Aviva adds new wellbeing boost to Group Accident and Travel products

Authored by Aviva

• One in six UK businesses see mental health and wellbeing of staff as a major risk
• In a GI first, counselling and mental health training for managers now included in Aviva Group Accident and Business Travel products, helping to boost employee wellbeing
• Additions come at no extra cost and are available for existing and new customers alike

Aviva’s Group Personal Accident and Business Travel customers are now benefiting from additional mental health support, at no extra cost. In a first for the industry, Aviva has added a range of wellbeing services and benefits, including a line manager toolkit for mental health, health and wellbeing discounts, offers on products and services that can support those living with cancer and a counselling service, to every Group Personal Accident or Business Travel product. 

Aviva research* found that employees’ mental health and wellbeing is amongst the top six major risks that  business leaders are concerned about. One in six (17%) business leaders cited the mental health and wellbeing of their staff as one of their biggest risks, up from 14% of businesses last year. Charities (31%) and public sector businesses (28%) were most likely to rank this in their top three worries. 

With this in mind and ahead of Time To Talk Day on 1 February, Aviva’s new additions are designed to support businesses and their employees with their mental health and wellbeing, building resilience and understanding as well as providing professional support to deal with issues. This package of enhancements is the first of its kind in General Insurance, with Aviva’s Group Personal Accident and Business Health the only policy in the market that offers mental health training for managers and counselling support.

The Group Personal Accident and Business Health wellbeing additions are:

• The Aviva Line Manager Toolkit: Mental Health**, which provides bite-sized training videos to help line managers support the mental health of their team. Developed by mental health professionals, the videos and resources aim to empower line managers to spot the warning signs of poor mental health in the workplace, help them feel more confident in holding supportive conversations with their team members and learn more about reasonable adjustments and adaptations to support team members.
• A counselling service, which offers direct access to British Association for Counsellors and Psychotherapists (BACP) accredited counsellors 24/7, 365 days a year. This provides support from the first point of contact for a wide range of difficulties, such as bereavement, stress, anxiety or depression, relationships and domestic abuse. The counselling service is available to employees and members of their immediate family – providing they live together and are over the age of 18 (or aged between 16 and 18 and in full-time employment), with each customer entitled to six sessions.
• Get Active**, which supports wellbeing and fitness goals with money-saving offers at over 3,000 health and fitness clubs and a range of offers to support a healthy and active lifestyle.
• Cancer Care with Get Active**, which provides access to discounted products and services that can help with the daily living adjustments a cancer diagnosis and treatment can bring, as well as offers on services and experiences that may enhance quality time spent with family and close friends. Customers can access the offers for themselves or to gift somebody they know who is living with cancer.
• Wellbeing library**: An online wellbeing library that offers useful content, hints and tips, plus guides and tools on a wide range of wellbeing situations. Employees will find helpful support for family and relationships, money or work, mental or physical health conditions.

Luke Powis, Aviva’s Head of Accident and Health, said: “Mental health and wellbeing is an area of concern for many employers and we’re proud to be supporting resilience in this area with a new package of enhancements. Our Group Personal Accident and Business Travel customers and their employees can now benefit from mental health training, counselling and support for a cancer diagnosis. This is already making a difference to thousands of employees across the country, all at no extra cost to them. We know that effective mental health support strategies have the potential to improve productivity, employee engagement, reduce absenteeism and help make businesses better places to work, which is why this area is so important.”