Employers should be on alert regarding the health of their staff, after a survey revealed that not all staff are disclosing health issues; ranging from mental health to testing positive for Covid-19.
According to a survey of UK workers by workplace wellbeing specialists BHSF, of those that contracted Covid-19, a startling 14% did not inform their employers. With cases continuing to rise, employers run the risk of staff continuing to hide their health issues if support is not made available; or employees feel they cannot be honest about their health.
EMPLOYEE WELLBEING MATTERS
The survey also revealed that 48% of UK staff do not inform employers when suffering from issues impacting their personal life. This includes matters relating to mental health, physical health, grief and finance. Additionally, staff are not comfortable talking to their line manager about life-impacting concerns. A staggering 64% are not comfortable discussing physical health worries with their line manager; while only 41% would be happy to discuss mental health issues.
When asked whether any health and wellbeing support was available from employers, a worrying 50.5% said ‘no’. According to BHSF, the continued uncertainty on how businesses implement a return to office life could risk a rising hidden health crisis; particularly if support is not provided.
LACK OF ADEQUATE SUPPORT
“There is a lot of uncertainty surrounding work life at the moment; and with Covid cases continuing to rise, businesses are rightly erring on the side of caution about a blanket return to the office,” stated Shelley Rowley, Chief Transformation Officer at BHSF. “However, there is a real risk that staff are withholding health issues following 18 months of disruption in the working environment. This is unlikely to change if working from home continues and businesses do not have adequate support available.”
It is “critical that staff feel they can be honest about their health issues; and it is clear that not everybody is,” added Rowley. “Businesses must step up and ensure their teams are fully supported. This can be achieved by having an open dialogue with staff; and creating an inclusive environment whereby staff can be truthful about their health. If action is not taken, businesses run the risk of a long-term crisis where workers continue to hide issues. Not only would this impact productivity and commercial performance, but it could also lead to low team morale and staff turnover.”
The statistics are from BHSF’s The Big Return report which also offers guidance on how to support staff as businesses prepare for permanent working policies. Click here to download the report.
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