Small firms that offer their employees private medical insurance will experience several benefits, one expert has claimed.
According to Jonathon French, spokesperson for the Association of British Insurers (ABI), not only will the insurance help cut absence levels, but it will also boost staff recruitment and retention.
He said: "For small businesses, businesses with a limited number of employees - it could actually be proportionally more beneficial to have such a thing in place."
This is because losing just one member of staff to long-term sickness will have a massive impact on an SME, he explained.
Small firms who want to offer private medical insurance will find that there are "plenty of providers" who offer packages tailored to their needs, Mr French added.
According to the latest figures from the ABI over six million people are now covered by private medical insurance either through corporate or personal plans, with a further million cover through Health Trust arrangements.
