The presence of a workplace wellbeing offering is becoming an important deciding factor in choosing a potential employer, with 44 per centof people saying the availability of a workplace well-being programme would sway them towards a potential employer, rising to 53 per cent for millennials, according to research from Cigna.
The research shows the UK ranks 17th out of 23 countries worldwide when assessed for overall employee health and wellbeing.
While 84 per cent of people in the UK have suffered a mental health condition at some point in their lives, only a quarter of them received support from their employer, according to the research.
In the research, carried out across 23 countries globally, the UK ranks lowest of all developed western countries for unmanageable stress, impacting one in five Britons, behind only UAE, Saudi Arabia, Australia and Korea. The leading cause of stress for UK workers is work, the cause for 26 per cent of UK stress sufferers, ahead of other leading causes including financial, family and health issues.
Phil Austin, CEO Europe at Cigna, said: “It’s clear employers have an important role to play in mental health. Our research shows that despite people wanting more help, the UK is lagging behind comparable countries in offering workplace well-being support. But the good news is that employers are beginning to recognise the cost of poor mental health at work and the impact this can have on their employees and business.”
