Over six in ten (63%) employers have increased their support to staff across one or more areas of mental, financial, physical and social wellbeing in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This level of activity clearly demonstrates that the health and wellbeing of staff has come to the fore since the pandemic began.ย
Katharine Moxham, spokesperson for GRiD, who conducted the research, said: โItโs great to see that employers are stepping up to the plate: not only do the majority understand that they have a great responsibility for the wellbeing of staff but many are also implementing practical changes to make a tangible difference.ย
However, we urge the remaining businesses who have either not made any changes or who have decreased support to take stock. Employees have long memories and their loyalty can be quickly won or lost during times of adversity soย allย employers should be playing their part in supporting staff wellbeing.โย
GRiDย suggestsย that employers who are either investing in new employee benefits (25%) or funding support directly (24%) shouldย investigateย whether support is already available via their existing employee benefits and is perhaps being under-utilised.ย ย
Whereย gaps exist,ย itโs important for employers to be aware that health and wellbeing benefits are enhancedย and updatedย regularly, and never more so than during this pandemic, as providers recognise the very specific support that employees need right now.ย
Many employee benefits can provideย great support for all areas of wellbeing, includingย group risk (group life assurance, group critical illness and group income protection insurance). Such benefitsย have a wealth of embedded support, such as early intervention,ย prevention and rehabilitation. Theyย also provideย financialย help for employees and their dependants when itโs most needed, at times of ill-health, injury and death.ย So not only doย employees benefit from comprehensive support, butย the employer isnโt left to pick up any unexpected costs that could arise from fundingย helpย on an ad-hoc basis.ย
Mental health a priority following pandemicย
GRiDโs latestย research also looked at the areas of wellbeing employers feelย areย mostย important. The mental health of staff rankedย asย the number oneย priorityย for employers.ย Physicalย wellbeing ranked second,ย financialย wellbeing third and social wellbeing last. Further,ย 48% of employers feel more responsibility for the mental health of staff now than they did before the pandemic; which has led to half (50%) of employers increasing the health and wellbeing support or employee benefits that they offer staffย specificallyย for mental health.ย
The pandemic has undoubtedly shone a spotlight on the importance of mental health but itโs also exposed how other areas, specifically those of financial, physical and social wellbeing, are so intrinsically linked. Therefore, benefits thatย offer support forย these other areas will also play a part in maintaining mental wellbeing.ย
Never before have our personal and work lives been so interwoven, and those employers who subscribed to the leave-your-private-life-at-the-door mantra, must now surely acknowledge that thatโs inconceivable in todayโs world. Employers need to offer wide and deep support to help employees cope with their day-to-day issues as well as more acute concerns, whether they arise at home or in the workplace, because one very often has a discernible impact on the other.ย
Katharine Moxham, continued:ย โThe surge in mentalย healthย issues among employees needs to be met with a similar increase in resources from employers. And not only does aย workplaceย mental health strategy need to support those experiencing severeย issues,ย it alsoย needs toย help employees deal with personal problems that may lead to mental health issues in the future,ย such asย relationship issues, dealing with eldercare, separation,ย loss, abuse, violence and addiction. Much of this wide-ranging support isย oftenย included in group risk insurances, at no extra cost to the employee or employer.ย
Photo by Mental Health America (MHA) from Pexels.
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