Expert view: Health and wellbeing at work – why it’s time to join the dots
For many employers, the cost of doing business has never felt higher. This makes it more important to invest effectively in workforce health. The right support helps people stay in work, reduces avoidable absence and improves team performance. Yet many organisations still lack the time or capacity to understand what their workforce really needs.
Larger employers, in particular, are spending more on health initiatives, but they are not always part of a coherent plan or linked to evidence. In a survey for the Health Foundation’s Commission for Healthier Working Lives, more than half of employers reported increasing their investment last year, but only 18% felt ‘very effective’ at addressing workforce health challenges.
From doing more to doing better
Too often, health initiatives are introduced in isolation, without a clear strategy. This can make support less effective and widen health inequalities, especially if help is not available or suitable for specific cohorts, such as frontline workers who often have less access to wellbeing resources than office-based colleagues.
Engagement is another barrier. Even with good intentions, it can be difficult to reach the employees who would benefit most. Some staff are reluctant to seek help, or unsure what is available. Fear of getting it wrong can hold people back from starting conversations or taking simple action.
Improving health at work starts with the basics. Communicate clearly what is available and listen to what is useful. Make sure that support is accessible and matches the realities of different roles. Line managers are central to whether support is used, but they need the right training, policies and systems to do this well. Our research found that nearly half of employers say they rely on line managers to manage health-related absence and workplace adjustments, yet only one in four have had specific training.
Start with what works
We have heard from employers taking a more strategic approach – joining up their offers and focusing on things that shape day-to-day experience, such as how work is structured, how flexible it is and how people are managed. Some are introducing flexibilities in roles that have been hard to change, such as more local rostering in frontline retail or health, with early signs that this can help with retention and wellbeing. In contrast, isolated wellbeing initiatives tend to under-deliver.
Employers also need to be confident that they are getting value for money and that their investment meets the needs of their workforce. Smart use of data can help ensure that workforce health strategies reflect the needs of different sectors and settings and help direct resources.
Employers cannot solve wider health inequalities alone. But by focusing on what works, using data and acting early, they can make a real difference – both for their workforce and society.
