Employee engagement has been on a worrying downward trend in recent years. Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace report reveals that engagement levels are at an 11-year low, with only 23% of employees reporting that they feel engaged at work. What’s more, these low levels of engagement are costing UK firms around £257 billion each year. Worryingly, this disengagement trend isn’t just limited to day-to-day job satisfaction; it’s also impacting how employees interact with their benefits packages. Research from HR Review’s 2024 Benefits guide shows that while benefits and perks have a significant impact on employee satisfaction, some 80% of employees in the UK and Ireland are failing to fully use their employee benefits packages. So, why are workers turning away from the employee benefits they have access to, and what can be done to reverse this trend? One effective approach is gamification – a strategy that YuLife has utilised to great success.Why are employees disengaged from their benefits?The reasons behind declining engagement with benefits packages are varied, but a common thread is a disconnect between what’s offered and how it’s presented to employees. Traditional benefits packages can often seem opaque and impersonal. Employees may not fully understand what benefits are available to them, or worse, they might perceive benefits as unrelated to their personal needs. Without a direct connection between these offerings and their everyday lives, employees become disengaged.Moreover, simply offering a benefit without actively promoting it or demonstrating its value can lead to benefits being overlooked or forgotten. Benefits that go unused ultimately lose their intended impact, leaving both the employees and the employer short-changed.Gallup’s findings highlight that employees are more likely to be engaged when they feel their workplace genuinely cares for their wellbeing. But for many, this sentiment isn’t translating into the benefits that are available. When engagement drops, the effectiveness of even the most generous benefits offering tends to diminish.The role of gamification in boosting engagement with employee benefitsThis is where gamification can make a real difference. Gamification is about making activities more engaging through the application of game-like elements – think challenges, rewards, progress tracking, and friendly competition. And it’s not just for fun; when applied strategically to workplace benefits, it can transform how your employees interact with these packages.YuLife’s employee app is an example of gamification at its best. By turning healthy activities into challenges that earn rewards, YuLife makes taking care of one’s wellbeing both engaging and fun. Employees using the YuLife app can compete in daily challenges, set personal health goals, and earn YuCoin our virtual currency that can be redeemed for vouchers with top retailers or even donated to charity. This tangible connection between personal efforts and real-life rewards helps to keep employees motivated and involved. But don’t just take our word for it. According to data gathered from the app 72% of employees have downloaded the YuLife app and 43% of those use it at least once a month, while more than 17% log in more than five times a day. This level of engagement is unheard of in traditional benefits schemes, where participation can often drop to single digits after the initial introduction phase.How YuLife’s gamification approach bucks the trendYuLife’s unique approach centres around creating a sense of achievement and fostering a positive relationship between employees and their wellbeing. Employees are not merely given access to benefits – they are empowered to engage with them, to improve their health, and to track their progress. By incorporating leaderboards, social challenges, and milestones, YuLife’s app makes it easy for employees to feel a sense of achievement, stay engaged, and even inspire colleagues to do the same.This gamified approach aligns the benefits package with the things that employees care about – improving their health, supporting good causes, and enjoying their work life. Instead of benefits being something obscure in the background, they become a part of the everyday employee experience, contributing to both their physical and mental wellbeing.With the backdrop of falling employee engagement levels, YuLife’s success in this area highlights the importance of meeting employees where they are, understanding what motivates them, and offering benefits in a way that feels genuinely engaging and rewarding. Gamification is proving to be the key that unlocks the door to higher employee engagement, and ultimately a more satisfied and healthier workforce.About YuLifeYuLife is working to reimagine the insurance industry by protecting lives, rewarding living and inspiring life. We’re on a mission to transform traditional insurance into a life-enhancing experience each employee will value and use daily. How does it work?Our award-winning app uses behavioural science and game mechanics to reward your people for living well while offering protection in case of crisis. And with our top-rated employee assistance programme, your team gets access to mental, financial and social support, virtual GPs, nutritionists, life coaches and more to help them live their best lives.Because we believe that your employees should benefit from their insurance from day one — and that wellbeing should be accessible every day, for everyone.Request a demo for your team today.