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Intermediaries: Case studies

Barhale constructs the perfect plan

A major construction company has built a health cash plan to suit its employees with help from Westfield Health.

Barhale, based in Walsall, chose to introduce Westfield’s Mosaic Plan to provide its weekly paid employees with benefits over and above their basic pay.  

Sharon Southerton, Rewards Manager at Barhale, said: “As a company we have a solid philosophy in place, which puts the workforce at the heart of everything we do. We made it a priority to find a health cash plan that best suited our employees and in Westfield’s Mosaic Plan we found the perfect solution.

“As a construction company with a workforce of 1,000, of which more than 500 are on weekly pay, it was essential that we found a plan that could cater for common industry ailments such as back problems and musculoskeletal injuries.

“The flexibility of the plan meant we could tailor it, with the help of PMI Health Group, so that our staff could access services such as physiotherapy, osteopathy and chiropody, while making the most of traditional benefits such as dental and optical.

“Our staff retention rate since we introduced the plan has certainly improved. This could be for a number of reasons but the plan has certainly contributed.

“Offering a health cash plan to a current or potential employee adds value to our recruitment and retention strategies. Ultimately these factors impact on bottom-line profitability and at a time when stability and growth are essential, we are delighted to have found a health cash plan that helps us plan for the future.

“We have had very positive feedback from all staff who have used the plan and it has now become an integral part of our employment package.”

Intermediary Zoe Lewis, Senior Consultant at PMI Health Group, helped Barhale choose the right benefits for its staff.

She said: “A large proportion of companies like Barhale have PMI for senior staff and nothing for the rest of the workforce. The introduction of a cash plan such as Westfield Mosaic can help employers to look after their entire workforce.

“As it is a benefit geared towards everyday healthcare costs, employees can instantly reap the rewards. The plan can improve morale, help employees feel more valued and help to reduce absenteeism. 

“Larger organisations such as Barhale are more aware of health and safety, employment law and accidents in the workplace, so they can instantly see the benefits of offering healthcare cover to all employees.

“Westfield Mosaic is particularly attractive to businesses due to the fact that the plan can be tailored to meet the company’s needs. Westfield can construct a plan for as little as 30 employees, which gives them a competitive edge. Westfield Mosaic is particularly beneficial to us (PMI Health Group) as intermediaries as we can obtain a quote ourselves at the click of a button.

“In the current economic climate more and more companies are looking to cut costs wherever possible. A large number of companies currently offering PMI are strongly considering either introducing an excess or increasing an existing one.  Therefore, in some cases, a cash plan is being considered to supplement the excess.

“What’s more, cash plans are a low cost benefit with a low financial risk. Unlike PMI, premiums are unlikely to increase annually which means employers have the ability to budget year on year.

“Employers recognise that, in the economic downturn, it is important to motivate and retain existing staff and a cash plan is a low cost, effective way of doing so.”

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