Unloved employees pull the most sickies

According to research by Investors In People, 54% of full time employees feel that their employers simply don’t care about their health or wellbeing. They feel that their employer’s only priority is whether their work is done or not, not their health as a result. Other research outlines that over a quarter of workers still receive no workplace benefits at all. The consequence? Lots of sickies.

The study  goes on to say that this 54% of employees end up feeling demotivated and eventually begin to look for a new employer. It is this very cycle that needs to end if you want to retain your best staff and attract the best new talent.

The message is simple and the facts speak for themselves: the health and wellbeing of your staff is imperative and definitely should not be ignored, no matter what the workload may be.

• 27% of the unloved workers have ‘embellished the truth’ at least once in the past year to get a day off, whereas just 20% of contented employees did so.
• 51% of respondents stated that health and wellbeing benefits improve their overall job satisfaction.
• 80% said that they would feel more positive about their employer if they offered better health and wellbeing benefits.
• 10% would have greater job satisfaction if they were offered the chance of a career break or sabbatical.

Whilst these statistics show us that there is always room for improvement, the research also finds that there are some base benefits that prove to be the most popular.

• 43% said that flexible working would make them feel more valued and satisfied in their role
• 41% would like health insurance
• 23% would like dental insurance

Not all health benefits are costly either, with 10% simply wanting complimentary fresh fruit in the office.

The last piece to the ‘loved employee’ puzzle is to know their feelings on such topics. If you don’t ask employees their thoughts via surveys or otherwise, you will end up with a silent majority that are looking elsewhere for employment. Action really is the key.

If you wish to ensure your employees aren’t one of the unloved 54% pulling sickies, sign up to our newsletter to receive fortnightly updates on proactive management interventions for a much happier and healthier workplace.

(See the full Investors in People article here and the full Canada Life Insurance Group article here)