New research reveals critical gaps in employee confidence around death benefits and an overwhelming array of wellbeing needs that employers struggle to prioritise.

Only a third of UK employees believe they could rely on their employer to provide financial support to their family in the event of their death, according to new research from GRiD, the industry body for the group risk sector. The findings, released during National Grief Awareness Week, expose a troubling confidence gap that should concern every responsible business.

The research paints an even bleaker picture when it comes to non-financial support. Just 23% of employees say they could rely on their employer to provide mental health support such as bereavement counselling for their family, while only 21% believe their employer would offer practical assistance with matters like probate and funeral planning.

"Employers have a clear duty to step up and support the families of their employees in the tragic event of a death," said Katharine Moxham, spokesperson for GRiD. "However, our research reveals a troubling reality: many employees lack confidence that their employer would provide such support. That lack of trust should give every responsible business pause for thought."

The Protection Gap

Currently, more than 11.4 million UK employees are covered by a group life assurance policy. While substantial, this leaves almost 23 million workers from a total workforce of 34.2 million without the peace of mind that their families could rely on employer-sponsored financial support should they pass away.

Without group life assurance, support from companies for bereaved families is often reactive, inconsistent, and reliant on employer goodwill rather than clear policy. Employers who do offer group life assurance are far better placed to provide comprehensive and sustainable support, free from the budgetary pressures that arise when assistance is funded on a case-by-case basis, ensuring every family is treated fairly and equally.

Modern group risk benefits deliver far more than a financial safety net. They typically include mental health support through immediate helpline access and professional counselling via telephone, video, or in-person sessions, generally available to the employee’s partner, dependent children, and those in the same household.

Practical assistance helps with everyday matters following a death, from finding local service providers to organising funerals and managing household tasks. Financial and legal support offers initial guidance on probate, estate administration, legal rights, and matters such as tax and benefit entitlements. Many policies also provide wellbeing resources including written materials on grief and mental health, plus apps covering diet, sleep, and exercise.

"The additional support available through group life assurance, beyond a simple lump sum or ongoing payment, is a pragmatic way to ensure employees’ families are cared for," Moxham continued. "As we mark National Grief Awareness Week, it’s vital that employers are seen as one of the first and most trusted sources of that help."

The Wellbeing Challenge

While bereavement support represents one critical gap, employers face an even broader challenge in addressing the diverse wellbeing needs of their workforce. Research by Towergate Employee Benefits among 500 HR decision makers reveals the overwhelming scope of support employees now expect.

Out of 28 specific health and wellbeing areas identified, all were seen as important by some employers. Mental health topped the list at 31%, but demands ranged from financial wellbeing and general fitness (both 18%) to male mental health (17%), caring responsibilities (16%), retirement planning and line manager mental wellbeing (both 14%), and more specialised areas including menopause, neurodiversity, gender identity, and eldercare support.

"Workplace health and wellbeing support is evolving at a rate of knots," said Debra Clark, head of wellbeing at Towergate Employee Benefits. "Demand is increasing massively but it is important to bear in mind that the actual support itself is increasing and developing to match this. Some employers may have a challenge in keeping up to speed with what is available and where to find it, but help is available."

Strategic Prioritisation

The breadth of employee needs presents employers with a dilemma: how to offer benefits that genuinely support requirements when each employee has highly individual circumstances.

 Clark advises a strategic approach combining employee surveys, absence and claims data analysis, and demographic understanding to identify what support is truly needed.

Some support targets wide demographics, such as fitness apps or virtual GP access, which benefit most or all employees. Other needs, while important, may be too niche to justify standalone provision given budget constraints. Clark recommends picking vital benefits that support the majority and focusing resources there, tracking their impact rather than attempting to offer all things to all people and achieving little.

Employers should also audit existing benefits to maximise embedded support. Group income protection, for example, often includes EAP access, second medical opinions, nutrition support, life coaching, and bereavement support, as well as HR tools for managing absence and accessing legal guidance. Cash plans and group risk similarly contain valuable embedded support that may be underutilised.

"There is huge pressure to offer more and more benefits but it is more important to offer ones that really make a difference to staff," Clark concludes. "Employers would be wise to seek expert advice on the latest benefits offerings and what would work best for their individual company situation and aspirations."

Whether addressing the bereavement support gap or the expanding universe of wellbeing needs, employers must move from reactive goodwill to strategic, comprehensive policies that build genuine employee confidence and deliver measurable business value.