74% of employees feel supported by employers during stress or illness, research finds

Research from Verve Healthcare has found that nearly three quarters (74%) of employees aged 25 to 34 have felt supported by their employer during work-related stress or illness.

The research also showed a clear generational divide, with fewer than half (45%) of employees aged 55 and over saying they felt supported. 

Support levels stood at 67% among those aged 35 to 44, 61% among 18 to 24-year-olds and 56% among 45 to 54-year-olds.

Verve Healthcare said the findings pointed to changing workplace conversations around health and wellbeing, with younger workers benefiting from a more modern approach. 

Steven Pink, CEO at Verve Healthcare, said: “There is real progress here and we should not dismiss it. 

“A generation of workers is entering employment expecting their employer to take their health seriously and, in many cases, that expectation is being met. That is real progress and it shouldn’t be dismissed.

“But the generational divide is too big to ignore. If support lands for some groups but not others, it’s not a wellbeing strategy.”

Pink added: “The sharp drop among older employees tells us that many businesses still don’t have a reliable system for identifying and supporting people when their health starts to deteriorate.”