Apathy Towards Worker Wellbeing Takes Toll On Productivity

Business leaders were today urged to put the health of the nation’s workforce on to boardroom agendas, as almost half of employees claim apathy towards their wellbeing is reducing the country’s productivity.

The reality is clearly indicated by this quote from BITC's campaign document, Business Action
on Health:

"Business leaders recognise that a healthy, committed workforce is vital to business success. Many companies declare in annual reports and other corporate publications that ‘our people are our greatest asset’. Yet 70% of chief executives, finance directors and human resource directors surveyed in 2005 by Business in the Community, vielife and HR Magazine admitted that they were not effectively promoting health and wellbeing at work, despite rating a healthy workforce as a ‘top five’ boardroom issue."

The research commissioned by Business In The Community (BITC) reveals that a third of workers (31%) feel their health is neglected at work, while 6 in 10 (62%) don’t believe bosses consider staff as assets worth investing in. Almost half (46%) claim apathy towards employee wellbeing has taken its toll on workplace productivity.

Lord McKenzie of LutonHowever, with a proven return on employee health and wellbeing investment of 3:1, BITC has launched a national campaign, calling for at least 75% of all FTSE 100 companies to publicly report on employee wellbeing by 2011.

The Business Action on Health campaign provides a suite of tools for UK boards to effectively measure bottom line impact of employee health and wellbeing investment for the first time. Organisations including Boots, RWE npower, National Grid, Standard Life Healthcare, Abbey, Aramark, and Danone Dairies have already made a three-year commitment to support the campaign.

Employees complained that they were:

  • Discouraged from taking sick days when unwell (44%)

  • Put under pressure to do unpaid overtime (44%)

  • Prevented from taking a full lunch hour (40%)

  • Suffering stress (55%)
  • depression (38%), and
  • panic attacks (22%)
  • Stephen Howard, Managing Director of BITC said: “We know substantial investment is already being made in employee wellbeing, however, public reporting in this area is almost non existent. Our aim is to increase business accountability and competitiveness by helping companies introduce simple health and wellbeing programmes that can be effectively measured against the bottom line”.

    Lord McKenzie of Luton, Parliamentary Under Secretary (Lords) at the Department for Work and Pensions said, "Our people are our greatest resource. The UK's future profitability is dependent on a healthy and motivated workforce, and individual businesses have much to gain in terms of reduced sick leave and recruitment costs. The importance of this issue cannot be underestimated and I urge business leaders not just to support this campaign but to take real action." 

    In another major report highlighted in Personel Today, the findings condemned the inherent attitude in UK industry that 'illness equals weakness' which evidence shows is hitting staff productivity, commitment levels and motivation.

    Something USRs have known for some time!

    The report is based on the views more than 1,500 managers surveyed by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) and healthcare provider Simplyhealth.

    The 'Quality of Working Life' report revealed that nearly a fifth of managers believe their health is deteriorating.

    However, a third of managers claimed a culture of not taking time off work for sickness existed in their organisation, with only half feeling they would be treated sympathetically if they were sick.

    The impact of this negative attitude towards sickness is seen through declining performance, waning enthusiasm and increasing levels of suspicion, the report said.
    Further analysis uncovered a series of concerns caused by excessive hours at work.

    From a personal perspective, the figures showed that long hours affected relationships with children (63%) and friends (59%) and individuals' health (54%).

    Jo Causon, director, marketing and corporate affairs at the CMI, said: "While many employers bemoan the cost of absence to their organisations, they fail to see the damage done by creating a culture where illness is seen as a weakness. The risk of mistakes or spreading sickness surely outweighs the short-term benefits of someone turning up for work when not fully fit," Causon added.

    The 'Quality of Working Life' report

    BITC's campaign document, Business Action on Health (PDF)

    Source: Business in The Community press release / Personel Today news release


     
     
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