More employees admitted that they value flexible working over wellbeing perks such as gym memberships and stress management apps, according to Investors In People.
The people management and employee wellbeing accreditation organisation carried out a survey through YouGov of more than 1,000 people and 500 HR decision makers. It found while HR decision makers said their organisation offers a range of wellbeing initiatives, employees are less likely to say their employer actually does.
The most important drivers of job satisfaction were found to be supportive management, open communication and flexible working, rated as more important to job satisfaction than wellbeing initiatives such as fitness memberships, classes and apps, office health and nutrition programmes and stress management workshops.
According to employees, the most valued, effective and well-used wellbeing initiative is flexible working, with more than 90% of respondents who are offered this agreeing. Meanwhile, 83% see flexible working as effective in improving their wellbeing and 68% said they use flexible working very or fairly often.
In addition, 27% of employees see health and wellbeing apps as effective in improving their wellbeing and 25% think stress management workshops are effective. Half (49%) said they never use stress management workshops and 47% never use health and wellbeing apps.
While 72% of HR decision makers in businesses that offer gym memberships believe that employees find it valuable, only 41% of employees find it valuable, and 33% see it as not valuable. Additionally, almost three-fifths (59%) have never used their gym memberships.
Paul Devoy, chief executive of Investors In People, said: “When it comes to wellbeing at work, employees would choose general improvements in workplace culture over reactive wellness interventions. If employers continue to insist on focusing on the symptoms over the root causes, such as unsustainable workload, poor management or lack of flexibility, they are unlikely to improve employee wellbeing.
“That’s not to say that the more tangible wellness benefits are pointless, they are still used and valued by many employees, but they must be underpinned by a strong culture of wellbeing and a holistic wellbeing.”
