Research carried out by Group Risk Development (Grid) has found that one in ten UK employers don’t believe in supporting the emotional and social wellbeing of their employees1.
However, Brian Hall, chief commercial officer at BHSF, believes it is refreshing that 90% of UK employers aim to support their employees’ social and emotional needs. Hall also adds there will be consequences for those employers who don’t support their employees.
“It’s really positive that nine out of ten UK employers look to support their workers especially in this changing world where mental health is becoming a major issue.
“However of those organisations, how many of them offer EAPs and how many employees make use of them? Do they, for instance, have staff who have been trained in providing mental health first aid?
“As for the one in ten, the absence of tangible interaction between an employer and their employee can lead to a worker feeling disillusioned. Rather than talking to their manager, an employee may simply ask their GP to sign them off with associated costs for the employer.
“Businesses could suffer if they do not show empathy towards their employees and, as a result, could end up losing them. Excessive recruitment turnover costs are bad for a business so they need to do all they can to support their workers. Fail to do this and organisations could end up losing talented employees. No forward-thinking organisation can afford to ignore the emotional wellbeing of its most valued asset in my opinion.”
Flexible working
One in four Brits say their commute means they are exhausted before they even get to work2. Hall feels that giving employees the option of flexible working can bring benefits not just to the employee but to the organisation.
“Flexibility allows those who would have left the workforce either temporarily, or permanently to stay in work by achieving a good work-life balance.
“A poor work-life balance is one of the major reasons why an employee may leave a job. It is no wonder that flexible working is one of the most sought-after employee benefits amongst job seekers.
“Flexible working doesn’t just allow employees to achieve the coveted work-life balance, as 89% of employees believe flexible working is key to boosting productivity levels and believe that it increases their productivity and efficiency3.
“Offering flexible working to support employee wellbeing can help to produce a resilient, productive and happy workforce. I’d strongly recommend employers to offer the option of flexible working for their employees.”
1 – https://employeebenefits.co.uk/12-supporting-social-wellbeing/
