the Internal Comms Hub

28, 016 internal communicators already signed up!
Join them today!

  • Contact Us
  • Editorial Board
  • About
  • Join
  • Free Trial
  • Member Home
  • Login
  • Jobs
  • News
  • Network
  • AV Guides
  • Printed Journal
  • Top Tips
  • How-to Guides
  • Case Studies
  • Toolkits
RSS feedHome / News archive / News story
Become a Member Today Start Your Free Trial

Advanced search

  • Start Free Trial
  • Become a Member
Topics
  • Setting Your Strategy and Plan
  • Channels and New Media
  • Measuring Your Impact
  • Professional Development
  • Change Communication
  • Manager and Leader Communication
Categories
  • Toolkits
  • Case Studies
  • How-To-Guides
  • Top Tips
  • Printed Journals
  • AV Guides
  • Network
  • News
  • Jobs
  • Editorial Q&A


Guest expert

Choose a community

UK community
News

Communicators become storytellers for the day
Skills course aims to build confidence in a non-traditional engagement tool.

Effective relationships boost employee wellbeing and engagement
Communication professionals play a key facilitation role.

Communication must change to meet new audience demands
Millennials are less responsive to traditional comms methods.

More news

Online Surveys & Market Research
Jobs of the week

Head of Internal Communications, mec communications - London, UK

Intranet Webmaster, Alstom Power - Baden, Switzerland

Head of Internal Communications, VMA Group - London, UK

More jobs

events

Strategic Communication Management Summit UK 2008
October 15-16, 2008, London

Corporate Communication Europe Summit 2008
November 19-20 2008, Barcelona

Comms Canada 2008
19-20 November 2008, Toronto, ON

More events

Vendor Listing

Get help with your communication programs

11 February 2008

Companies unwilling to invest in employee "wellbeing" programs

UK research shows lack of guidance and compelling incentives proving main barriers.

British businesses know the value of workplace health but remain reluctant to invest due to a gap in guidance and a lack of incentives, according to a new report from UK insurance group, Norwich Union Healthcare.

The report states that 64% of businesses surveyed believe employee wellbeing has a direct impact on the productivity levels of their workforce. However, a lack of knowledge and Government aid in developing guidelines and initiatives is a major hurdle:

  • 33% of employers don’t invest more due to a lack of government incentives.
  • 24% don’t know where to access occupational health information, rising to 43% among small businesses.

Comprehensive date from across businesses
Employers, employees and GPs were surveyed for the report, which examines why workplace health continues to challenge businesses:

  • Sickness absence remains companies’ most pressing workplace health concern (40%).
  • An aging workforce is a concern for large companies (20%).
    Other key findings from the report include:
  • 79% of business believe they have a “duty of care” towards their employees.
  • 82% of business and 69% of employees agree that the responsibility for health in the workplace is mutual between employer and employee.
  • 59% of employees agree with businesses that employers should be more proactive in terms of providing workplace health solutions.

Companies know the value of workplace health but many are unaware of the services already available to them

 

Work to be done on both sides
Dr Douglas Wright, Norwich Union Healthcare, said the research reveals a significant “guidance gap” in employers’ approach to workplace health.

“Companies know the value of workplace health but many are unaware of the services already available to them and believe that more financial incentives are needed to encourage a better approach to occupational health,” says Dr Wright.

“Our report shows that it’s important to bridge that gap, embed the enthusiasm that exists on all sides on occupational health and move towards putting workable solutions in place.”

A global problem
Employee health and wellbeing is of increasing importance to organizations in many regions. Research published in April 2007 in Australia showed that workplace stress and depression is rife among professionals,  with many turning to alcohol and drugs to deal with their stresses and depression rather than talking to managers about problems.

Communications can help
In an article for The Hub, Kent J. Martini, CEO, RSVP Stress says that although some stress can be a positive influence, most stress felt in workplaces is often destructive. However, communications have a role to play in reducing the effects of stress.

Every year, more than US$100 billion dollars are lost to businesses worldwide as a result of employee stress

“Every year, more than US$100 billion dollars are lost to businesses worldwide as a result of employee stress. Lost productivity, higher medical bills, anger towards co-workers and managers, and higher employee turnover can all result from workplace stress,” says Martini. “Improving communications within an organization, for example being open, honest and encouraging frequent communication, is one of the best ways to reduce stress in the workplace,” he adds.

Have your say
Does your company want to do more with employee health programs? Discuss this issue with other comms practitioners by joining the Internal Comms Hub members' group on the Communicators' Network.

Related articles and resources:
Six ways better communication can reduce workplace stress

Companies urged to talk to employees about stress
.

 

Got a news story? Contact the newsdesk

News archive

 
Top of Page
Privacy Policy

© Melcrum Publishing 2008