Occupational, personal and health support should be prioritised by employers
The working British public believes employers should provide more personal and occupational health support to employees, according to findings from MORI research, commissioned by BUPA.
The research, conducted among 700 employers and 1,034 employees, revealed that issues such as stress management, general health screen-ing, help with stopping smoking, exercise and fitness appeared at the top of both employees' and employers' wish lists.
Highest on the list of healthcare priorities was stress management, with employees saying that provision of services aimed at alleviating stress should be increased by 22%. Employers opted for an 18% rise.
The second area that employers said should be provided in their benefits package was general health screening. Employees thought an increase of 19% was needed compared to current levels, however employers said it needed a boost of just 6%.
A total of 58% of employers believed individuals are responsible for their own health and well-being. However, 26% of employees and 29% of employers said employers have a responsibility for the well-being of their workforce.
A majority 65% of employees thought the NHS should take responsibility for the health of people in the UK, compared with 10% of employers.
Other findings included 79% of employers saying they encouraged managers to be aware of the mental state of the employees they are responsible for. Almost 90% of employers believe their companies encourage employees to seek advice if suffering from stress or mental health problems. Although 44% of employers said workers at their companies did not suffer unacceptable levels of stress, 39% said they did.
Dr Andrew Vallance-Owen, group medical director for BUPA, said the findings were encouraging and indicated that a growing number of employers are interested in providing health benefits for their workforce.
'This new research reveals that employers are increasingly offering health benefits, such as help to stop smoking, exercise and fitness. This shift to personal health support shows employers and employees are putting the prevention of disease and improvement of health at the top of their lists, and encourages employees to take positive and preventative action,' he said.
