Workplace Wellbeing Workplace wellbeing

Workplace wellbeing

The hidden struggles and the role of leadership

Employee wellbeing has gone from a catchy phrase a decade ago to an agenda item for company boards, but absenteeism alone is not a sufficient metric to track.

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The data implies that a resilient individual will be productive at a rate almost double that of someone with low resilience.

What's really going on?

Wellbeing is complex and highly nuanced, not easily outsourced to a department or third-party agency. A healthy business culture starts at the top, with leadership that promotes openness. Our guidebook, based on survey results, outlines the key areas employers should consider for employee wellbeing and resilience. Leaders should make sure they, and indeed all levels of manager, are properly trained to lead from the front when demonstrating the importance of wellbeing.

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Wellbeing starts at the top

The sudden transition from work-based to home-based work blurred the lines between work and home. Many employees felt an additional and perhaps irrational additional responsibility to their work because of this unusual blurring of the boundary between work and home.

Whether mental or physical, presenteeism is difficult to spot.

Many people won’t take time off for mental health reasons because there remains a stigma around it, particularly in the private sector where support may be available but not always communicated well.

Presenteeism became more common as remote working became ubiquitous during the pandemic.

The employee value proposition (EVP), which is something like a social contract, should be an effective way to intervene because it elevates the relationship between the employer and employee. The EVP replaces older models of employee management to refocus on the needs of the employee. The employee receives a compelling set of benefits, usually including medical benefits - as well as ongoing training, development, and support - which help to make the workplace distinctive and the workforce motivated.

The effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and remote working shone a light into the hidden corners of mental health, catching it in sharp relief. Businesses have been left in no doubt that it is a risk that must be managed if they are to operate effectively. Employee resilience is an essential component of productivity. Yet our own research found that large numbers of workers had few productive working hours.

Harvard Business Review research from as far back as 2004 flags presenteeism as a bigger cost than absenteeism, while losses from presenteeism costs firms more than £4,000 per employee per year on average, according to Nottingham Business School.

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Our latest wellbeing research focusses on the resilience of the UK workforce, illustrating the role employers have in ensuring their employees are ready for any challenge.

Mental and emotional turmoil are not always visible. In the world of hybrid work in which so many now operate, mental health issues can be more easily hidden. Line managers have less face-to-face contact with employees so symptoms may be more hidden or masked.

Staff turnover has greatly increased since the pandemic. While the ‘great resignation’ has been driven in many cases by a desire to improve happiness and increase fulfilment, it is not the biggest cost to businesses. It may seem surprising, but costs deriving from work absences due to mental health issues almost halved during the pandemic, according to the Deloitte data. The greatest costs to business come from those who show up for work – to the office or remotely – but who really are not keen on being there, and who therefore have low productivity.

Lockdowns prompted new changes

This is clear evidence of the importance for a business’s EVP to be designed not just to hand out benefits but to improve the resilience of its people. This isn’t one of those problems that goes away by being ignored. The Deloitte mental health report found that the average return on investment on interventions and other projects was £5.30 for every £1 spent. This increases considerably in a number of specific scenarios; for example, screening for those who may be more susceptible proved to be a ‘quick win’, as did interventions of larger or targeted groups. Where savings are made, for example on a healthcare review, the money might be used to offer more relevant and targeted support, such as in supporting mental health projects or financial awareness or even better training to support career aspirations. This will make your people more resilient both at work and in their lives. It has positive consequences for the business, delivering a tangible return on your investment that can be seen on the bottom line. Set clear and measurable objectives so you can understand the impact.

A holistic approach

Your business would benefit from an audit. Findings from our research into personal resilience found

A more resilient workforce is not only more productive but also helps to build resilience into the organisation – it’s a virtuous circle of benefit. The EVP should be seen less as a benefits lucky dip and more as a tool to help employees become more resilient by taking greater control of their mental, physical, social, emotional, and financial health. The EVP should also help set clear, measurable objectives that can be monitored and reported back to the board. But this approach must be met with a culture willing to change and be open to removing the stigma of mental illness. To start addressing this and change the culture, it’s important to understand where you are now. Begin by reviewing what you are currently doing on wellbeing and why, and how it fits into the wider EVP. Once you understand how you are currently investing your resources you can begin to understand the impact. A comprehensive strategy can help you focus resources more effectively, rather than approaching it piecemeal.

Don’t get hung up on details, which can be a minefield. Avoidable bureaucracy can make it unnecessarily difficult to promote wellbeing. But do remember that mental health issues are confidential and a protected category under data protection law. Clinical delivery greatly improved using technology over the pandemic. This has the added benefit of giving the employer welcome distance from any treatment, leaving the individual wholly in control. Using the EVP to support other employee-initiated projects, such as networking groups, will reinforce the efforts the employer makes for its people.

Measure twice, cut once

Less time is lost from people staying home than from them showing up but not performing at full capacity.

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That’s roughly four and a half times the cost of mental health-related absenteeism and accounts for about 46% of total costs of mental health in the UK workspace.

Presenteeism is the largest contributor to employers’ costs of mental health, estimated at between £24 billion and £28 billion in 2021.

There is more than one type of trigger for health problems, whether mental, physical, or emotional. It can’t be addressed by adding more and more apps to an EVP platform. Any approach must be more holistic than this. This is not a one-time set-and-forget project but something that requires senior leadership to commit to what will be a programme of cultural change. But get it right and you will build a happier, more resilient business with long-term strengths.

of men can stay calm during times of high stress at work

20%

This is a very low figure and suggests low levels of resilience overall.

Work-related stress – covering stress, depression, and anxiety – accounted for 17 million days lost in 2021-2022, according to HSE. Using the latest ONS average calculations, this figure equates to £387.6 million lost from the economy due to stress. Stress also results in longer absences – around 13% longer – than other types of illness. Although businesses are more aware than ever of the insidious nature of fragile mental health in the workplace, it remains difficult to identify and treat.

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Your organisation’s data is its DNA and the information it contains can transform the way you operate. We can help you unlock these insights to maximise your competitive advantage so your business evolves and thrives.

Unlock your Employer DNA

EXPERT GUIDANCE

Our latest wellbeing research focusses on the resilience of the UK workforce, illustrating the role employers have in ensuring their employees are ready for any challenge.

The power of positive resilience

RESEARCH

Let us help your business, contact us to start your journey.

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Why companies are evolving to meet workforce challenges.

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