Supporting employee wellbeing is more important than ever

Research from a recent global survey has shown that employee wellbeing has become even more important to workers than it was during the pandemic. In this blog post we share key findings from the survey and look at how employers can better prioritise wellbeing in the workplace.

What is the employee wellbeing survey?

10 October marked World Mental Health Day – a day to champion the importance of prioritising our mental health. With this in mind, we read with interest the recent survey, called Disconnect to Reconnect, from Switzerland-based human resources organisation Adecco.

The survey asked employees and companies in 16 countries, including Great Britain, about wellbeing in the workplace. They were particularly interested in exploring effects of the pandemic and the capability of companies to promote staff wellbeing.

Employee wellbeing survey: key findings

You can read the results of the survey in full on the Adecco website or take a look at our summary of the key findings below.

The results of the survey fall into three key categories:

Ways of working

The pandemic has undoubtably changed the ways that we work. The survey shows:

• Work flexibility (i.e. hours, location) is the new normal with 30% of respondents working from home an average of three days a week
• Those working from home were less stressed than when they worked from the office. However, homeworkers tended to give more importance to mental health support
• Of those working from home, only 71% have a dedicated space to do so

Disconnecting from work

Many employees find it hard to ‘switch off’ from work once they finish for the day. The survey shows:

• 45% of respondents said they work after business hours an average of three days a week. 60% check their emails after business hours four days a week
• Spending time with friends is the most popular way (41%) of disconnecting from work. This is followed by watching TV, exercising, and listening to music
• In Great Britain, exercise is the second most popular way of disconnecting from work

Workplace wellbeing

Employers are not always offering the offering the right wellbeing support. The survey shows:

• The top things an employer can provide to improve staff wellbeing are a flexible location, flexible schedule and health insurance. In Great Britain, health insurance is replaced with psychological help
• Workers with no flexible work location (i.e. only working from the office) are more likely to leave their jobs in the next two years
• 45% of workers don’t feel supported by their company when it comes to wellbeing

Perhaps the most important takeaway is that wellbeing remains a key issue for employees. Even before COVID-19, workers were stressed and anxious. Now, with ongoing effects of the pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis putting additional strain on employees, wellbeing is more important than ever.

How can employers respond?

Be flexible

What is clear from the survey is that employees want flexible working and find it helps their mental health. The good news for employers is that flexible working comes in many forms. If you’re not able to offer homeworking for example, you might be able to offer part-time options or flexible hours. Consider what’s possible in your business and implement flexibility where you can. It will give you the edge when it comes to recruiting and retaining staff.

Shockingly, around 30% of those working from home don’t have a dedicated space to do so. This number increases significantly if you have a younger workforce. Support your employees to homework by ensuring they have everything they need to do so safely and effectively. Many employers now offer one-off payments to purchase desks, chairs and other equipment for home offices. Some also offer to reimburse employees for certain household expenses such as heating, electricity and internet.

Create a wellbeing culture

With such a large chunk of the workforce working outside of business hours, it’s no wonder staff are finding it difficult to switch off at the end of the day. Lead from the front and make a conscious effort to finish on time when you can. Try not to email your team outside of the normal working day or make it clear you don’t expect a reply until the next day.

With exercise being the second most preferred way to disconnect from work in Great Britain, you could also look at ways to support staff with their fitness. Some offices are designed to include gyms so staff don’t need to travel elsewhere to keep fit before or after work. Other employers offer gym memberships or subsidies as part of employee assistance programmes.

Finally, if you do decide to strengthen your wellbeing offer, make sure staff know what’s available. With almost half of survey respondents feeing their employer doesn’t do enough to support their wellbeing, it’s likely at least some of them are just not aware of the support they can access.

Employee wellbeing and the workplace

Great office design can really help to create a culture of wellbeing in your organisation. Find out more about how offices can support workplace wellbeing in this blog post or get in touch to start your office transformation.