The majority (93%) of employer-respondents across Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) believe there is a correlation between health and employee performance, according to research by Aon.
Its Aon health survey, which is based on responses from 500 HR directors and risk managers from 22 countries across EMEA, also found that only 32% of respondents' organisations have emotional and/or psychological health programmes in place.
The research also found:
- 69% of respondents name limited budgets as the biggest challenge to implementing health strategies.
- 13% of respondents measure the outcomes of current employee health strategies.
- 65% cite stress and mental health as the employee health and wellness issues causing them most concern, 53% name employees’ physical health as the biggest issue, and 49% believe unhealthy employee lifestyles is th biggest issue.
- 49% of respondents see improving employee engagement as a priority, and 51% are focused on attracting and retaining talent.
- 23% of respondents are looking to put programmes in place to help employees manage their money more efficiently.
Mario Hooglugt, health leader at Aon EMEA, said: “The fact that the vast majority of EMEA employers see a correlation between employee health and performance is encouraging. This thinking has quite rightly entered the corporate psyche, a far cry from a few years ago. However, this journey needs to continue to progress.
“Now it’s about putting a strategy in place to support employees as well as measuring a programme’s performance to ensure that it benefits corporate objectives effectively.”
Matthew Lawrence, head of broking and proposition for health and risk at Aon Employee Benefits, added: “With stress and mental health issues commonplace and the biggest recognised health issue for employers, it is disappointing to see that less than a third of respondents are addressing this with emotional or psychological health programmes. Helping to support the mental wellbeing of employees is crucial if they are to remain happy, present and productive.”
