Unum extends in-demand Help@hand app to small businesses
Inspiration
Unum is extending access to their health and wellbeing app – Help@hand – to Life Insurance and Critical Illness policyholders with 250 employees or less, at no cost, as the employee benefits provider looks to support insured employees of small businesses with fast, direct access to medical experts and valuable remote healthcare services.
Executive Income Protection and Sick Pay Insurance customers can now also register for Help@hand at no cost, as Unum looks to broaden the reach of their increasingly popular service which has had over 1,100 businesses register in the past 12 months, spanning over a quarter of a million employees and their families*.
Customer feedback on Help@hand shows how well remote healthcare services are being received, with users rating the service an average of 9 out of 10 in terms of overall satisfaction**
Help@hand services are accessed directly through one app – and have been available to insured employees of Unum Group Income Protection policyholders since November 2019. Today’s announcement enables more companies to provide relevant health and wellbeing services to a greater number of employees and eligible family members – providing quick, direct access to:
• Unlimited sessions with UK-based remote GPs any time, day or night
• Mental health and physiotherapy treatment – including up to 8 consultations/assessments per annum
• Medical second opinions – 2 consultations per annum provided by UK-based specialists following a diagnosis from a treating doctor
• An Integrated Employee Assistance Programme targeted at ‘Life, money, and wellbeing support’ that also includes a 24/7 confidential helpline
The Help@hand app is powered by Square Health – most recently recognised by the Care Quality Commission in their last inspection as having an ‘outstanding’ culture of placing patient safety first – with a uniquely integrated Employee Assistance Programme provided by LifeWorks.
As the UK moves into the recovery phase of Covid-19 where access to healthcare has often been stretched, it’s important for businesses of all sizes to reassess their current employee benefit packages and ensure they are in the best position to retain and recruit talent, whilst looking after their workforce in the best way possible.
After a year of remote working, aside from salary, maintaining a combination of flexible working and access to comprehensive employee benefits and services is likely to be high on the agenda for today’s workforce. In fact, Unum’s ‘Value of Help’ research found that more than four-fifths (86%) of employers are changing their approach to employee health and wellbeing due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Peter O’Donnell, CEO of Unum UK commented – “Help@hand has proven to be an incredibly popular service. We’ve supported thousands of employees and their families with fast, direct support to expert health and wellbeing support when they’ve needed it - the feedback and testimonials we continue to receive reinforce just how valued and important the service has become. And as we approach a year on from the first lockdown, the disruption for small businesses is still very significant. That’s why I’m delighted and incredibly proud to be able to extend, for no extra cost, the availability of Help@hand. I hope that this news will enable employers across the small business community to easily and actively support the health and wellbeing of their employees.”
Dr Bippon Vinayak, Executive Chairman at Square Health commented: “We are very proud to have partnered with Unum to develop the Help@hand app, and to now be able to extend this service to additional businesses. As a Consultant Surgeon myself, I know the value of high-quality, trusted and readily available medical assistance. The current pandemic and lockdown has put an immense strain on our NHS and made access to medical services even harder. Help@hand provides valuable health and wellbeing support 24/7, 365 days a year including video consultations with UK-registered GPs, physiotherapists and mental health support workers – available via the app and at a time that works best for the individual.”