More than a quarter (26%) of UK employees believe their employer is responsible for their wellbeing, according to research by benefits provider Reward Gateway.
Its 2025 Workplace wellbeing report, which surveyed 4,002 UK employees, also found that 29% of respondents believe their employer cares about their wellbeing and 88% agree that organisations which care for their staff will retain them for longer.
More than a third (34%) of respondents are more loyal to an organisation that cares for their wellbeing and 80% believe it helps to attract a more diverse group of employees.
A quarter (26%) feel comfortable talking about mental wellbeing at work and have access to benefits to help them manage their wellbeing at work.
Just 18% said their employer focuses a lot of time and effort on their wellbeing at work, while 21% would stay with their employer because of the support it provides, and 15% said the support from their current employer was the main reason for joining and staying.
In addition, 41% believe their partners and spouses are most responsible for their wellbeing, followed by 27% who believe doctors and healthcare providers are responsible, and 16% who cite their parents and children.
Meanwhile, 15% of respondents said their friends were responsible for their wellbeing, 13% said the government, 11% cited other family members, 9% stated their siblings and 4% said their grandparents.
Chris Britton, people experience director at Reward Gateway, said: “It’s crystal clear that wellbeing is increasingly taking priority for employees, and employers need to be taking note. With more than a quarter believing that employers share responsibility for their wellbeing, having propositions, benefits and values in place that meet the evolving needs of employees is becoming a crucial factor in recruitment and retention for businesses.
“As sourcing and retaining talent becomes harder in a competitive environment, employers which fail to meet the wellbeing demands of their employees risk losing staff, reducing productivity and, ultimately, damaging their bottom line.”
