Boosting employee wellbeing with benefits technology

June 25, 2025

Preventing illness is 3-4 times more cost-effective than treatment^[1], with employers saving £5 for every £1 invested in mental health^[2] and gaining 4.4 days of productivity per employee annually through enhanced engagement in physical health initiatives^[3].

Therefore, it’s no surprise that employers are increasingly adopting preventative benefits strategies. However, many employees still face challenges in accessing support; only 65% know where to find benefits information^[4], and 80% do not fully utilise their benefits package^[5].

Employee benefits software can create a digital front door, allowing employees to view all their benefits in one place. This can help improve engagement and enhance employee wellbeing in several ways:

Signposting preventative benefits: While many employers offer preventative benefits, employees may not be aware of them. For instance, instead of filing a costly private medical insurance claim for mental health counselling, employees can access pre-paid counselling through their Employee Assistance Programme (EAP). By using benefits technology, employers can centralise and curate benefits, proactively promoting mental, financial, and physical health resources.
Hyper-personalising wellbeing: Personalised benefits significantly increase engagement. Research shows that 78% of employees with personalised benefits feel their needs are met, compared to 56% without.^[6] Flexible benefits allow employees to choose from options like dental or physiotherapy. However, offline management can be cumbersome. Employee benefits technology, such as Darwin, enables hyper-personalisation, making it easier for employees to select benefits that suit their needs.
Improving communication of existing benefits: Often, employees are unaware of benefits they already have due to poor communication. Employee benefits technology facilitates targeted communications tailored to individual needs, such as menopause support or advanced cancer screenings. By consolidating fragmented information through platforms like the Mercer Marsh Benefits Benefits You App, employers can ensure employees understand their entitlements, enhancing wellbeing without additional costs.

If you’re looking for support on leveraging employee benefits technology to improve access to and engagement with wellbeing resources, speak to Mercer Marsh Benefits today.