More than a third of UK workers believe their employers are responsible for staff health, if not entirely then carry the greatest responsibility for their health. The findings are from a new research from leading independent healthcare provider Spire Healthcare.
The research reveals that 38% of the UK workforce believes the onus is on employers when it comes to responsibility for their health, which rises sharply to 46% among those aged 35-44.
The insight comes from a new health-at-work survey of 1,000 employees and 200 employers commissioned by Spire Healthcare which reveals that employers are failing to grasp the benefits of providing workplace healthcare services.
Nearly a half of workers on sick leave believe that employers are responsible for staff health
The research additionally found that nearly half of employees (46%) who have had to take more than a month off work during the past three years, did so due to incidents or health issues directly related to their working environment. In turn, more than two-thirds of employees said they have never been referred to occupational health services by their employer, despite workplace absences rising.
With the UK unemployment rate climbing to its highest point in two years at 4.4%, a near-record 2.8 million too ill to work because of long-term sickness and the average rate of employee absence in the UK rising to 7.8 days per year, up from 5.8 days before the pandemic, employers are being urged to make employee health and wellbeing a top priority. The survey found that despite increasing absences, 70% of employees said they have never been referred to occupational health services by their employer.
Equal support for physical and mental wellbeing
Moreover, 78% think employers should be responsible for supporting physical wellbeing, while 80% said the same for mental wellbeing support.
Mental health support was the most popular service provided by businesses (82%), with it also being the most popular service requested by employees.ย Some six in 10 employees expressed a desire to access mental health training, Employee Assistance Programmes and counselling through their employer.
Lack of understanding their staff is costing employers
The physical and mental impact of working environments on health and wellbeing is also clear, with 57% of employees believing that their working conditions significantly impact their overall health โ a figure that jumps to 72% for those aged 25-34.
Despite this, less than half (47%) of employers say they mostly understand the full range of occupational health services that can be provided, such as mental health support or absence management. For smaller and mid-sized firms with 101-250 staff, comprehension of occupational health and available services drops to just 14%.
Cost is a further factor, with budgetary constraints cited by organisations as the biggest barrier to improving their working environments. 45% of employers listed lack of money as the key challenge.
Caroline Gardiner, Managing Director of Spire Occupational Health, “For years occupational health has been viewed by too many businesses as an unwieldy cost rather than a vital investment. People are living and working longer than ever before, making safeguarding the health of employees needs a priority. Last year, 186 million working days were lost due to sickness, and this is estimated to cost around ยฃ150 billion a year, with employers shouldering around a fifth of this cost. With workplace absence rates rising sharply, the impact of sickness and ill health within the UK workforce is not just of concern from an employerโs duty of care perspective, but also for productivity and retention, a businessโs bottom line and more widely, economic prosperity.”
Employers in the dark about financial benefits
Although 94% of employers surveyed believe in the importance of occupational health in maintaining a healthy and productive workforce, only a third (33%) said they were very familiar with the financial benefits of investing in occupational health and employee wellbeing programmes.
The Local Government Association cite figures which show employee wellbeing programmes return between ยฃ2 and ยฃ10 for every ยฃ1 spent, whilst the Confederation of British Industry estimate that an expansion of occupational health provision could save the economy ยฃ60bn per year.
The vast majority (77%) of employees agree that employers should invest more in occupational health, while 79% said the government should incentivise companies to do so.
Caroline Gardiner continued: “People are an organisation’s most valuable asset and this is why we believe there should be financial incentives and tax breaks to encourage employers to invest fully in occupational health services for their employees. Encouraging greater corporate investment in employee health would be a policy move that would not only pay dividends in improved workplace productivity but also alleviate pressures on the NHS. With the workforce getting older and having to work for longer, there has never been a more crucial time for employers to take a proactive, preventative, and holistic approach to occupational health and employee wellbeing.
Caroline Gardiner concluded: โBy prioritising the health and wellbeing of employees, businesses can cultivate a happier, more engaged workforce while reaping the benefits. The time is now for a fundamental shift in how employee health is valued.โ
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