Two-thirds (66%) of respondents make a link between employee engagement and wellbeing in the workplace, but only 33% follow through with a wellbeing strategy, according to research by Edenred and EnergiseYou.
The research, Health and wellbeing at work, which surveyed 200 senior HR professionals, found that 47% of respondents said the health and wellbeing of their staff is good or excellent.
Fewer than half (46%) of respondents said they believe their health and wellbeing activities met their objectives, while 11% said they did not and 39% did not know.
The research also found that 76% said a lack of financial investment and organisational buy-in was a barrier in achieving wellbeing objectives.
Andy Philpott, sales and marketing director at Edenred, said: “There is a real opportunity for organisations to work harder to personalise and communicate wellbeing activities and benefits much more effectively.”
Oliver Gray, managing director at EnergiseYou, added: “With sickness absence and stress levels rising in UK workplaces, employee health and wellbeing can no longer be left off the agenda; it needs to be prioritised.
“By getting backing from those at the top, HR has a huge opportunity to improve the health and wellbeing of staff and increase the profits of the business.”
HR professionals that are successful “achieving wellbeing objectives” for the organization tend to articulate “well-being” more holistically. Our survey on employee well-being found that satisfaction with personal life (54%) resilience, humor and optimism (21%) trumps health and wellness (8%) and job satisfaction (13%) as having the most influence on individual well-being. While each workforce index will vary, organizations that focus primarily on health and wellness will miss important metrics that can contribute to the overall well-being and sustainable business outcomes.