Employers around the globe are becoming increasingly aware of the need to take the wellbeing of their workers seriously and to safeguard their mental health. People are the most valuable resource an organisation has and now more than ever - as employee recruitment and retention become a real challenge for businesses - keeping people happy will pay dividends.
Savvy organisations are taking on the issue of wellbeing because the correlation between happy workers and business success is clear. A number of significant workplace problems such as absenteeism, lack of motivation, low productivity and high staff turnover can be attributed to stress and other mental health concerns going unaddressed.
When a company makes a commitment to hearing and responding to the emotional needs of its workers, they stay in roles longer, perform better and spread the word that their employer is one of ‘the good guys’. According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), a lack of recognition of the need to support workers' wellbeing may exacerbate workplace problems, such as stress, bullying, conflict, alcohol and drug abuse and mental health disorders.
Global mobility and the growing trend for flexible working solutions like remote work also mean that a workforce can be geographically scattered or work physically apart. This can take away both the traditional bonds which form between colleagues and the ability for managers and team leaders to read verbal and visual clues about an employee's state of mind and support them appropriately.
When people work remotely there is an elevated risk of them experiencing feelings of isolation and loneliness. When left unaddressed, such detachment can deepen into more serious issues which have a direct impact on work as well as the potential for home-life consequences. Employing an international workforce brings the benefit of workforce diversity but can also mean that barriers to communication such as language and cultural differences could prevent staff from sharing their struggles.
Findings from Alight and the Business Group on Health’s research series - 2022 Alight International Workforce and Wellbeing Mindset Study - revealed that, although employees across the US and Europe continue to report high levels of stress, a surprising percentage do not take full advantage of their workplace’s wellbeing initiatives. This is despite employers continuing to prioritise these programmes. The figures demonstrate how crucial it is to signpost mental health resources, have an open dialogue about wellbeing and ensure that workers in every location understand the help that is available to them.
Of the 10,000 workers surveyed, 73 per cent reported high or moderate levels of stress and more than one-third (34 per cent) reported suffering symptoms of burnout. Yet only one in three employees said their employer cared about their wellbeing, which is a real cause for concern. Responding to the results, Ellen Kelsay - president and CEO of Business Group on Health - said, “These sentiments demonstrate a disconnect in employees’ views of their workplace wellbeing benefits, as large employers have continued to make significant investments in workforce wellbeing benefits and programs.”
Proactive leadership that openly works towards employee wellbeing with open communication and a focus on learning and development is essential for any organisation committed to fostering an emotionally safe and happy working environment. Especially after the turmoil of recent years. “Workers worldwide found that COVID-19 intensified challenges to wellbeing,” Stephan Scholl - CEO of Alight - said. “As a result, they sometimes face difficulties in showing up to work as their best selves, which ultimately affects companies’ bottom line. At the same time, caring about employee wellbeing is critical to recruiting and retaining talent.”
Read the 2022 Alight International Workforce and Wellbeing Mindset Study in full here.
Employers around the globe are becoming increasingly aware of the need to take the wellbeing of their workers seriously and to safeguard their mental health. People are the most valuable resource an organisation has and now more than ever - as employee recruitment and retention become a real challenge for businesses - keeping people happy will pay dividends.
Savvy organisations are taking on the issue of wellbeing because the correlation between happy workers and business success is clear. A number of significant workplace problems such as absenteeism, lack of motivation, low productivity and high staff turnover can be attributed to stress and other mental health concerns going unaddressed.
When a company makes a commitment to hearing and responding to the emotional needs of its workers, they stay in roles longer, perform better and spread the word that their employer is one of ‘the good guys’. According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), a lack of recognition of the need to support workers' wellbeing may exacerbate workplace problems, such as stress, bullying, conflict, alcohol and drug abuse and mental health disorders.
Global mobility and the growing trend for flexible working solutions like remote work also mean that a workforce can be geographically scattered or work physically apart. This can take away both the traditional bonds which form between colleagues and the ability for managers and team leaders to read verbal and visual clues about an employee's state of mind and support them appropriately.
When people work remotely there is an elevated risk of them experiencing feelings of isolation and loneliness. When left unaddressed, such detachment can deepen into more serious issues which have a direct impact on work as well as the potential for home-life consequences. Employing an international workforce brings the benefit of workforce diversity but can also mean that barriers to communication such as language and cultural differences could prevent staff from sharing their struggles.
Findings from Alight and the Business Group on Health’s research series - 2022 Alight International Workforce and Wellbeing Mindset Study - revealed that, although employees across the US and Europe continue to report high levels of stress, a surprising percentage do not take full advantage of their workplace’s wellbeing initiatives. This is despite employers continuing to prioritise these programmes. The figures demonstrate how crucial it is to signpost mental health resources, have an open dialogue about wellbeing and ensure that workers in every location understand the help that is available to them.
Of the 10,000 workers surveyed, 73 per cent reported high or moderate levels of stress and more than one-third (34 per cent) reported suffering symptoms of burnout. Yet only one in three employees said their employer cared about their wellbeing, which is a real cause for concern. Responding to the results, Ellen Kelsay - president and CEO of Business Group on Health - said, “These sentiments demonstrate a disconnect in employees’ views of their workplace wellbeing benefits, as large employers have continued to make significant investments in workforce wellbeing benefits and programs.”
Proactive leadership that openly works towards employee wellbeing with open communication and a focus on learning and development is essential for any organisation committed to fostering an emotionally safe and happy working environment. Especially after the turmoil of recent years. “Workers worldwide found that COVID-19 intensified challenges to wellbeing,” Stephan Scholl - CEO of Alight - said. “As a result, they sometimes face difficulties in showing up to work as their best selves, which ultimately affects companies’ bottom line. At the same time, caring about employee wellbeing is critical to recruiting and retaining talent.”
Read the 2022 Alight International Workforce and Wellbeing Mindset Study in full here.