"Employers must remember that it’s not just a case of providing support for health and wellbeing, but also making sure it’s utilised, effective, and valued."
- Towergate Health & Protection
Of those surveyed (500), 41% of employers agreed that mental health support will be in demand over the next twelve months, followed by 34% stating that requests for financial health-related support will increase. Encouragingly, 52% of employers have reacted to these predictions, revealing that they’re likely to improve mental health support over the coming year, including access to counselling. This was followed by a commitment to increase financial health-related support (48%), social health (45%), and physical health (42%).
However, over a third (34%) of employers said they’ll be prioritising other areas of the business rather than the health & wellbeing of their workers. Towergate Health & Protection warns that it’s “vital” for employers to give equal consideration to each area of health & wellbeing to ensure appropriate support is offered as widely as possible, as well as communicated with employees.
Debra Clark, Head of Wellbeing at Towergate Health & Protection, said that whilst it’s concerning that so many employers expect to see increased demand for mental health support, “the positive news is that employers will now offer greater support in the workplace.”
“Employers must, however, give equal consideration to mental, physical, social, and financial support […] these are the four pillars of health & wellbeing and if one is lacking, the whole structure becomes unstable,” she explained. Debra believes it is “short-sighted” for 34% of employers to not equate health & wellbeing of employees with the success of the business. “Wellbeing is interwoven with productivity, loyalty, and lack of absenteeism, as well as supporting recruitment and retention,” she concluded.
