Vitality Essentials - a company-wide wellbeing solution

Vitality Essentials is a company-wide health and wellbeing solution, which brings selected benefits of the Vitality Programme and primary care services offered by Vitality GP to employees not covered by Private Medical Insurance, at no extra cost.

This innovative product, available to small and medium-sized businesses with 10 or more insured employees, will help you to promote better health and wellbeing across your employees, driving higher employee engagement, enhanced productivity, and better business performance – delivering shared-value for your business and your employees.

The employee health and productivity opportunity:

£81 billion – amount of lost productivity to UK businesses each year as a result of employee ill-health
1 in 10 employers offer Private Medical Insurance to their whole workforce
25 days productivity gap between healthy and unhealthy employees.

Source: Britain’s Healthiest Workplace 2017 and Vitality data 2018

What’s included?

Up to four virtual GP consultations per employee, per plan year, through Vitality GP
40% gym discount at Virgin Active, Nuffield Health or David Lloyd Clubs. A joining fee applies
Up to 40% discount on devices through Garmin, Polar and Withings. P&P charges may apply
Up to 36% off a range of Fitbit devices. A £6 delivery charge will apply
30% off selected Samsung smartwatches
25% off a pair of running shoes with Runners Need
Vitality online Health Review and Vitality Healthcheck access
A six month Workshops + Digital Plan with WW for £30
Healthy mind – access to a range of mindfulness and relaxation apps
Vitality VIP to incentivise engagement.

Important information

Eligibility criteria:

Any employee aged 18 or over at their benefit start date, providing they meet the eligibility criteria of this plan and as agreed with the planholder. They will join as a member. Any member must live in the UK for at least 180 days per plan year
Schemes with 10+ insured employees: uninsured employees are eligible for Vitality Essentials provided the total number of employees (insured plus uninsured) is no greater than three times the number of insured members. E.g. with 10 insured employees, schemes with up to 30 total employees are eligible
If the employee’s Vitality Essentials plan is cancelled for any reason, or if the employee leaves the company, then his/her Vitality partner benefits will end on the cancellation date, or on his/her leaving date, whichever is the earlier. Any ongoing contracts or memberships he/she has with Vitality partners may revert to the normal rate and the discounts may not apply
Cover for Vitality Essentials members will not start until we have accepted the application.

How to buy

You can add Vitality Essentials to an eligible Business Healthcare plan of 10 or more insured employees at plan renewal. Your renewal invite will contain all the necessary information about how to add employees to Vitality Essentials.

If you're a new business customer, you can get Vitality Essentials for your employees when signing up for one of our Vitality Business Health Insurance plans. For more information or to sign up today, call us on 0345 3075071.

Frequently asked questions

What benefits do employees on Vitality Essentials have access to?

Employees covered by Vitality Essentials can access benefits including:

40% off gym membership with Vitality gym partners (a joining fee applies)
Discounts on Fitbit, Samsung, Garmin, Polar, and Withings devices
25% off a pair of running shoes with Runners Need
A six-month Workshops + Digital Plan with WW.

In addition, these employees have access to the Vitality Age online Health Review, an annual Vitality Healthcheck (at a charge of £15), up to four consultations through Vitality GP per plan year, and support through an Employee Assistance Programme, if this is included as part of the Business Healthcare plan. Full details of the benefits available to employees are available to them on the Vitality Member Zone.

Will employees covered by Vitality Essentials be able to earn Vitality points?

Yes, employees will be able to earn points and achieve a Vitality status in the same way as members of Private Medical Insurance schemes. However, not all elements of the Vitality Programme are included.

What reporting does Vitality Essentials provide on the employees’ health?

Vitality Essentials allows us to report on all your employees’ Vitality engagement. You will be provided with one report in two sections – one on your employees covered by PMI, and one on your employees covered by Essentials.

Can Vitality GPs refer employees for treatment?

Unlike Vitality Private Medical Insurance members, employees covered by Vitality Essentials cannot at present be referred by a Vitality GP for onward tests or treatment. They can, however, benefit from fast access to a GP consultation, wellness advice from their Vitality GP, and access to any prescriptions they require (on a self-pay basis).

Does the whole workforce need to be included on either Vitality Private Medical Insurance or Vitality Essentials?

Yes, Vitality Essentials is designed as a product to cover the whole workforce. For details on the number of employees required to be covered on Vitality PMI for the remainder to be eligible for Essentials, please refer to the eligibility details mentioned above or on the vitality.co.uk website, or speak to your Vitality adviser.