Almost two-fifths (38%) of employees are under excessive pressure at work at least once a week, according to research from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).
Its Growing the health and wellbeing agenda: From first steps to full potential study, which surveyed X workers and organisations, also found that 61% of employers are more reactive than proactive in their approach to wellbeing.
The research also found:
- Just 8% of employer respondents now have a standalone wellbeing strategy that supports the wider organisational strategy.
- 43% of employer respondents believe that long working hours are now the norm for their organisation to a great or moderate extent.
- Less than two-fifths (18%) of employer respondents monitor the cost of employee absence for their organisation.
- 57% of organisation respondents cited that wellbeing is taken into account in business decisions only to a little extent, or not at all.
Sir Professor Cary Cooper (pictured), president of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, said: “A workforce that is well [also] works well, but we’re still seeing far too many people doing more work than they can cope with, working long or unsociable hours, suffering from technology overload and unable to switch off. Organisations need to take better care of their people and recognise how the demands of work can affect their physical and mental health, as well as their ability to perform well at work.
“In the fast changing world of work, wellbeing has never been more important.
“Prevention is better than a cure; it’s high time that business leaders recognise this and create cultures in organisations in which wellbeing is centre stage and people are happy, healthy and committed to achieving organisational success.”
