Research explores the key barriers which prevent HR teams from implementing wellbeing initiatives which are mainly linked to a lack of support from senior management staff.
New research from Westfield Health, a wellbeing and health services provider, shows the key factors which are preventing HR from tackling mental health in the work place.
According to the data, the biggest barrier to implementing wellbeing initiatives is a lack of buy-in from senior leaders which almost a third (31 per cent) of HR leaders reported struggling with.
Following this, a quarter (25 per cent) of the leaders stated they had limited budgets which prohibited them from introducing the initiatives they had planned. Despite research suggesting a decline in employees’ mental health, over a fifth (22 per cent) of HR leaders felt that there was limited interest towards staff towards these wellbeing strategies.
Over one in 10 HR leaders stated that they had a lack of time (12 per cent) which meant they could not implement wellbeing strategies.
However, this data paints a worrying picture when almost half of all organisations (45 per cent) identify tackling mental health issues in the workplace as their biggest challenge within wellbeing. Additionally, over a fifth of HR leaders stated that their biggest challenge was dealing with stress in the workplace (22 per cent). Just under a fifth (18 per cent) said poor employee engagement was the most prevalent concern.
When analysing the best ways to measure the impact of wellbeing programmes, HR leaders did so in different ways. Around two-thirds (64 per cent) found increased engagement to be a key indicator of the success of a wellbeing programme. Just under a fifth (17 per cent) felt reduced absence levels was the most important signal whilst over one in 10 (11 per cent) cited reduced staff turnover as an important way to see whether the wellbeing initiatives being implemented are working. Only 8 per cent used increased productivity to gauge the success of a wellbeing programme.
Vicky Walker, Head of People at Westfield Health said:
This pandemic has placed business in the most extreme of climates, testing the wellbeing and flexibility of companies with little advance warning. Some have embraced this challenge, altered their wellbeing approach and will benefit as a result. But others are yet to see wellbeing as an important strategic tool to aid recovery. If HR leaders can get support from the top down, then we can work together to create happier, healthier, thriving companies.
With the benefits of happier workers, better retention rates and higher productivity, there is a powerful argument for investing in wellbeing as a core, strategic element to strengthen a company. Getting a clear baseline of employee wellbeing needs through surveys then tracking the implementation and impact of programmes will help HR teams make the case for starting, sustaining or even increasing investment in wellbeing programmes.
Putting wellbeing first isn’t just about investment – it’s about culture. With genuine, visible and consistent support from senior leaders, companies will be able to make health and wellbeing an integral part of how they do business. That in turn leads to reduced turnover, increased productivity and happier, more engaged teams – benefits no business can currently afford to ignore.
*To obtain these results, Westfield Health surveyed over 400 HR leaders in the UK.
Monica Sharma is an English Literature graduate from the University of Warwick. As Editor for HRreview, her particular interests in HR include issues concerning diversity, employment law and wellbeing in the workplace. Alongside this, she has written for student publications in both England and Canada. Monica has also presented her academic work concerning the relationship between legal systems, sexual harassment and racism at a university conference at the University of Western Ontario, Canada.
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