Workplace stress fuels shift in employee expectations around health support

• Over half (54%) of employees view access to mental health resources as a deciding factor whether to join or stay with a company

• 48% place the same importance on stress reduction programmes

• A third of businesses still not offering stress reduction support for their staff

As workplace stress continues to rise, new data from international recruitment firm, Robert Half, reveals British workers want their employers to do more to boost their physical and mental wellbeing.

The firm’s latest Salary Guide, which reveals skills commanding salary premiums, evolving pay expectations, and the importance of emerging perks and benefits, highlights a growing expectation for companies to offer health-focused benefits as part of their employee value proposition.

This sentiment comes at a time when data from the Priory reveals 79% of people in the UK feel stressed at least once every  month.

According to Robert Half, workers are seeking support from their employers to help tackle the strains on their mental wellbeing.

In excess of  half (54%) have stated access to mental health resources and employee assistance programmes would influence their decision to join or stay with a company, while a further 48% are drawn to companies offering stress reduction initiatives. 

With a third of businesses still not offering any stress reduction support according to the data, it’s clear tackling workplace burnout has become an urgent priority.

Supporting employee wellbeing through physical health initiatives also key

On top of the mental health support workers are seeking, a large number have also indicated a desire for additional perks to help improve their physical health. 

49% of employees say access to gym memberships influences their decision to join or stay with a company. Over a third (36%) also value in-office physical activities such as yoga and group exercise sessions, which 41% of employers currently don’t offer.

For employees working remotely, there also remains a desire for perks to keep them active. 36% of respondents indicated that access to virtual physical activity platforms is desirable, while 42% of employers still don’t feature this in their perks and benefits packages. 

Amid rising concerns about burnout and work-life balance, these findings underscore a clear call to action for businesses to prioritise health-focused benefits as a core part of their employee offering.

Matt Weston, Senior Managing Director UK & Ireland at Robert Half, told That's Business: “This data reinforces what we’ve long believed, employee wellbeing must be at the heart of every organisation’s culture. 

"Here at Robert Half, we’ve made meaningful investments in mental health resources, physical activity initiatives and flexible benefits to support our teams. When businesses prioritise wellbeing, they don’t just retain talent, they empower people to thrive.

“These findings reflect a broader shift in employee expectations, where wellbeing is no longer seen as a perk but a priority. With wellbeing clearly now a key factor in talent attraction and retention, companies that embrace holistic support for their workforce are better positioned to succeed in today’s competitive landscape.”

https://www.roberthalf.com/gb/en

Narcissistic leaders cause employees undue stress in crisis situations

Vulnerable, narcissistic leaders are especially likely to make employees irritated and stressed during crisis situations, reveals new research from NEOMA Business School.

Birgit Schyns, who is a distinguished Professor of People and Organisations at NEOMA, and co-authors analysed survey data on workers in the UK education sector during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Respondents reported their levels of irritation and Coronavirus-related concerns and worries in five weekly surveys, as well as their experiences with vulnerable narcissistic leadership, an unstable form of leadership characterised by covert feelings of entitlement.

The study learned employees subjected to this kind of behaviour reported feeling more irritation in general, and this irritation worsened in weeks when they were exposed to higher amounts of vulnerable narcissistic behaviour from those who were in charge.

“Resources are often already stretched thin in crisis situations. Vulnerable narcissistic leaders strain them further, for instance they might not give employees guidelines on how to accomplish goals or blaming others for their own shortcomings. 

"Employees already short on time and energy are required to invest more in making sense of their leader’s behaviours,” points out Professor Schyns.

The researchers suggest organisations need to be aware of potential red flags of narcissistic leadership, such as punishing others for taking the initiative, as the irritation this causes followers can lead to more severe mental health impairments.

“Followers can be protected by implementing checks and balances and adjusting HR practices to better deal with these behaviours,” says Professor Schyns.

https://neoma-bs.com

(Image courtesy of OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay)

Top talent is hard to find despite unemployment rises, HR survey reveals

A recent survey of HR Directors and business leaders conducted by HR specialists The Curve Group today revealed that three quarters of companies polled were finding it difficult to recruit top talent, despite the growing unemployment figures. In addition 62% of those surveyed had also seen an increase of absenteeism due to stress over the last two years.

In response to questioning about how best to spend money on engaging with employees, over half of said that their strategy would be to invest in leadership development to create clear direction for their organisations. Surprisingly only in 1 in 10 companies would increase salaries or pay larger bonuses, while just 1 in 20 companies would hire additional personnel to relieve pressure on the workforce.

Perhaps the most interesting result of the survey was the focus on the need to develop organisational leaders in order to have a significant impact on employee engagement. For many organisations this represents a change in priorities. Resources for HR programmes have been squeezed and so finding cost effective options for developing internal leaders to drive employee engagement rather than investing in employee benefits has come to the fore.

Lyndsey Simpson, Co-owner of The Curve Group, said, “These figures indicate some of the challenges facing employers in times of economic uncertainty. Redundancies or headcount freezes put pressure on the remaining workforce, leading to increased levels of stress. At the same time those who have a job often feel they should remain in a ‘safe’ position rather than risk moving, thus reducing the talent pool.”

Simpson comments, “While this shift is understandable in the short term, the danger is in neglecting the needs of the wider workforce – which may contain the stars of tomorrow - and leads to potential disengagement and reduced levels of output.”

FACTFILE:
The Curve Group was formed in 2003 and leads the way in the field of HR services. The company is split into four main businesses - Curve Search, Curve Recruiting, Curve Outplacement and Curve Outsourcing. The Curve Group works with a broad range of organisations in financial services, consulting, leisure, food and business services and clients include Barclays, Virgin, RBS, Avon, LaSer and Aston Villa FC. The company is proud to have won the Best Employer award at the 2011 Business Awards, and finalists at the following Awards in 2011 - Fast Growth Business, Recruitment Business and Working Mums. For more information visit www.thecurvegroup.co.uk

(EDITOR: High levels of stress, leading to absenteeism? Perhaps you need to look at ways of looking after your loyal staff more and not risk burning them out?)