More employers making life better for employees

More employers are introducing facilities and schemes to make life better for their employees, according to administration and consultancy services provider Barnett Waddingham.

The company’s Why BWell report, which surveyed 300 workers, showed that over 50 per cent of employees feel that their employer is helping them to achieve a good work-life balance.

Support

Nearly half of respondents believe that their business considers their wellbeing to be important, while 27 per cent believe that it is very important.

The research also found that 45 per cent of employees between 18 and 29 years old feel that the company they work for is helping them to lead a lifestyle that is healthy, compared to 41 per cent of those aged 30 to 49 and 37 per cent aged 50 and over.

Over 60 per cent of respondents between the ages of 18 and 29 consider their employer inclusive, while over 50 per cent of those in the same age group feel that their company provides them with good support when they suffer from ill health.

Shift

Barnett Waddingham Head of Workplace Health, Carl Chapman, provided a number of examples of how employers can help employees to manage their lifestyle.

“We are at the beginning of a cultural shift in the way we work as a nation, with forward thinking employers leading the way with agile working, flexible working, on-site gyms and medical facilities, and even on-site childcare,” he said.

Chapman said: “It is key to understand the definition of a positive work-life balance between individuals and employers need to think outside of the one size fits all solution.”

He added that “It is important to engage with employees to find out what is important to them; [organisations] can then find solutions that support this.”