A new report has shown that more employers are becoming aware of the vital role they play in ensuring that good quality work is not only good for their employee’s welfare, but is also the key to productivity.
A growing proportion of employers are providing counselling services as most organisations are increasing their focus on mental health - with 40 per cent having a standalone well-being strategy. Comparing figures with last year, 61 per cent of respondents agreed that employee well-being is now on the senior leaders’ agendas against 55% last year. However, 16.5 per cent are still not doing anything to improve their employees’ well-being.
Unmanageable workloads - say 62 per cent of HR professionals - and management style quoted by 43 per cent, are two top causes of stress in the workplace.
Poor financial well-being is cited as being a significant cause of employee stress by 25 per cent of respondents. Nearly 50 per cent state that they regularly communicate reward policies to staff so they understand the benefits on offer and the choices available - but fewer of them consult the employees to assess how well their benefit offering is meeting their financial needs.
In nearly two-thirds of businesses, line managers are expected to take prime responsibility for managing short-term absence, despite the fact that only 50 per cent of organisations train managers to manage stress. Only 37 per cent of businesses provide any training or guidance for line managers to spot the warning signs of presenteeism – but 79 per cent rely on their managers to send people home when they are unwell. The average level of absence is 5.9 days per employee per year - or 2.6 per cent of working time lost - and is the lowest ever recorded by the survey.
Mental ill health - along with stress, skeletal injuries and acute medical conditions - is increasingly prevalent as a cause of both short and long-term absence.
The survey finds that when line managers are advised of the importance of health and well-being, businesses are more likely to report that stress is well managed. Training line managers and providing them with tailored support are among the most effective methods. HR should, therefore, look for simple, low-cost ways to start building healthier workplaces.
Rachel Suff - Senior Policy Adviser at CIPD - who led the research, says:
“Not only are most managers ill equipped to support their teams through times of stress, but if they don’t go about their role in the right way, the impact on people’s well-being can be harmful. Employers can introduce a suite of exemplary well-being policies and make a serious investment in employee health, but if their activity is not rooted in how people are managed, it will not have real impact.”
She added:
“Our research shows that manager buy-in is crucial, so HR teams should focus communications with managers on what’s in it for them: when their team’s happy, healthy and engaged in their work, they’re more likely to meet their goals and contribute to the team’s success.”
