According to recent research, a majority of employers lack insights into employee wellbeing.
- Only 44% of employers feel confident about understanding employees’ financial needs.
- Understanding of mental and physical health needs slightly lags behind, with just over 40% strongly confident.
- Methods like surveys and feedback systems are employed to gauge employee needs.
- Efforts are in progress to enhance employer insight into wellbeing requirements.
A significant number of employers, amounting to 58%, do not possess a comprehensive understanding of their employees’ health and wellbeing needs. This is revealed by recent research conducted by Towergate Health & Protection. Employers report limited confidence in understanding the various facets of employee wellbeing, which include financial, mental, physical, and social aspects.
The survey highlighted that only 44% of employers strongly agree that they have a good grasp of their employees’ financial needs. Similarly, a mere 43% feel confident about their understanding of their employees’ mental health needs. Physical health and wellbeing, as well as social wellbeing, fare slightly worse, with only 42% and 40% of employers, respectively, feeling confident in these areas.
Debra Clark, the head of wellbeing at Towergate Health & Protection, notes the necessity for employers to gain a deeper insight into the challenges faced by their workforce. She commented, “Recognition of the challenges with which employees may be struggling could be better across all four pillars of health and wellbeing. It is vital that employers obtain a better insight into the needs of their workforce, so they are able to better support them.”
To ascertain what health and wellbeing support employees find beneficial, employers are utilizing multiple feedback mechanisms. These methods include feedback solicited through line managers or directly, which accounts for 45% of responses, along with staff surveys (43%) and employee forums or focus groups (41%). Both formal reviews and informal anecdotal feedback are also significant, representing 41% and 38% respectively.
Despite these efforts, it is apparent that more can be accomplished to ensure appropriate support is provided. Employers are encouraged to employ a variety of feedback methods to capture comprehensive information about employee needs. Debra Clark emphasizes that with appropriate guidance and expert consultation, employers could align the available support more closely with their workforce’s specific needs. As the available support options continuously evolve, tailoring them to meet the diverse requirements of different workforce demographics remains crucial.
Employers are making progress, yet significant work remains to truly understand and support employee wellbeing.
