Staff well-being ‘ignored by employers’

As the UK emerges from the recession, employers may find themselves with motivation and retention problems on their hands.

According to research by Simplyhealth, one in every two UK employees have revealed that they felt their mental and physical well-being was being ignored by their employer as the financial downturn rumbled on.

As a result, over 45 per cent claimed that now the country had entered a period of economic recovery, they were likely to begin looking for a new job.

Meanwhile, 52 per cent of employers admitted they had focused too heavily on surviving the recession to pay enough attention to staff well-being.

Furthermore, 75 per cent claimed they did not believe their workers were likely to begin looking elsewhere.

This is despite the fact 47 per cent of bosses realised that the threat of unemployment had caused feelings of stress in the workplace.

Jamie Wilson, spokesperson for Simplyhealth, said: “Employers can show that they are bothered about their staff in a variety of ways, including making efforts to ensure regular communication, providing benefits such as healthcare and trying to ensure a positive, enjoyable atmosphere in the workplace.”

Meanwhile, Carolyn Jones, director of the Institute of Employment Rights, recently advised employees who felt they were being overworked to fight back.

Posted by Hayley Edwards