The health risks among employees are rapidly rising on the back of changing work patterns, with teams more distributed, higher expectations, and the boundaries between work and life becoming increasingly blurred.
As per Pazcare, a leading employee benefits platform, metabolic health risks such as hypertension, pre-diabetes and high cholesterol are appearing much earlier in employees’ careers than previously expected.
Insights from insurance claims and health screenings
Drawing on 77,000 insurance claims across 400,000 covered lives over five years, along with 12,000 preventive health screenings, the company’s handbook, Employee Health Matters 2026, reveals how present-day work environments are shifting employee health trends and influencing corporate healthcare costs.
The handbook analyses physical health, mental health, lifestyle risks, and healthcare claim patterns across 14 major health categories.
About 11 per cent of hospital admissions occur without a clear diagnosis at admission, often due to delayed care for symptoms such as fever, fatigue, or infections.
Maternity and lifestyle risks drive costs
The study also reveals that maternity remains the largest healthcare cost driver, accounting for nearly 20 per cent of all hospitalisations in group health insurance programs.
One in four men aged 31 to 35 has abnormal HbA1c levels, signalling early risk of pre-diabetes and employees aged 20 to 35 account for 63 per cent of all cholesterol abnormalities, said the study.
Nearly 50 per cent of male employees under 35 show abnormal blood pressure, and maternity care tops healthcare costs, 42-48 per cent higher in metro cities, it said.
High-cost claims often involve dependents
The analysis also shows that while employees frequently utilise corporate health insurance, the highest-cost claims are often driven by dependents, especially parents.
Sanchit Malik, Cofounder and CEO, Pazcare, said employee health (physical, mental, and emotional) is one of the most critical factors impacting productivity, retention, and long-term business growth.
The handbook is based on real-world data from tens of thousands of insurance claims and health check-ups across organisations in India, he said.
Companies that view employee health as a strategic priority will build stronger, more resilient teams, while those that treat it as a checkbox will risk falling behind, he added.