Nurturing health and wellbeing in the workplace isn’t just a good thing to do: it makes good business sense. From attracting and retaining the top talent – possibly one of the biggest challenges businesses face right now – to reducing sick days and increasing overall employee engagement and productivity, investing in a healthy, happy workforce has a direct impact on your bottom line. Let’s dig a little deeper into why you should prioritise workplace wellbeing…
- Attract and retain talent
The pandemic hasn’t just irrevocably changed the way we work: it’s also transformed how we feel about our work. With plenty of time to reflect on what’s important, Covid-19 sparked ‘The Great Resignation’, with millions of people quitting their jobs in search of something new.
This trend doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon, despite economic uncertainty – in fact, a new report by business consulting firm Robert Half reveals that nearly half of workers are looking for a new job, or plan to, in the first half of 2023.
So why are people quitting? Today, workers are looking for some connection and meaning in what they do. They want to work for businesses who share their values and move away from toxic burnout culture.
Moving to a new job is an attempt to reclaim wellness, and employers who want to retain and attract staff are taking note by offering more comprehensive health and wellbeing benefits, creating an awesome company culture, championing more flexible ways of working and re-looking at their branding to communicate their mission and values in more engaging ways.
- Increase employee engagement and productivity
When we take the time to show our employees that we care about their health and wellbeing, research shows that morale, engagement and productivity increases. Company benefits that aim to improve employee health and wellbeing are a great way to instil a sense of belonging within your workforce and contribute to a more connected culture.
But it’s important to ensure these benefits cover both the physical and the mental side of wellness. The WHO estimates that Covid 19 triggered a 25% increase in general anxiety and depression worldwide. Today, the workplace mental health crisis is only deepening due to the cost of living, a looming recession and broader anxieties about the war in Ukraine and climate change.
This is driving thousands of people out of the workforce with more sick days attributed to mental health conditions. Offering mental health benefits ensures that your employees get the support they need and allows your employees to be more proactive in taking care of their mental health.
- Reduce sick days and presenteeism
Did you know that, on average, sick days cost UK employers £522 per employee, every single year? Typically, employees work 27 days a year when they aren’t in full health, and that decreased productivity costs businesses £90 a day.
Investing in quality health and wellbeing benefits that give your employees access to private health and mental health services allows them to get the help they need, when they need it, and encourages employees to prioritise their wellbeing.
It’s about changing the company culture, too: Make it possible to talk about chronic conditions and health issues in the workplace, and explore how you can offer greater work-life balance with remote working (which has also been linked to increasing levels of productivity).
How we can help
At AQORD Wellness, we’re on a mission to make sure that all employers, whatever their company size, can provide their employees with corporate-level health and wellbeing benefits at a cost that’s in line with their budget.
For the price of buying each employee lunch once a month, employers who offer our benefits see:
- Fewer sick days
- Increased productivity
- Higher employee retention rates
- An increase in overall workplace wellbeing
Meanwhile, employees – and everyone in their household – benefit from:
- Quick and easy access to GP services
- Mental health counselling
- Hundreds of discounts across their favourite brands
Want to find out more? Check out our Premium plan for a full list of benefits.
