Improving worker health can slow the productivity slide - research
Over the past decade, through the yearly Britain’s Healthiest Workplace (BHW) study, Vitality has conducted comprehensive research into the main challenges facing UK organisations and their staff, with a focus on the relationship between employee health and productivity.
Supporting better employee health is not only the right thing to do, it helps drive benefits for businesses, though reduced absenteeism and presenteeism, as well as delivering improved rates of recruitment and retention.
As a result, it’s crucial that employee wellbeing is seen as a significant business risk and prioritised at board level as part of an organisation’s environmental, social and governance (ESG) agenda.
To help build this case, here are three things Vitality says it has learnt from the latest set of BHW data.
1. Employees are losing a significant amount of time due to ill-health
On average, organisations are losing on average 49.7 days of productivity per employee each year, with 90% due to presenteeism and the rest due to absenteeism (a result of health-related issues).
The rate of productivity in the UK has been steadily declining over the past decade. As a result, low productivity is costing the UK economy £138bn per year.
On the positive side, healthier employees lose significantly less productive time compared with those who are less healthy.
2. Improving employee health is complex and requires a personalised, data-driven approach
Mental and physical health are closely linked to employee productivity, with those at risk of depression and burnout losing significantly more days each year (the equivalent of 109 and 93 days respectively compared with 43 and 42 days for those not at risk).
Vitality also sees less productivity for those with lower physical activity levels and poorer diet, with 13 and seven days lost respectively, compared with those who are more active and eat better.
From the data, it’s clear that UK employees suffer from a range of health risks, with 37% physically inactive, 56% eating an unhealthy diet and 23% obese (58% overweight). Meanwhile, 10% suffer from anxiety or depression. When combined, these risks affect almost all UK employees, with 81% encountering at least one lifestyle health risk, while 96% suffer from at least one lifestyle of clinical risk.
Given the wide range of health and wellbeing challenges faced by UK employees – such as mental, physical and financial health – and how they vary across the differing age groups, organisations need to take a more personalised approach to understanding the different needs of its workforce.
For example, while 46.5 is the average number of interventions offered by employers, 70% of employees said they were aware of them and only 25% had made use of them. The good news is that 85% of staff who had used interventions found them useful.
Vitality also says the data hows some employees lack motivation to improve their lifestyles, across a range of factors such as smoking, diet and alcohol intake. However, this is where behaviour economics and targeted interventions using data can make a big difference.
3. Employees with access to the Vitality Programme are healthier
Vitality says that employees with access to its Vitality Programme are more active, with 8% more reaching the recommended guidelines for exercise compared to those with other insurers. They are also at less risk of depression (11% lower).
It says the data also shows that employees on a Vitality business health scheme are happier at work (17% more so compared to those with another insurer) when it comes to feeling as if their employer plays an active role in maintaining their health and wellbeing. Fewer of them have lower job satisfaction (13% less).
On average, the insurer says all this amounts to an additional two and a half productive days per year for employees with Vitality, as a result of them enjoying better health and higher levels of productivity.
Supplied by REBA Associate Member, Vitality
At Vitality, we take a unique approach to insurance. As well as providing high-quality comprehensive cover, we provide a complete wellness package that can help boost employee engagement and productivity.
