Medical costs in Ireland rose by 4.2 percent last year, according to a new report.
Mercer's survey says this was six times higher than the rate of inflation.
The top factors behind the increase are heart, dietary and mental-health issues.
The survey also claims all three Irish health insurers have significantly increased their premiums this year.
Mercer's Aisling Kelly says companies should do more to improve their employees' health, "from an employer perspective first and foremost they should look at the health insurance plans that are being offered to employees where they have them in place and make sure they're up to date and offer value for money. But fundamentally employers should try and take a step back and analyse the health needs of their employees and have a range of supports in place to address them."
