“I’ve never come across anything quite like Equipsme before. It’s allowed us to use our budget to do as much as we can for as many people as we can.”
SOCOTEC is the UK’s leading provider of testing, inspection and compliance services, working with organisations in the environmental, infrastructure and construction industries.
The firm was looking to update health benefits, and were introduced to Equipsme through Benifex.
Payroll and Benefits Manager Jonathan Ordish explains: “We’ve got around 2,500 employees in the UK, ranging from scientists in our labs to surveyors and technicians in the field - and those working in offices running things like our legal and central services. All of those roles have very different health and wellbeing needs - and all of them are really important in delivering SOCOTEC’s comprehensive range of services.
“Historically, we’ve had full-blown Private Medical Insurance (PMI) for our most senior roles, but we wanted to do something more for everyone else - and put some real weight behind our wellbeing rhetoric and campaigns.”
Affordability and sustainability
Jonathan continues: “From our staff surveys we knew that health benefits topped the list of what our people really wanted. We also knew that realistically we couldn’t afford to extend traditional PMI to everyone. We’ve seen our current premiums go up sharply each year, and we needed something more affordable and more sustainable. Equipsme was the perfect solution.
“I’ve never come across anything quite like Equipsme before. It’s unique in the market, and I’ve not seen the level of cover for the price anywhere else. It’s allowed us to use our budget to do as much as we can for as many people as we can.
“We’ve worked hard to create a really comprehensive benefits package that includes things like a generous pension scheme, holiday purchase scheme, EV leasing, Group Life insurance cover and a share scheme, too. Healthwise we’ve got an EAP for mental health and a health-check programme for preventative health. But practical support for physical illness or injury was a missing link in the portfolio.
“We wanted to plug the gap with something that didn’t involve salary sacrifice, and would become a sticky-benefit – helping us really reward tenure and retain top talent. And that’s exactly what we’ve got with Equipsme. The only cost to our people is a small P11D tax, and the benefits were exactly what we were looking for.”
GP access
SOCOTEC have introduced Equipsme to anyone with 2 years of service, with a rolling programme of enrollments as people hit the 24-month mark. Everyone gets Equipsme’s GP Plus, which includes 24/7 GP, health support line, and physiotherapy sessions.
“For us, primary care was a real focus, because so much of our sickness absence is due to everyday health issues,” Jonathan adds. “We all know that the NHS is stretched thin, and we all know how difficult it is to get to see a GP and get the attention you need. We wanted to be able to help people with that, so they’re not putting off health issues - or wasting our time and their own waiting on phone lines or in waiting rooms for an appointment.
“With Equipsme, our people have the tools and access so they don’t have to be distracted by the waiting or the worry. They can make a GP appointment at a time to suit them, discuss their health without a time limit, and get the support they need to hopefully get back up and running as quickly as possible. At the end of the day that’s great for individuals, and great for us as a business.
“Equipsme also opens up a door to private healthcare by letting people pay in to upgrade or add family members, too, which is an added bonus. Even better, it’s all done direct through Equipsme, which makes the administration super simple - and my job a lot easier.
Between PMI and a cashplan
“As a benefits professional it’s been great to have a new option that sits between PMI and cashplans. I’ve particularly liked how clear, transparent and easy everything has been from the outset – from what’s included and what’s not, to how it works and how much it all costs.
“I’ve already recommended Equipsme to some of my contacts, because I genuinely think it’s a great product. And with partners like AXA Health and Health Hero behind it you know you’re getting good quality.
“Investing in health is an increasing priority across all industries, and the more we can all do to support employees to be able to come to work and fully engage with their role the better it is for everyone. Lots of organisations spend a lot of time talking about workplace wellbeing. With Equipsme, we’ve really been able to put that talk into action here at SOCOTEC.”
