As the colder months arrive, so too does the familiar winter mix of coughs, colds, flu and seasonal bugs.
For SMEs, even a relatively small increase in sickness absence can have a noticeable impact. When teams are lean, having two or three people off at the same time can quickly put pressure on colleagues, productivity and customer service.
The good news is that winter employee wellbeing support could already be available through your existing employee benefits.
From access to virtual GPs and mental health support to everyday healthcare and wellbeing services, your benefits package may offer more help than you, or your employees, realise. The key is making sure your people know what support is available and, importantly, how to use it.
Start with prevention: a simpler way to offer flu jabs
There is also a useful change for employers this winter. Since 6 April 2026, employers have been able to reimburse employees for the cost of an influenza vaccination without Income Tax or National Insurance contributions being due, provided the relevant conditions are met.
Previously, the tax rules made simply reimbursing an employee who arranged their own flu vaccination more complicated. The change means employers now have greater flexibility. You can arrange vaccinations directly, provide an appropriate voucher, or allow an employee to pay for their own vaccination and reimburse them.
For an SME, that could make offering flu vaccinations much easier to administer. Rather than organising an on-site vaccination programme, for example, you could allow employees to book a convenient appointment locally and claim the cost back from the business.
It’s a relatively simple addition to a winter wellbeing strategy, and one worth communicating to employees before flu season is well underway.
Look at the benefits you already have
Many employee benefit packages include additional health and wellbeing services that can be particularly useful during winter. But employees don’t always know they have them.
Depending on your policies and providers, your team may already have access to services such as:
These services can be valuable throughout the year, but winter is a particularly good time to remind employees that they exist.
Don’t let good benefits become forgotten benefits
A benefit only starts to deliver value when employees understand it, remember it and feel confident using it.
That makes autumn a good time to run a simple benefits refresher. A well-timed email or short conversation with the team will remind employees what health benefits they have, explain the services available through them and, importantly, tell people how to access them.
For example:
If the answer to any of those questions is “probably not”, there is an opportunity to get more value from the benefits you’re already paying for.
Think beyond physical health
Shorter days, financial pressures and the run-up to Christmas can all affect employees differently. That makes it worth reminding people about the wider support available through their benefits package too.
An EAP, for example, may provide confidential support for personal, emotional, legal or financial concerns, depending on the provider. Other policies may include wellbeing tools and additional support services that employees don’t immediately associate with the core insurance product.
A simple winter benefits checklist for SMEs
Before winter gets into full swing, ask yourself five questions:
Make your benefits work harder this winter
For SMEs, a good employee benefits strategy isn’t about having the longest list of benefits. It’s about choosing benefits that suit your people and your business and then making sure employees actually use and value them.
At Bespoke Benefits, we help businesses review and manage employee benefits including Group Private Medical Insurance, Health Cash Plans, Employee Assistance Programmes, Health Assessments, Group Income Protection and other health and protection benefits.
If you’re unsure what support is already available within your current policies, or you’d like to review whether your benefits package is doing enough to support your people, we can help.
Get in touch with our friendly team today for a no-obligation chat about how we can support your business and your people.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, medical, or legal advice. The information provided reflects general trends and insights as of the date of publication and may not apply to all circumstances. For income protection insurance or employee benefits, we recommend consulting with a qualified professional or insurance advisor.
