Generally speaking, employers in the UK can provide their employees with access to health insurance as a part of the company’s employee benefits package.
In terms of the legal requirements, employers with more than 250 employees in the UK must enrol their workers onto a workplace pension scheme. They are also required to pay a minimum contribution into the pension fund on their employees’ behalf.
However, there is no legal expectation for employers to offer health insurance as part of an employee benefits package. However, many employers choose to do so as it can be beneficial to both the employer and employees to maintain a healthy workforce.
Employers can offer a range of health insurance plans and services, such as group life cover, critical illness cover, private medical insurance, overseas health cover and income protection insurance. They may also pay for some or all of the premium as a benefit to the employee.
Employees should check with their individual employers to find out what health insurance plans are available and how much their employer is willing to contribute towards the cost. Some employers might require their employees to pay part of the premium, while others might provide full or partial coverage.
It’s important to note that employee health insurance benefits are exempt from UK income tax and national insurance contributions. So if your employer is paying for health insurance, you may be able to save money on your taxes.
In summary, employers in the UK may choose to provide access to health insurance as part of an employee benefits package. If they do, they may also pay some or all of the premium themselves. However, employers are not legally required to offer this benefit in the UK. As such, if you are interested in finding out if your employer offers health insurance, you should speak to your employer about their employee benefits packages.
