A recent YouGov poll showed that staff well-being is falling down the list of priorities for employers, with statistics showing:
The survey of 1009 British companies and 2009 staff, commissioned by welltech company Frog Systems, was conducted last December and revealed that most employers saw attracting and retaining talent, and improving productivity, as their main priority.
Since the pandemic, most staff said they had returned to normal working practices, with fewer than half reporting that they still had the option of flexible working, including being able to work from home and to choose when they work.
Only 2% of employees said they felt confident about going to their boss if they had a problem in their personal life or with their finances, whilst only 1% would talk to a work colleague. More people said they would research their issue online before going to their line manager with an issue.
The survey followed a publication by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, which showed worrying levels of in-work poverty. It said employers should be doing more to ease the pressure on staff facing financial difficulties, including offering flexible working and more secure shifts, creating a compassionate workplace culture, and signposting employees to specialist support.
Marcus Herbert, head of well-being at the British Safety Council, said: "Employers who don’t invest in employee wellbeing may be missing out on the productivity benefits it can provide".
"SMEs are more likely to suffer if an employee, who is crucial to their operation, has to take time off work to deal with stress or because they have a repetitive strain injury".
Mental health adviser and former CBI deputy director general, Henrietta Jowitt, said: "If you don’t understand your colleagues’ needs and look after their well-being, so that they feel they are safe, belong and are supported in a way that works for them, they will neither stay nor produce their best work".
The survey showed that while demand for mental health and well-being services among staff was high, particularly for stress and anxiety and the cost-of-living crisis, a significant number of workers said they received little or no support from bosses, or the services that were provided were not always of value to them.
One in four businesses said they ran well-being workshops but they were only used by 4% of staff. 32% of businesses said they offered support from a mental health First Aid trainer, but this was only taken up by 2% of employees.
34% and 24% of employers said they provided employee assistance programmes and well-being apps, but both solutions were used by just 5% of staff.
The survey showed that the size of businesses, where they are in the country, and what sector they are in, determined how much, if any, support employers provided. Age also played a part, with demand for support with the cost of living most marked among young employees.
Workers were best supported in London where one in five companies reported spending more than £500 per employee per year. But those working in hospitality, leisure and retail are among the poorest served by employers, whilst those in professional services, IT and telecoms receive the most support.
Only one in ten of those working for an SME reported having access to an employee assistance programme and 37% were able to work flexibly. Fewer than one in ten said they had access to well-being workshops, support from a mental health first aider, or well-being apps.
While 47% of all employees said they had access to flexible working, there was a wide variation across industries. The option was open to:
There was also a geographical split of those being able to work flexibly, with:
Phil Worms, CEO of Frog Systems, said: "Solutions which are reactive, standalone, ‘tick box,’ not trusted, or do not provide sufficient insight will not enable the deployment of early intervention and support strategies".
"By listening to, and understanding what employees need, companies can start to build stronger, more empathetic and productive work environments. Access to well-being support should not be a lottery or a privilege".
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