reevaluating their relationship with their jobs. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, nearly 4.3 million people quit their jobs in January and there were 11.3 million job openings. The high level of resignations and open positions indicates a strong job market and ample opportunities for those seeking employment. Employers who are hoping to retain and attract talent should recognize they need to focus not only on higher pay, but also on the benefits workers want the most, such as flexibility and health insurance coverage.

Health care is often the most important benefit for workers considering a job offer, and some employees would take a job with lower pay if it offered better benefits. As many employees are rethinking their priorities, it’s important for employers to show their talent how much they value them by offering benefit packages that put employee needs front and center, such as by controlling the out-of-pocket costs of prescription medications.