Extent of poor workplace wellness
Poor wellness in the workplace is a significant issue at present in the UK, impacting both individuals and their organisations.
Let’s look at what that looks like and to what extent:
- 60% of Adults in the UK report experiencing stress, anxiety or depression at some point according to the Mental Health Foundation.
- In 2021/2022, 17.9 Million working days were lost due to work-related mental health conditions according to the HSE.
- 29% of Adults in the UK have a long-term health condition. Many of which impact the ability to work efficiently according to the ONS
Cost of poor workplace wellness
Poor workplace wellness, both mental and physical is estimated to cost UK businesses around £18 billion annually in lost working days according to research by HSE.
Staff with health issues (mental or physical) are more prone to absenteeism. Research from CIPD estimates that over 50% of UK employees have worked while unwell in the past year, resulting in a serious impact on productivity and creativity and overall performance.
Employees who are struggling with wellness issues, especially if they feel unsupported are less likely to engage in their work. An engagement report by Gallup in 2021 found employees with mental health issues struggles are more likely to experience low job satisfaction and lack of motivation.
Unfortunately poor wellness has a knock-on effect across teams. If employees see colleagues struggling with health issues or burnout, it can markedly reduce team morale and adversely impact your culture and collaboration.
Wellness challenges can increase turnover rates. Staff who don’t feel supported can often seek more supporting work environments. There are also spill-over challenges as staff, who are not directly impacted, may face higher workloads themselves as a result.
Mental health issues, particularly stress and anxiety, can impact creativity and problem-solving which impacts innovation and organisational agility.
The combination of the above can have a significant operational and financial (turnover) impact as well as affect your people.
How employee voice can improve workplace wellness challenges
Strong employee voice can play a key part in understanding and improving workplace wellness challenges. Below we outline some of the key benefits:
- Understanding the problem: Challenges are easier to tackle when you know about them. Listening to your people and gathering feedback regularly helps identify both early signs, and the extent of any mental or physical health challenges. The allows the organisation to provide support before issues become more severe.
- Supportive work environments: Open communication between organisations and your people helps to create an environment where staff feel heard, supported and valued. This is likely to enhance job satisfaction and reduce work-related stress.
- Building a positive organisational culture: When organisations make listening ‘business as usual’, staff are more likely to feel a sense of belonging which contributes to feeling more motivated, and potentially, less stressed.
- Tailoring work practices: Regularly engaging with your people about their needs and concerns, can help businesses to develop tailored work practices and wellness programs that address both mental and physical health challenges. This could include for example, flexible working arrangements, mental health resources, wellness days, and employee assistance programs.
- Creating a culture of support: A positive work environment which fosters open communication and wellness initiatives can lead to increased job satisfaction and employee loyalty.
- Employee retention: When staff feel support at work, they are more likely to remain with the company long-term. This reduces turnover and saves costs and also promotes a stable and committed workforce.
Workplace wellness in summary
Employee voice plays a key part in understanding your people and any challenges they may be facing.
By understanding and acknowledging the extent of poor wellness and addressing it proactively organisations can reduce its impact on both their workforce and their bottom line.
Addressing mental and physical wellness is not just a moral obligation, but also a strategic business decision which benefits employees and enhances overall company performance.
How WorkInConfidence support organisations with workplace wellness
Why not book in a demonstration of our anonymous two-way reporting, see how quick and easy our surveys are to create and complete – together with HR case management reporting for real-time insights. You will see how our solutions integrate to give you an overall picture of the health of your organisation.
WorkInConfidence online platform is cloud-based and easy to use on PC, phone or tablet. We are quick and easy to get started with, trusted by your people, insightful for your management and proven by our extensive user base.
WorkInConfidence joins up trusted employee voice with management insights into the state of your organisation so you can learn, develop and thrive, no matter your size.
A safe and secure two-way anonymous channel for your people to raise concerns via phone, tablet, or PC, ensuring you are aware of any workplace issues and can respond quickly and accordingly
Easily set up, run and interpret surveys on engagement, respect, wellness or other topics to ensure you always understand your people, their needs and motivations.
A secure phone line with a dedicated Speak Up Guardian for your employees to raise concerns with. We also provide training in Freedom to Speak Up, Speaking up and safeguarding processes.
