'Companies need to do more to understand the needs of workforces'
While most employers say they want employees to prioritize physical and mental health over work, most employees don’t believe the employer support is good enough.
Seventy per cent of employers believe they provide good access to programs that support health and wellness, but less than a quarter (23 per cent) of employees agree — and 24 per cent rate the support as poor, according to a survey by Aetna International, a global health benefits provider.
In terms of the most significant risks to productivity and time off, employers think the biggest health challenge is flu and other common viral diseases, closely followed by stress, serious illness, back pain and mental health issues.
However, over a third (38 per cent) of workers consider the support for stress as poor, compared with 11 per cent of employers. And nearly a third (32 per cent) of employees rate their company’s mental health support as poor, compared with 16 per cent of bosses.
“While employers recognize that offering wellness and health support is becoming as vital as policies around holiday time, sick leave and retirement plans, companies need to do more to better understand and meet the needs of workforces,” Jason McCormick, head of Canada at Aetna International.
Tackling polarised perceptions of corporate health and wellness is based on survey of more than 1,000 HR directors and 4,000 employees in the U.K., U.S., Singapore and the UAE.
