Personal Group and REBA launch new report highlighting the benefits gap facing frontline and deskless workers

Personal Group 

New research calls on employers to rethink benefits strategies and improve access to support for frontline and shift-based employees 

Personal Group is proud to announce the launch of Affordable Access: Inclusive Benefits for Frontline and Shift Workers, the first report in a three-part thought leadership series developed in partnership with the Reward & Employee Benefits Association (REBA). 

The report explores one of the most pressing workforce challenges facing UK employers today: how to ensure frontline, shift-based and deskless employees can access the support they need to stay healthy, financially secure and in work. 

While many organisations have invested heavily in employee benefits, the report highlights that traditional benefits strategies have often been designed with office-based employees in mind. As a result, frontline workers can face significant barriers to accessing support, including limited flexibility, financial pressures, communication challenges and difficulties attending healthcare appointments. 

The launch comes at a critical time. The UK Government's Keep Britain Working review has highlighted rising levels of economic inactivity linked to ill-health, with employers increasingly expected to play a greater role in supporting workforce health and preventing long-term absence. The report argues that improving access to benefits and early intervention support must be a central part of that response. 

The report explores: 

• Why traditional benefits programmes can unintentionally exclude frontline and deskless workers 

• The link between health, financial wellbeing and long-term absence 

• How employers can improve access to support and healthcare 

• The role of communication, trust and engagement in driving benefits uptake 

• Practical steps organisations can take to create a more inclusive benefits strategy 

Arianne Riddell, Chief Client Officer at Personal Group, said: 

"Frontline and shift workers keep Britain moving, yet too often they face the greatest barriers to accessing the support designed to help them stay healthy and in work. Employers cannot afford to view benefits through a desk-based lens. If we want to reduce absence, improve workforce resilience and support the ambitions of the Keep Britain Working agenda, we need to focus on real-world access, making support simple, practical and available when people need it most. 

 

"We're incredibly proud to partner with REBA on this trilogy of reports. Together, we're helping employers better understand the challenges facing frontline, mobile and shift workers and providing practical guidance on how to close the protection gap, improve wellbeing and create healthier, more sustainable workforces." 

The report is available to download here.