How UK Businesses Can Improve Employee Happiness and Productivity

Discover practical strategies UK SMEs and larger companies can use to improve employee wellbeing, boost productivity, and create a happier, more engaged workforce.

For SMEs and larger corporations alike, improving working life isn’t just good ethics — it’s good business. 

Employees who feel valued, supported and trusted are more productive, loyal and engaged.

Here are the essentials:

1. Build a Culture of Respect

Encourage open communication, listen to feedback, and recognise contributions. Trust reduces micromanagement and increases accountability.

2. Offer Flexible Working

Hybrid models, flexible hours or compressed weeks can significantly reduce stress and improve morale — often at little cost.

3. Prioritise Wellbeing

Support mental and physical health through realistic workloads, access to wellbeing resources, and leadership that models healthy boundaries.

4. Invest in Development

Training, mentoring and clear career progression keep staff motivated and reduce turnover.

5. Recognise Achievement

Simple gestures — public thanks, small rewards, milestone celebrations — can have a powerful impact on morale.

6. Strengthen Leadership

Good managers communicate clearly, lead fairly and support their teams. Poor management remains one of the main reasons people leave jobs.

The Bottom Line

When employees thrive, productivity rises, absenteeism falls, and recruitment costs decrease. Whether you’re running a growing SME or a large corporate operation, investing in workplace happiness is a strategic advantage — not a luxury.

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

Keeping staff healthy is good for them and good for business

It makes good business sense pays to keep employees healthy. Research published today reveals as little as 15 minutes of physical activity a day can bring enormous health benefits.

The study, published in The Lancet, reviewed physical activity levels of over 400,000 people and found that just 15 minutes of exercise a day can reduce the risk of all-cause death by 14% and increase life expectancy.

The workplace is a great place to encourage physical activity, providing an estimated 54% of the global population with the opportunity to improve their health. But how can the effectiveness of increased activity be measured?

An answer to this question comes from iGlobalFitness, who announced at today’s rebrand as iGlobalWellness, their commitment to supporting organisations to improve the health of their workforce with a suite of revolutionary wellness services. iGlobalWellness is a wellness consultancy service built on years of experience building programmes specially designed to help employers reduce absenteeism, increase productivity and morale, and lower turnover rates.

“Wellness programmes help employees feel valued, empowering individuals, and increasing productivity and profitability. We have worked hard over the last three years to put together a set of world class wellness programmes for the 21st Century,” points out a proud Paul Tomlin, CEO of iGlobalWellness.

The health and wellness of the workforce plays a major part in the success of the business. iGlobalWellness use strategic programmes to help organisations to promote positive health and wellbeing among their employees, enhancing performance and helping businesses to gain a competitive advantage.

Measurement and sustainability are key to the services provided by iGlobalWellness, ensuring organisations can easily evaluate the effectiveness of wellness strategies and enabling employees to incorporate the programmes into their busy lifestyles.

"These studies back what we already know - that doing a little bit of physical activity each day brings health benefits. We hope these studies will help more people realise that there are many ways to get exercise, activities like walking at a good pace or digging the garden over can count too," said England’s Chief Medical Officer, speaking to the BBC today.

With a global network of personal trainers, wellness facilitators and qualified coaches, iGlobalWellness can develop new wellness programmes for businesses or provide existing wellness programmes with support to make them more sustainable and effective. At their rebrand, iGlobalWellness launched their latest wellness services to complement the range of programmes they already provide.

The Wellness for Life workshop educates employees about behaviours necessary to lead healthier lifestyles, focusing on four key areas; iPhysical, iNutritional, iEmotional, and iSpiritual.

The Stay Active Challenge, a fun and engaging competition between corporate teams, was launched earlier this year and has already proved popular among businesses due to the motivating Boot Camps, Pound Punchers and Nutrition Consultations provided to Challenge participants.

Personal Wellness Programmes are customised to employee needs and provide regular reviews of Lifestyle, Health, Nutrition, Exercise and Daily activity with support from Wellness Facilitators and Activity Coaches.

All iGlobalWellness’ programmes are enhanced by the iAM, an exclusive, advanced activity monitor and online coaching system.

FACTFILE:-
iGlobalWellness is the first company of its kind to offer a worldwide network of personal wellness training services for both the corporate and consumer market. They work with companies to develop effective wellness strategies using a global network of resources to offer a range of sustainable and measurable wellness services, designed to stimulate employee participation, increase performance and drive employee engagement. They work closely with ActionAid, making an automatic donation for every employee who takes part in their programmes.

www.iGlobalWellness.com

www.StayActiveChallenge.com