33% believe their overall wellbeing is not important to their employer

Laura-Matthews

A third (33%) of respondents believe their overall wellbeing is not important to their employer, according to research by Barnett Waddingham.

Its Why BWell 2017 report, which surveyed 933 UK employees, also found that 22% of respondents feel that negative attitudes from their managers hinder their ability to balance work and family commitments.

The research also found:

  • 31% of respondents state that their job has a negative impact on their mental health.
  • 80% of respondents perceive the level of wellbeing within their organisation to be moderate or low, compared to 21% who believe wellbeing is very important to their organisation.
  • 26% of respondents are struggling to manage the pressures of the workplace
  • 92% of respondents think that a happier workplace is more productive, and 89% see the importance of a healthy work-life balance.
  • 55% of respondents are unsure or have no certain outlook for retirement.

Laura Matthews (pictured), workplace wellbeing consultant at Barnett Waddingham, said: “The term wellbeing continues to be an industry buzzword with many organisations starting to realise the true importance of this. Strategies are often focused exclusively on health, whereas there are many other factors to be considered such as the culture of a firm, support from line management or even down to where employees are on their financial journey.

“There is a comparable difference between what employers think their employees want in comparison to what the employees really need. Addressing the needs of the workforce with a bespoke yet holistic wellbeing strategy is important to improve overall wellbeing, happiness, productivity and staff retention; enabling them to flourish and make more informed, educated choices. Measurement of this is key to tracking the return on investment and ensuring the strategy remains fit for purpose.

“With some consideration, UK [organisations] can take a number of simple steps to reduce workplace pressure, create a better environment for them to flourish by bridging the gap with their employees.”