This is how employers can build meaningful health and wellbeing initiatives in 2021

Employee health and wellbeing is important for any business owner that wants to create a successful organisation.

The good news is that many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) already recognise this fact: research undertaken by AXA Health shows that 56% of small business owners strongly agree that looking after employees is a key priority, while 50% strongly agree that their business values the health and wellbeing of employees.¹

However, recognising the importance of health and wellbeing is merely an important starting point. Owners that really want to focus on the happiness and effectiveness of their staff should create a tailored approach that focuses on the needs of employees – and that's where some smaller organisations are falling behind.

Research of SMEs by AXA Health found that 82% of SMEs don't have a health and wellbeing strategy in place and many small business owners are concerned about the cost of establishing one.² Where a health and wellbeing strategy is considered, many SMEs have fallen into the trap of making generalised assumptions about what people need or want.

Driving employee engagement with health and wellbeing initiatives requires more than a one-size-fits-all approach. Smart business owners focus on individual requirements and build meaningful initiatives, such as creating tailored benefits that include healthcare insurance.

So where should business owners focus their attention? All the evidence suggests health and wellbeing continue to rise in importance as a workplace concern, particularly given the switch to home working during 2020.

Understanding health and wellbeing trends

When the coronavirus pandemic spread, Britain effectively went home – out went face-to-face conversations and in came video-conferencing and collaboration sessions. This switch to online relationships has had a consequential effect on health and wellbeing.

Employees refer to virtual-meeting burnout, known as "Zoom fatigue", with more than one-quarter (27%) of employees responding to a poll by networking platform Blind saying they zone out during such meetings.

In fact, research by Blind found that more than two-thirds (68%) of professionals admitted they felt more burned out at home than they did while working in an office. In many ways, the new normal of socially distanced working has exposed a disturbing reality: many workers are isolated and stressed.  

Worse still, it's a worrying trend that pre-dates the shift in working styles due to COVID-19. Always-on connectivity means workers feel they must be ready to work at all times. Such presenteeism makes it tough for staff to turn off and the psychological pressure builds.

Mental health problems at work cost the UK economy almost £34.9bn in 2019 – that's £1,300 for every employee, according to the Centre for Mental Health. At any one time, one in five working people will have a mental health difficulty.

The Centre for Mental Health says employers who ignore these concerns risk the wellbeing of the people who work for them. Small business owners need to put the health of their staff first – and concerns for staff are particularly pronounced in the IT industry.

Delivering health and wellbeing support in the tech sector

Two-thirds (66%) of IT professionals are stressed by their work, according to industry body BIMA. Just over half (52%) have suffered from anxiety or depression at some point. In fact, tech workers are five times more depressed than the UK average.

Research from recruiter Harvey Nash paints a similar picture: half of IT professionals have been concerned about their mental health. In short, all indicators point to tech being a tough working environment, even before the pressures associated to dealing with COVID-19 come into play.

IT staff worked long hours during 2020 to establish the remote-working capabilities that kept organisations running. However, these long hours might well have come at the expense of health and wellbeing.

More than a third of tech professionals (36%) have seen their mental health deteriorate as a result of the crisis, according to Harvey Nash. For one in ten IT workers, the stress they're feeling is negatively impacting their work.

While some IT workers are onsite keeping tech systems running, many others, such as service-desk employees, are now working from home. For those not 'lucky' enough to have a dedicated office space, working from the kitchen table has left IT staff feeling uncomfortable, isolated and miserable.

Small business owners in the tech industry should think about how to keep staff happy and productive. Research by AXA Health found that more than three-quarters (78%) of SMEs in the IT sector suggest healthcare insurance offers real benefits to their employees.¹ Placing this kind of insurance at the heart of a health and wellbeing strategy can help create a more effective workforce.

Five top tips: How to build meaningful health and wellbeing initiatives

2021 provides an opportunity for business owners to change their organisations for the better – with a  focus on the kind of personalised care that makes employees feel looked after and appreciated:

1.     Build a positive workplace – speak to people individually. Let them know that it's good to talk about health and wellbeing. Building events around public health initiatives, such as National Stress Awareness Day and National Mental Health Awareness Week, can show you care about the wellbeing of each staff member.

2.     Bring people together – IT has a reputation for working diligently but separately. Break down barriers and work in a collaborative fashion. When the office reopens, use regular catch-up sessions to ensure individuals feel healthy and happy. Until then, use collaboration tools to check-in, rather than check-up, on staff.

3.     Lead from the front – try to avoid communicating outside working hours if possible. That's tough in IT, where downtime must be reported quickly. However, making individuals feel it's OK to contact them when issues arise will mean they never feel relaxed.

4.     Recognise the new normal – research suggests as many as 98% of people would like the option to work remotely for the rest of their careers. Think about how your company can help people feel comfortable in this new normal with equipment, such as desks, chairs and monitors.

5.     Create personalised initiatives –ask your people what matters to them and how they would like to prioritise being fit and healthy, and how they would like to be rewarded and protected. Find a health partner that can help you create cost-effective healthcare cover that can be personalised to the needs of your individual employees.

Summary

There's never been a better time to think about the health and wellbeing of your staff.  SMEs that take the time to attune to their employees' needs will be a step ahead when it comes to fostering an engaged and positive workforce. Looking after your staff now will help you to build a stronger, healthier business in the future.

¹Online survey of 327 SMEs, conducted between 5 March and 1 April 2020. Undertaken for AXA Health in April 2020 by Taylor McKenzie Research & Marketing Ltd

²Research of 200 business owners/key decision makers of companies of up to 250 employees. Undertaken for AXA Health in 2019 by OnePoll

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