Research shows a North-South divide when it comes to employee wellbeing
Research by Latus Health has shown the best and worst UK regions when it comes to employee wellbeing. Analysing direct factors such as self-reported work-related stress, as well as external factors such as financial security and physical and mental health, the findings show that the North West, North East and Yorkshire and the Humber are topping the list.
From worst to best, this is how UK regions rank when it comes to employee wellbeing:
1. The North West
2. The North East
3. Yorkshire and the Humber
4. East Midlands
5. Northern Ireland
6. Wales
7. Scotland
8. West Midlands
9. East
10. South West
11. London
12. South East
The research shows that Northern regions tend to be worse for employee wellbeing, whilst the South performs better. Despite regions such as the South East reporting high levels of work-related stress, the external factors such as flexibility around working and levels of disposable income being better than in Northern regions compensates for this.
The CIPD report on employee wellbeing found that the most common causes of stress at work were:
- Workloads and volume of work (60%)
- Non-work factors- relationships/family (27%)
- Management style (26%)
- Non-work factors- personal illness/health issue (25%)
- COVID-related anxiety eg. fear of contagion in the workplace/commute (24%)
- New work-related demands or challenges due to homeworking as a result of COVID-19 (23%)
- Poor work-life balance due to homeworking as a result of COVID-19 (22%)
- Pressure to meet targets and/or deadlines (20%)
The CIPD report shows that employee wellbeing relies on factors within work and outside of work, it also found that the primary causes of long term absence was mental ill health, followed by musculoskeletal injuries and stress. Higher rates of sickness absence act as an indicator of employee wellbeing, with those experiencing high levels of stress more likely to be ill. Occupational health teams can provide support for this as they can implement robust strategies to prevent poor mental health and high levels of stress, as well as manage employees who are already experiencing these issues.
Jack Latus, CEO of Latus Health said, “It’s not enough to take a reactive approach to employee wellbeing anymore. The past years have seen a massive shift in priorities for employees, and many of these are around wellbeing and work-life integration. Businesses that don’t invest in these will be left behind in the race for employee retention and attracting top talent.”
“Businesses are largely responsible for the conditions inside of the workplace that contribute to poor employee wellbeing and stress, however, we’re seeing more and more workplaces offering benefits relating to wellbeing outside of work. Giving employees the tools to maintain and improve their health and wellbeing is essential for a healthier workforce,” says Jack Latus.
Schaunagh Gleeson
DA Creative Studio
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