Zarah ChoudharyAccording to research by GRiD, the industry body for the group risk sector, 74% of employers say there is a lack of support from the state for the health and wellbeing of workers in the UK.
Two-thirds (66%) of employers said that being unable to access support for mental health was affecting their workers.
The research highlighted a lack of access to preventative care (65%), support for physical health (62%) and financial support (56%) if staff are not available to work through sickness or injury.
Katharine Moxham, spokesperson for GRiD, said: “The UK lags behind many of the other G7 nations in terms of productivity, and both the Government and employers need to address this issue: the health and wellbeing of staff is a good place to start.
“Rightly or wrongly, there is a move away from state support to the onus being on the employer to fill this gap, and employers need to be ready to do so.
“Those who do not grasp the opportunity willingly may find themselves on the backfoot when it comes to being able to recruit and retain the best talent.”
Moxham added: “Changes in governments, policies, the economy, and state provision, mean that the expectation for managing absence and rehabilitation is increasingly falling to employers
“Providing comprehensive support to staff needn’t be a burden if employers choose their employee benefits partners wisely.
“However, fresh fruit on Fridays will no longer cut it for businesses that do not want to see productivity levels drop.”
