Glossary
Employee Health & Benefits Glossary
Plain-English definitions of the health, insurance, benefits and workplace-safety terms HR teams and employees come across most.
A
- AbsenteeismAbsenteeism is frequent or unplanned absence from work, often linked to illness, stress, caregiving or disengagement, beyond normal approved leave.
- Annual Health CheckupAn annual health checkup is a yearly set of tests and a doctor review that helps spot health risks early, before symptoms appear.
B
- Benefits AdministrationBenefits administration is the work of setting up, enrolling, managing, paying for and supporting employee benefits across their full annual cycle.
- Benefits UtilisationBenefits utilisation measures how much employees actually use the health and wellness benefits their employer offers, not just how many are enrolled.
- Body Mass Index (BMI)Body Mass Index (BMI) is a simple weight-for-height measure used to screen adults for underweight, overweight and obesity.
- BurnoutBurnout is a state of exhaustion, detachment and reduced effectiveness caused by chronic workplace stress that has not been managed well.
C
- Cashless ClaimA cashless claim lets an insured person get hospital treatment at a network hospital while the insurer settles the approved bill directly.
- Chronic Disease ManagementChronic disease management is ongoing, coordinated care that helps people live well with long-term conditions like diabetes or high blood pressure.
- Claims AdjudicationClaims adjudication is the process an insurer or TPA uses to check a health claim against policy terms and decide how much to pay.
- Co-pay (Co-payment)A co-pay is a fixed percentage of each admissible health insurance claim that the insured person pays, with the insurer paying the rest.
- Corporate Wellness ProgramA corporate wellness program is an employer-led set of health and wellbeing activities designed to help employees stay healthy at and beyond work.
D
- Dimensions of WellnessThe dimensions of wellness are the interconnected areas of life, such as physical, mental, social and financial, that together shape overall wellbeing.
- DPDP Act, 2023The Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 is India's law on how organizations collect, use and protect individuals' digital personal data.
E
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP)An Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is an employer-funded, confidential service offering counselling and support for personal and work-related issues.
- Employee WellbeingEmployee wellbeing is the overall physical, mental, financial and social health of employees, shaped by both personal factors and work.
- Employees' State Insurance (ESI)Employees' State Insurance (ESI) is India's social security scheme giving eligible lower-wage employees medical care and cash benefits.
- ErgonomicsErgonomics is designing work, workstations and tasks to fit the people doing them, reducing strain, discomfort and injury risk.
- Executive Health CheckupAn executive health checkup is a more detailed preventive health assessment, often with cardiac and imaging tests, usually offered to senior staff.
F
- Family FloaterA family floater is a health insurance structure where a single sum insured is shared by all covered family members in a policy year.
- Flexible Benefits PlanA flexible benefits plan lets employees choose how to use part of their benefits budget, picking the health and wellness options that suit them.
G
H
- HbA1c (Glycated Haemoglobin)HbA1c is a blood test that reflects average blood sugar over roughly the past two to three months, used to screen for and monitor diabetes.
- Health Risk Assessment (HRA)A health risk assessment is a confidential questionnaire, often paired with basic measurements, that estimates a person's lifestyle and health risks.
- Health WalletA health wallet is a fixed annual amount an employer gives each employee to spend on approved healthcare like consultations, medicines and tests.
I
L
M
- Maternity Benefit ActThe Maternity Benefit Act, 1961 gives eligible women employees in India paid maternity leave and related protections, such as crèche access.
- Mental Health First AidMental health first aid is the initial help given to someone experiencing a mental health problem or crisis until professional support is available.
N
O
- Occupational Health and Safety (OHS)Occupational health and safety (OHS) is the practice of preventing work-related injuries and illnesses and protecting employees' health at work.
- Occupational Health Centre (OHC)An Occupational Health Centre (OHC) is an on-site medical facility at a workplace for first aid, emergencies, health checks and work-related care.
- OPD (Outpatient Department)OPD covers medical care that doesn't need hospital admission, such as doctor visits, diagnostic tests and prescribed medicines.
- OSH Code, 2020The OSH Code, 2020 is India's labour code consolidating laws on workplace safety, health and working conditions, including the Factories Act.
P
- Periodic Medical Examination (PME)A periodic medical examination (PME) is a scheduled health check during employment to track workers' health, especially where jobs carry health risks.
- POSH (Prevention of Sexual Harassment)POSH refers to India's 2013 law on preventing and redressing sexual harassment of women at work, including the duty to set up an Internal Committee.
- Pre-Employment Medical CheckupA pre-employment medical checkup assesses whether a new hire is medically fit for the specific demands of a role before they join.
- Pre-Existing Disease (PED)A pre-existing disease is a condition diagnosed or treated within a defined period before a health policy starts, which may carry a waiting period.
- PresenteeismPresenteeism is when employees work while unwell, exhausted or distracted, so they are present but unable to perform or feel their best.
- Preventive HealthcarePreventive healthcare covers actions such as screening, vaccination and lifestyle support that help prevent illness or catch it early.
- Psychological SafetyPsychological safety is a shared belief within a team that it is safe to speak up, ask questions, admit mistakes and disagree without fear of punishment.
R
- Reimbursement ClaimA reimbursement claim is when the insured pays the hospital or provider first and then submits bills and documents to the insurer for repayment.
- Room Rent CappingRoom rent capping limits the daily hospital room charges a health policy pays and can trigger proportionate deductions on related costs.
S
- Statutory Employee BenefitsStatutory employee benefits are the benefits Indian law requires employers to provide, such as provident fund, ESI, gratuity and maternity benefit.
- Sub-limitA sub-limit is a cap within the sum insured on how much a health policy will pay for a specific treatment, condition or expense.
- Sum InsuredSum insured is the maximum amount a health insurance policy will pay for covered claims during a policy year.
T
- TeleconsultationA teleconsultation is a medical consultation with a registered doctor by video, audio or chat instead of an in-person clinic visit.
- Third Party Administrator (TPA)A Third Party Administrator (TPA) is an IRDAI-licensed entity that processes health insurance claims and cashless approvals on behalf of insurers.
- Top-up and Super Top-up Health InsuranceTop-up and super top-up plans add extra health cover above a set deductible, extending a base policy at a lower premium than raising the sum insured.