Nearly three quarters (74%) of employers stated that they offer more health and wellbeing support now than they did two years ago, with 42% stating they now offer ‘much more’ support.
That’s according to research from Towergate Health & Protection, which says that while the increase in support is a positive move, companies it surveyed are still encountering employee issues that affect their business such as quiet quitting, and staff turnover.
The research conducted by Opinium among 500 HR professionals in January 2024.
The figures show that while health and wellbeing support has been given a significant boost by employers over the past couple of years, some of the biggest issues faced by businesses could still be eased by directing that support in the right ways.
Employee-focussed problems currently faced by businesses:
Quiet quitting (doing the bare minimum the role involves, without effort or enthusiasm) – 35%
Staff turnover – 34%
Hybrid working – 31%
Presenteeism (people continuing to work when they’re not really well enough to) – 30%
Absence rates – 27%
Early retirement – 24%
N/A our business does not suffer any of these problems – 15%
Don’t know / not sure – 2%
Debra Clark, head of wellbeing for Towergate Health & Protection, said: “While health and wellbeing support has increased significantly, it is vital that it is focussed on the right areas and communicated effectively to support both the business and the employee.”
“So many of the employee-related issues in the workplace, including quiet quitting, staff turnover, hybrid working, presenteeism, absence rates and early retirement are inextricably linked to wellbeing, and the right support can help alleviate them.
“Many of the issues businesses currently face relating to employees can be eased by carefully planned and executed health and wellbeing support. But employers have to do more than just put general support in place – it needs to be aimed at helping to address the specific issues that a business is facing.”
The research states that employers should look at the specific needs of their business, to look at what support can be of most help. Staff surveys and employee forums can be extremely useful in ascertaining employees’ requirements if the right questions are asked, and risk profiling can help to further identify areas of need and focus the type and direction of support.
Particularly with so many employees now working on a hybrid basis, having a digital platform for health and wellbeing support makes it easier for employees to access support that’s relevant for them, and for employers to evaluate the utilisation, so the appropriateness of support can be continually reviewed.
Clark added: “Just throwing money at health and wellbeing support will have very little positive impact, and very few companies can afford to do this. A strategic approach must be taken to ensure that the help they are offering not only assists the employees but supports the business with their specific issues too.”
You can read much more about Mental Health & Wellbeing at work in our dedicated section here, which covers off all aspects of employee support, including best practice around duty of care, company policies, incident reporting and reasonable adjustments.
