Looking at how to support employees in the upcoming year might be more difficult than it should be due to the significant lack of information surrounding health and wellness needs and support that both employers and employees experience, according to research from Towergate Health & Protection.
The study examines how well employers and employees alike understand each other’s needs in terms of health and wellbeing. It reveals a lack of understanding and awareness on both sides of the advantages.
Only 29 per cent of employers strongly feel that they have a solid knowledge of their employees’ overall health and wellness needs. In particular, having a good grasp of employees’ mental and physical health and wellbeing scored best across the four pillars of wellbeing, both at 30 per cent, followed by a good understanding of social needs at 29 per cent and financial wellbeing needs at 27 per cent.
Towergate Health & Protection head of specialist consulting Debra Clark says: “If employers do not understand the requirements their staff have for health and wellbeing support, they cannot hope to provide benefits that are relevant and valued.”
Regarding the assistance provided, the same is true from the viewpoint of the employees. 53 per cent of businesses, or slightly more than half, are certain that most workers have a very good understanding of the full scope and value of benefits offered. Only some employees, or 25 per cent, have an excellent comprehension of their benefits, whereas most employees, or 16 per cent, have a poor understanding of their benefits.
Clark says: “Clearly there is a lack of communication surrounding health and wellbeing support. It is vital that employees have a full understanding of the support that is available, or they will not utilise or benefit fully from it.
“There are lots of ways of communicating benefits requirements and provision. The process itself can be a very positive experience, with surveys and focus groups showing that the employer is interested in, and cares about, employees’ wellbeing needs. The outcome is that those benefits provided have a real and tangible impact on the employees and the business.”
