Health on Demand 2023 Italy

Benefits for all. Benefits for a fast-changing world. Benefits for healthier societies.

Employees’ lives are changing so fast that many struggle to keep up. Employers are having to reassess how to meet the needs of their employees; re-evaluating the value of the benefits they provide, which technology to use, and how to address key risks.

To better understand the shifting priorities of different groups within the workforce, Mercer Marsh Benefits sought opinions from over 17,000 individual employees (more than 1,000 from Italy), across different sectors and positions. Our analysis offers a unique insight into the value Italian employees place on employer-provided benefits and demonstrates the power of a care-first approach.

Benefits for all

Building benefit strategies that work for everyone requires insight into the broad range of needs and preferences of different employee groups in your workforce. In Italy, 62% of Gen Z workers say they decide to stay in the company where they work based on the benefits they receive. Focusing on the world of female workers and caregiving reveals a surprising statistic, only 15% of female caregivers declare that they have received support from their employer.

Benefits for a fast-changing world

Using benefits as an expression of company values and to mitigate people risk is going to be more important as life becomes more complex, chaotic, and digital. Employees expect companies to actively address the social challenges they care about by following up public statements with concrete and tangible initiatives. Women's health (70%), care/equity towards people with disabilities (66%), and environmental sustainability (64%) are among the most important areas for Italian workers.

Benefits for healthier societies

Advancing employee health is a critical component of “the S in ESG”. For employers to be part of the solution, they need to address the physical, financial, and emotional needs of their workforce. In Italy, workers still report feeling stressed at work and expect their employer to offer them the health coverage they struggle to access with the national health service.

Explore the trends

Employees’ lives have become more complex. The physical, social and emotional, and financial challenges of the past few years have been exacerbated by a period of polycrisis that has encompassed war, environmental disasters, political upheaval, and a level of inflation that has affected access to basic necessities. Employers have had to reassess the relevance and value of their benefits and are looking for creative and new ways to grow their business and their talent.

Different employee groups, for example Gen Z, caregivers and women, have different priorities, which change over time. Employers who gain insight to the varying needs and preferences in their workforce are able to focus on providing meaningful benefits for all.

Now is the time to introduce Gen Z into your benefits mindset.

We found that almost all of GenZ said they are at risk of burnout from factors like work pressures, toxic company culture and poor leadership.

Why you need to keep caring for your caregivers

We explore how your organization can best support this important employee group in the Future of Work and more.

Making inclusive changes for meaningful impact

Vikki Walton shares how to help advance your efforts in addressing inclusivity gaps and more.

Using benefits as an expression of company values, and to mitigate people risk is becoming more important as life becomes more complex, chaotic, and digital. Responding to moments that matter, taking a stand on societal issues, and building trust via stepping-stones to a more digital health future — we’re seeing employers more actively managing their benefit strategies as they reset for relevance.

How can you bring resilience for a ‘continuous crisis’ era?

Employees’ mental wellbeing is affected by social and economic crises — and we’ve seen the last few years take a heavy toll.

How can you intensify your impact on societal issues?

Employees want their employer to be authentic and active about the causes they care about. Employers have a clear opportunity to reinforce their corporate values and take a stance on social issues through the benefits that they offer.

Balancing your human and digital healthcare delivery

Do you know how to balance human and digital health delivery in your benefits plan for the best outcome? C.J. Gordon shares how in this short video.

Mitigating risk for your unwell employees

Employees who describe themselves as physically or mentally unwell are among the most vulnerable groups at work.

Addressing the health and risk protection gaps of your workforce

Address health and risk protection gaps. Dr Nimitha Menon shares how to identify and address the health and risk protection gaps faced by your workforce.

Designing your benefits for emotional wellbeing

Benefits for emotional wellbeing build employees’ mental resilience, support their life beyond work, and protect against burnout.

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Benefits for all. Benefits for a fast-changing world. Benefits for healthier societies.