Around 17 per cent of employers fail to provide any support to prevent ill-health among their employees, according research from Grid.
The report emphasises the requirement that businesses take proactive steps to lower the incidence of major illnesses like cancer. Employers are urged by Grid to assess their current support systems and, if necessary, improve them.
According to the report, there is still potential for improvement, even among businesses who do provide assistance for preventing illness. Only 15 per cent of companies offer programmes targeted at managing stress and mental health, only 16 per cent offer subsidised gym memberships or initiatives to encourage physical activity, and only 14 per cent give lifestyle support covering nutrition, sleep, and general well-being guidance. Furthermore, just 13 per cent of them provide apps for healthy behaviour.
Implementing these policies and procedures can have a major impact on workers’ general health and can lessen the severity of a number of ailments, including as cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular problems, stroke, and liver disease.
Grid says employers must take care of the wellbeing of all employees as there are more senior citizens working nowadays and they may be more susceptible to major illnesses. The improvement of employees’ existing physical and mental health as well as the prevention of age-related disorders can both be achieved by providing the right support.
Grid spokesperson Katharine Moxham says: “Many serious illnesses, including cancer, are preventable which is why it is so crucial that prevention plays a key role in employer health and wellbeing programmes.
“We can’t necessarily eliminate cancer entirely but encouraging healthy behaviours in staff is likely to help reduce their likelihood of getting the disease at some point in the future – especially if support helps turn poor lifestyle choices into heathier long-term habits.
“National Cancer Survivors’ Day is a day to celebrate the increasing number of people who are living beyond cancer, but employers can play their part in helping to reduce the numbers who are affected in the first place.”