The People Bulletin

Recent research has revealed a worrying distance between employer and employee where 21% of respondents to the Aviva Workplace 4 study[1]  think that admitting to health concerns could affect their work prospects and a further 11% just don’t trust their boss with this sort of personal information. The findings were based on the responses of 1004 employees and 204 employers across a range of sectors back in April 2010.

Employers are convinced that they are doing all they can to nip employee health problems in the bud, with 39% claiming to identify employee health issues and 42% saying they have an open door policy.

The problem seems to be one of actually making employees aware of not only the health benefits provided (for example employee assistance schemes, and critical health cover), but of receptive employer attitudes to tackling health issues.[2]

Another report, the third Bothered Britain Report, published by Simply Health,[3] which looks at people’s attitudes towards health, communities and helping others found that an impressive 79% of the 257 HR respondents interviewed in late July 2010 said they have a shared responsibility to positively contribute to society, and that includes ensuring it is healthy.  Three quarters of them felt that employer responsibility applied to all aspects of health and wellbeing. However, 34% of public sector respondents believed individuals were entirely responsible for their own health, compared with 21% in the private sector.

Although this is a small sample, it was telling that despite the current economic climate 44% of the HR managers polled indicated their organisations would increase the range of health benefits provision. This was because they were genuinely concerned abou the health and wellbeing of their staff, despite almost three-quarters of the respondents confirming a freeze on pay and benefits. 

[1]  www.aviva.com/media/news/7741/

[2] See also ‘Profit over wellbeing?’ by Dr Doug Wright in The People Bulletin, 1 August 2010

[3] www.simplyhealth.co.uk/media-centre