We had a busy few days in Brussels at the IEBA (International Employee Benefits Association) conference that took place on 8 – 9 June 2022. So many interesting sessions on the world of employee benefits, how to feel and work better, parental leave, climate change and more!

At MAXIS we were talking about the future of work and digital innovation long before COVID, but since the pandemic we’ve seen an acceleration and a huge shift in focus for employees.

So, what can employers do to continue to support their people?

Helga Viegas, Director of Digital and Innovation at MAXIS GBN and Agith Jan Juddu, Global Lead, Insurable Benefits and H&W at Siemens Healthineers AG shared their insights on the future of work and the changing face of employee benefits at the conference.

It was a great session and we’ve listed some key takeaways for those of you who couldn’t attend the conference.

• We’re seeing a significant effect of COVID on claims for respiratory system diseases and chronic illnesses like diabetes, obesity and asthma.

• The proportional share of musculoskeletal claims also increased year-on-year in many markets no doubt because of poor ergonomic working environment, limited mobility and less exercise.

• However, we’ve found cancer claims have actually gone down during the pandemic in many countries, which is not necessarily a good sign. Employers can understand the best health & wellness programmes to focus on by looking at medical claims analysis in each country.

• Approximately 63% of employees in Europe have experienced an increase in work-related stress since the pandemic! Many employers have had to put in place additional support such as telemedicine, mental health apps and EAPs to tackle this demand.

• There is a growing trend of non-traditional workers such as contractors, freelancers, gig workers, who are largely uninsured and a huge challenge/ opportunity for societies at large. Some employers are now considering extending benefits to these workers.

• The pandemic has made people reconsider the importance of their insurance and health benefits, and to value them even more.

• The role of technology has also accelerated, with a huge jump in the use of digital tools and the need to continue investing in better data analytics and good user experience.

As well as two days at the conference, we had two lovely evenings. We hosted a dinner at the delicious Cowfish restaurant and it was fantastic to see so many of our clients and brokers again.

And then a gala dinner at Château Sainte-Anne where we enjoyed free flowing wine and great company!

It was really good to see many of you there and re-connect. We hope you enjoyed it too.