Fewer than four out of 10 (39 per cent) UK firms think that the current mental health support available for employees is fit for modern-day purposes.
The survey, conducted by Aon, also found that just 37 per cent UK firms believed the were ‘developing financial security for employees’ positively. A total of 19 per cent said they were failing in this areas with another 44 per cent reporting that their practices were neutral.
UK firms rated themselves less favourably on this issue than other global organisations.
Aon also found that, 28 per cent of firms don’t believe they ‘support mental health in a way that fits the modern day’, while 33 per cent took a neutral view on their practices in this area.
On a more positive note, more than half of UK firms stated they are ‘positively embracing inclusivity’ (58 per cent), ‘delivering clarity and purpose for their employees’ (67 per cent) and ‘operating a compassionate and engaging community’ (65 per cent).
This research was compiled from views of 100 UK firms alongside more than 700 global firms and identifies the resilience of organisational workforces, assessed against 10 key attributes set out by the World Health Organisation.
Mark Witte, head of health and risk consulting, Health Solutions UK at Aon, says: “Resilience is the ability to cope with life’s challenges and bounce back from trauma, threats or stress. But while organisations are trying to bounce back from Covid-19, the question is whether UK employers are overly focused on where their people will work and failing to consider if they are resilient enough to actually do the work.
“The results of the self-assessment survey show that UK businesses are struggling to balance short- and long-term priorities. While many are working out details of a return to the office, people engagement is not faring as well.
“Mental health support is a key example; though firms are providing mental health resources, the survey reveals that managers are not confident in addressing mental health issues, their tool kits are not targeting underlying health risks, their communication campaigns aren’t effective enough and leadership don’t have the metrics to track change.”
According to Aon’s Rising Resilient research, which surveyed 2,500 employees across five European countries in 2020, just 30 per cent of employees are resilient. The research showed that non-resilient workforces are less enthusiastic, less satisfied, less confident and less motivated.
Witte adds: “Employers can take several measures to improve employee resilience, but the first should be to articulate a strategy by setting realistic goals and finding meaningful metrics that show value on investment.
“It’s important to base a strategy on your people – listen to their needs and use data to plan effective processes moving forward. Though mental and financial health are the most common problems across organisations, issues will vary between businesses. Analysing relevant data and listening to employees will help identify and respond to gaps in resilience.”
The Aon workforce resilience survey can be taken here by firms wishing to understand whether their workforce is likely to be resilient and to understand key areas for improvement.