New research shows that a significant proportion of staff believe employers should undertake mandatory reporting on the physical and wellbeing initiatives they have in place.
A new report by Nuffield Health indicates that, in light of a decline in mental health during the pandemic, staff are asking for employers to provide more in the way of mental and physical initiatives and evaluate these offerings.
Over two-fifths (41 per cent) of UK employees have experienced a decline in mental health since the start of pandemic, with high levels of anxiety afflicting employees.
In addition to this, the problem appears to be exacerbated by work with over half of people (54 per cent) claiming this is having a negative impact on mental health.
However, longer working hours and staff overly exerting themselves is also having a detrimental impact on their physical health, acting as a barrier to undertaking physical activity.
In light of this, employees have reported that they wish to see more guidance and support from their employers to help support all aspects of their wellbeing.
Over a third (37 per cent) stated businesses should make resources available on how to boost mental and physical wellbeing. This could include running wellbeing seminars, mindfulness workshops and providing staff with information on how they can improve their health.
However, a significant number of staff are also looking for employers to go beyond this by evaluating the provisions already provided.
More than a fifth (21 per cent) of respondents, equating to 11.4 million people, think employers should undertake mandatory reporting on the physical and wellbeing initiatives they offer to improve staff’s physical and emotional wellbeing.
Dr. Davina Deniszczyc, Medical Director at Nuffield Health, said:
The findings from the Healthier Nation Index show the stark effect COVID-19 is having on people’s physical and mental health. There are some worrying trends that if not addressed could see us sleepwalking into another type of health pandemic.
It is essential that we now focus on national recovery and the prevention of long-term health conditions such as obesity, diabetes and heart conditions. This starts with regular physical exercise, which is crucial not only for preventing health conditions but also for maintaining good mental health.
*This research has been outlined in Nuffield Health’s Healthier Nation Index which surveyed over 8,000 people in the UK.
Monica Sharma is an English Literature graduate from the University of Warwick. As Editor for HRreview, her particular interests in HR include issues concerning diversity, employment law and wellbeing in the workplace. Alongside this, she has written for student publications in both England and Canada. Monica has also presented her academic work concerning the relationship between legal systems, sexual harassment and racism at a university conference at the University of Western Ontario, Canada.
