A 46% increase in the number of employees supported in 2016 compared to 2015
Of those employees who called us for our rehabilitation support or to make a claim, 9 in 10 (88%) made a successful return to work or were able to remain in work after intervention from Aviva
Mental health cases now represent 57% of all of Aviva’s rehabilitation cases and employees with these conditions are being referred for help earlier. 85% of all employees requiring support for mental health conditions made a successful return to work within the deferred period*.
Steve Bridger, Managing Director of Group Protection at Aviva, said: “I’m really pleased to see the success we’ve had helping people with mental health issues. For too long there’s been a stigma around mental health problems with people too scared to speak out or ask for help. Our own research has found that a quarter of people have taken time off work with stress but blamed it on a physical illness**.
“Early intervention through Group Income Protection (GIP) can mean the difference between staying in work and dealing with a problem with the support of trained professionals, or taking an extended period of time off work and trying to deal with it alone. The figures we have released show the real value of what we do.”
The positive impact of GIP
The 2016 data highlights the extent to which the services provided under Aviva’s group income protection offering are successfully helping people return to their normal lives. Other significant figures from Aviva’s data show:
Three quarters (75%) of all employees supported made their return to work within the deferred period – i.e. within the critical six month window beyond which typically only 20% of employees make a successful return to work within 5 years
100% of all employees referred for rehabilitation were provided with case management support
Cancer represents 20% of new rehabilitation referrals
Musculoskeletal disorders represent 19% of all of Aviva’s rehab cases with 76% of all employees requiring support making a return to work within the deferred period – an increase of 16% on 2015
“Group Protection services aren’t just there to offer financial support,” said Steve Bridger. “Clearly, when someone gets ill and can’t work, then having a financial safety net is very important. But most people just want to get on with their lives, and that often means getting back to work.
“Our rehabilitation figures show that we are helping people make a timely return to work, with all the necessary support they need. This is good news for claimants as they can move on with their lives, and it’s good news for their employer who won’t want to lose a staff member for a long period of time if it can be avoided.
“Once an employee leaves the workplace for a prolonged period without these support services, there is a real risk of them not returning to work in any capacity. This is where they then become one of the many people caught in the disability employment gap.”
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