Marvin OnumonuResearch from the British Safety Council found employees had a more negative view of workplace wellbeing than employers.
The Keep Thriving survey with YouGov showed that six in 10 (60%) employers said wellbeing was important or very important to their organisation.
27% of employers said their wellbeing strategy was ‘embedded’, compared to 20% of employees.
More employees (21%) said there was no wellbeing strategy at all, compared to 16% of employers.
Where wellbeing was seen as very important, nearly two thirds (65%) of organisations had a formal definition.
Where it was only moderately important, just 19% had a definition.
There were gaps in views on support.
For flexible or remote working, 49% of employers said they offered it, but only 40% of employees said it was available.
On burnout prevention, 26% of employers said they provided support, but only 14% of employees agreed.
Nearly half (47%) of employees rated their workplace wellbeing as moderate.
Just over a third (36%) rated it high or very high, and 18% said it was low or very low.
Where strategies were said to be more embedded, 8% described their wellbeing as very high and 61% as high.
Mike Robinson, CEO of British Safety Council, said: “We know that when done well, supporting people’s wellbeing at work not only helps them thrive and cope with change it also leads to a happier, more motivated and more productive workforce.
“But as we have also found, some significant differences exist between how employees and employers perceive not only what support is on offer but also the maturity of that provision.
“This matters because, as our survey shows, when wellbeing strategies are more embedded and mature, levels of wellbeing are also higher.”
Robinson added: “Which makes it all the more important that we help organisations to develop effective, measurable wellbeing strategies which are fit for purpose for their workplace.”
The gap between employees and employers was wider in some regions.
London had the highest share of employees rating wellbeing as high (42%) and the lowest as low (14%), matching employer views.
In the North East, employers said they had operational or embedded wellbeing strategies and valued wellbeing highly, but employees reported the highest share of low wellbeing (27%) and one of the lowest high scores (27%).
Both employers and employees said legally binding rules such as minimum leave or workload limits would help most with workplace wellbeing.
This was backed by 40% of employees and 29% of employers.
A legal duty to assess wellbeing risks also got support, with 28% of employees and 23% of employers in favour. Voluntary certification was less popular.
Large organisations most supported legally binding obligations (36%).
Smaller companies and micro-businesses preferred tax incentives or financial subsidies for wellbeing programmes (35% and 29% respectively).
Robinson added: “While this research does not identify one single way forward, it does show that both employers and employees would welcome more clarity, direction and support from policymakers and regulators, possibly even legally binding obligations or better incentives and support.
“The big message coming through these survey findings is the need for clear communication between employers and their staff, to close the gap between perceptions in the levels and types of support and ensure that wellbeing strategies work for everyone.
“In meeting the real wellbeing needs of our employees, we will be better able to deal with challenges we face now and in the future through wider economic and technological change.”
