UK employers are being forced to rethink their health and benefits strategies as demand for weight management medication increases among workers, according to a new study.
More than a quarter of UK workers have taken a weight management drug such as Ozempic, while two in five believe their employer should fund access to these treatments through workplace health insurance plans. As a result, 44 percent of employers say they are currently reviewing or fundamentally redesigning their healthcare delivery.
The findings come from Howden Employee Benefits’ Changing Face of Employee Health report, which suggests blockbuster GLP-1 drugs are becoming a critical issue for the future of workplace health.
Despite increasing pressure from the workforce, employers are in a financial bind. Nearly nine in 10 companies say they are currently satisfied with the return on investment of their health plans, but half of those that already offer weight management medications now see this as a growing cost problem. Almost half expect these costs to continue to rise, with one in five citing obesity-related diseases as the single biggest reason for rising healthcare spending.
While only 5 percent of employers expect these costs to decrease next year, many recognize the long-term trade-off. Weight-related diseases such as diabetes contribute significantly to sickness absence and loss of productivity. Around 72 percent of UK employers are already investing in preventive health measures, and some see controlled access to weight management medications as a way to reduce longer-term health risks and associated business costs.
But the report warns that failure to adjust health plans could lead to bigger problems. With medical inflation projected to reach 7 percent in 2026 and combined cost increases of more than 10 percent when taking general inflation into account, employers face difficult decisions about which treatments to cover and where to draw the line.
Cheryl Brennan, managing director of Howden Employee Benefits, said the issue was no longer hypothetical. “The demand for these drugs is obvious and employers simply cannot afford to ignore it. But the financial implications cannot be ignored – they are already forcing business leaders to rethink plan design and budget allocations.”
She added that while the drugs offer significant health benefits, they should not be viewed as a panacea. “Weight control medications are not a panacea. They need to be integrated into a broader, more personalized healthcare strategy with clear eligibility criteria. Employers also need to justify why they cover these treatments ahead of others who remain excluded.”
As employee expectations continue to evolve, the report suggests that workplace healthcare is entering a new phase where prevention, personalization and difficult financial trade-offs will shape how benefits are structured in the coming years.
