UK employers are being forced to reassess their healthcare and benefits strategies as demand for weight-management drugs surges among employees, according to new research.
More than a quarter of UK workers have already used a weight-management drug such as Ozempic, while two in five believe their employer should fund access to these treatments through workplace healthcare plans. As a result, 44 per cent of employers say they are now reviewing, or fundamentally redesigning, their healthcare provision.
The findings come from the Changing Face of Employee Health report by Howden Employee Benefits, which suggests that blockbuster GLP-1 drugs are becoming a defining issue in the future of workplace health.
Despite the rising pressure from staff, employers are caught in a financial bind. Almost nine in ten businesses say they are currently satisfied with the return on investment from their healthcare plans, yet half of those already covering weight-management drugs now see them as a growing cost concern. Nearly half expect those costs to rise further, with one in five businesses citing obesity-related conditions as the single biggest driver of increasing healthcare spend.
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