Feature insight - Employee welfare and wellbeing
Annabel Jones, HR director at ADP UK, discusses workplace health and wellbeing programmes and priorities
W ellbeing programmes used nice add-on, if you could afford it, but not business critical, or something that would really make a difference to the bottom line. In the last few years, however, employers have realised that keeping employees healthy and happy is central to reducing absenteeism, while maximising employee engagement, productivity and business success. A report from the Reward & Employee Benefits Association (http:// bit.ly/2rqXRjK), found that 45% of UK companies now have a clearly defined wellbeing strategy in place, compared to less than a third (30%) in 2016. Meanwhile, a study by Towers Watson (http://bit.ly/2qrClNh) found that globally, employers with highly effective programs reported "34% higher revenue per employee.” Health and wellbeing programmes have also evolved from being primarily focused on physical wellbeing to taking a much more holistic approach, incorporating physical health, mental and emotional health and health and safety. The Reward & Employee Benefits Association found that of those employers running a programme, 86% focus on promoting physical activity and 82% on mental health, suggesting the two are now equally important for the majority of organisations. Wellbeing is a wide-ranging area, incorporating a plethora of different issues. However, there are four key health priorities that employers should be focusing on. ● Obesity and diabetes – Britain is now the fattest country in western Europe, and we’re getting fatter, with six in ten adults now overweight or obese, up from about five in ten two decades ago. And employers are paying the price, with obese workers taking four extra sick days per year, equating to thousands of pounds of lost productivity (http://bit.ly/2rf0BDC). With a big stake in to be considered a luxury for many businesses. They were a
tackling the problem, employers can do so with some simple steps, such as introducing cycle to work schemes, discounted gym memberships, pedometers and encouraging walking meetings or exercise clubs. ...incorporating physical health, mental and emotional health and health and safety ● Mental health and stress – One in four adults in the UK will experience a mental health condition in any given year, with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development estimating the cost of mental health to the UK economy at £70bn per year, equating to 4.5% of gross domestic product. Meanwhile, the impact of stress in the workplace is also at an all-time high, with the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (http://bit. ly/2kqXDrT) naming stress as the leading cause of long-term absence (53%) and the second-highest cause of short-term absence (47%). To help combat the problem, employers should therefore implement a mixture of initiatives, both to deal with the causes of stress and mental health issues, and help employees to manage problems when they arise. The former involves creating a supportive management culture and a healthy working environment, while discouraging long hours and ‘always on’ working. In terms of the latter, employers should be providing employee assistance programmes and occupational health services, where employees can go in confidence if they’re facing an issue. ● Musculoskeletal issues and back care – According to the Health and Safety Executive, last year an estimated 8.8 million
working days were lost due to work related musculoskeletal disorders. That’s an average of sixteen days lost for each case and accounts for a massive 34% of all working days lost due to work related ill health. Employers therefore have a responsibility to take steps to reduce the incidence of these problems, through carrying out risk assessments, providing the right furniture and equipment, and giving employees posture, sitting, lifting and exercise advice. Another solution is to provide access to physiotherapy services for those suffering with musculoskeletal pain to help them continue working without discomfort. ● Sedentary lifestyles – British people sit down for an average of 8.9 hours a day, and it is increasing the risk of serious health issues, including obesity, heart disease, back problems, deep vein thrombosis, brittle bones, dementia and depression. And undoubtedly, one of the big problems is the workplace. New technology might have made us more efficient, but it has not done us many favours health-wise, enabling us to do almost everything from one sedentary position. Employers therefore have a crucial role in encouraging desk-based workers to stand up and move around regularly, with experts saying that standing for as little as two hours a day can help. Other measures include investing in sit-stand desks and varied work spaces, while encouraging stand-up meetings and regular breaks. When introducing health and wellbeing initiatives into the workplace, the right focus and approach will depend on the culture and needs of each organisation. That means developing individual objectives and a strategy that is driven from the top to ensure buy in from across the organisation. Finally, not everything you try will be effective, so measurement and evaluation are essential to ensure you’re constantly improving and enhancing your approach. Your employees and your organisation will thank you for it. n
45
Issue 31 | June 2017
| Professional in Payroll, Pensions and Reward |
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online