At the end of last year, the international insurance provider Madanes and the agency PointeR Agency conducted a large-scale survey among HR professionals in Ukrainian companies.
The purpose of the survey was to explore the situation with oncology diseases among company employees, as well as the utilization of corporate life and health insurance by companies.
Out of the 65 companies that participated in the study, 32% had a staff of 250 or more, 36% had a staff of 50 to 250 employees, and 32% had a staff of less than 50 people.
And now we would like to share with you some interesting results of this survey (in which, by the way, your favorite company TAS Life also participated).
Therefore, almost half (47%) of the surveyed HR professionals have encountered cases of cancer among their colleagues or their relatives, which once again confirms the widespread occurrence of critical illnesses in Ukraine.
Let's remind that according to statistics, every hour 20 Ukrainians learn that they have been diagnosed with a malignant tumor. This amounts to over 140,000 people per year.
Caring for the team
Company management should take this situation into account when caring for their employees and take all possible measures in their arsenal to not only financially protect employees in case of illness but also effectively prevent them.
It's worth noting that these five factors are "responsible" for a third of lethal cases caused by oncological diseases:
- high body mass index
- low consumption of fruits and vegetables
- lack of physical activity
- tobacco use
- alcohol consumption
While it may be difficult for companies to make employees eat apples every day or quit smoking (although more and more companies in the West are refusing to hire individuals with nicotine addiction), promoting increased physical activity during the workday is something within the reach of every caring manager.
You can find out how to do it, for example, from our blog post about Fit Breaks.
"Today, it is trendy to talk about the fact that a Well-being culture in a company is the key to employee motivation and engagement. However, it is not a one-time event but a philosophy based on the principles of genuine care for employees in various aspects of life. It is an active position, and in this context, Voluntary Health Insurance (VHI), especially today, plays a crucial role," says Stas Ostrovsky, Director of Business Development at Madanes Ukraine.
His words fully confirm the results of our survey - 39% of HR specialists consider VHI as one of the main motivational factors after salary. Here's how the votes were distributed:
Cost of Treatment vs. Cost of Insurance
The main advantage of VHI, just like the Doctor TAS program that covers the diagnosis and treatment of critical illnesses, is their reasonable cost, especially compared to the cost of cancer treatment.
Once again, let's hear from Stas Ostrovsky:
"The cost of treatment depends on the type of cancer, the stage at which the disease was detected, and other factors. On average, treatment in Ukraine costs about 500,000 hryvnias, while abroad it costs around $60,000 (approximately 1,750,000 hryvnias), not always including flights and accommodation.
At the same time, the cost of insurance is around $50-$100 (1500 to 3000 hryvnias) per year. If every employee is important to the company, the management will not leave their subordinate alone with such a complex problem as cancer. Supporting a sick person takes a lot of time, effort, and money. No country in the world can cover the costs of treatment, which are very significant, and the funds collected collectively often turn out to be insufficient."
What did COVID-19 show?
The situation with the coronavirus has demonstrated the problems and weaknesses of national healthcare systems.
Many HR specialists see the need to insure their employees against COVID-19 and understand that during a pandemic, people have not stopped experiencing injuries or being affected by cancer or cardiovascular diseases that require complex and urgent treatment.
However, due to the coronavirus, the options for clinics and their accessibility for these patients have temporarily decreased significantly. Therefore, it is crucial for companies to review their employees' insurance coverage right now if it already exists or finally include it in their social package.
So, what does the situation with changes in corporate insurance coverage really look like? Let's take a look:
15% of respondents have already expanded or plan to expand the standard corporate VHI package due to the pandemic. Most often, this includes additional insurance coverage for COVID-19. Hopefully, the situation will soon start changing for the better for the 48.4% of companies that currently do not have insurance coverage for their employees ;)
The survey also showed that 62% of HR specialists from companies that have had cases of oncology among employees or their relatives are willing to pay for insurance programs. They see it as an effective financial protection against unforeseen health problems.
We hope that the information provided above will be useful to the managers of Ukrainian companies and help them make the right decision regarding proper insurance coverage for their employees.
Our experts will gladly provide advice on all the products that TAS Life can offer for Ukrainian businesses.
Just call our Director of Corporate Business Development, Vladyslav Makhlai, at +38 067 214 0522.
This number is also available for Viber, Telegram, and WhatsApp.
Alternatively, you can send him an email at [email protected].
Take care of your loved ones and subordinates ;) Take care of yourself and stay healthy!
P.S. Don't forget to subscribe to our Telegram group - t.me/TASlife, and our Facebook page - facebook.com/taslifeofficial.
