New research has found that 41% of the workforce feel that their workplace has negatively impacted on their wellbeing during the Covid-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic.
Global absence organisation Edays, which surveyed 500 employees across the UK to determine the impact of the workplace on their wellbeing and changes to their perceptions over the past two years, revealed that 26% feel worse in terms of their wellbeing than they did in 2019. A further 25% recorded a mixed impact, stating that it has fluctuated.
A third (33%) of the workforce is expecting to feel tired and burnt out in 2022, and 27% feel they are more likely to take sick days from work over the next 12 months.
Additionally, 42% admitted that their organisation does not encourage taking time out to recover more since Coronavirus, and 30% said their employer does not check in with them following a sick day or repeat absences. Meanwhile, 10% reported getting no support for their mental and physical wellbeing in the workplace at all.
Edays CEO Matt Jenkins commented that it is the responsibility of business leaders to implement the right tools and technologies to monitor both physical and mental health of their workforce, as well as managing absences to promote a positive workplace culture and boost business performance.
He explained that it is currently “make or break” for UK employers, as it has never been so crucial to recognise the importance of a well-supported workforce.
“To see that a majority of employees find their workplace has negatively impacted their wellbeing during such a difficult time is disheartening to say the least. As we approach the winter, now is the time to implement an optimised absence management platform to get a better understanding of potential presenteeism within the business and prove to your employees that absence matters,” Jenkins added.