A recent study by a business health group has shown that employers are finally realising that corporate wellness is an important factor in business success. This represents a major shift in attitude from a few years ago, when the majority of employers felt that wellness and wellbeing were not important considerations.
The study showed that the majority of business leaders surveyed – 87 percent – saw that wellness brought benefits to the workplace, with 74 percent of the executives also stating that they would be interested in collaborating with other business leaders to learn more about how to foster wellness in the workplace, such as through wellness initiatives.
The project behind the survey was called ‘The States of Wellness’ and the findings have been described as ‘significant’, as employers start to sit up and take notice of the importance of taking a holistic approach to their employees.
Employers surveyed showed that 70 percent believe that focusing on wellness helps to cut the costs generated by employee health issues, such as time lost through absenteeism. Employees developing healthier lifestyles could contribute to a variety of benefits, including cutting down on the top three health problems faced by employees, which are obesity, mental health issues and general lack of fitness and exercise.
Many employers surveyed were already committed to initiatives in their workplaces which should help to increase the health of their employees. Some employers were still worried about workplace health initiatives, however, stating that they were concerned about the costs of putting such schemes in place. Interestingly, many of the companies who had such an initiative were not measuring the returnable investment, such as increased productivity or reduction in absenteeism.
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