Workers expecting more occupational health support

More than one-third of UK workers believe their employers hold the greatest responsibility for their health, according to new research from Spire Healthcare.

The study, which surveyed 1,000 employees and 200 employers, highlighted a disconnect between employee expectations and the provision of workplace healthcare services.

Although 38% of employees surveyed thought the onus was on employers to look after their health (rising to 46% among those aged 35-44), 70% said they had never been referred to occupational health services. This is in spite of 46% of employees reporting having taken more than a month’s absence in the last three years due to issues related to their work environment.

The findings are set against a backdrop of rising workplace absences, with the average UK employee now taking 7.8 days off per year, up from 5.8 days before the Covid-19 pandemic. With the UK unemployment rate at its highest in two years and long-term sickness affecting a near-record 2.8 million people, the report suggests that employers need to prioritise employee health and wellbeing more effectively.

Caroline Gardiner, managing director of Spire Occupational Health, said: ‘For years occupational health has been viewed by too many businesses as an unwieldy cost rather than a vital investment. With people living and working longer than ever before, safeguarding the health of employees needs to be a priority. Last year, 186 million working days were lost due to sickness, and this is estimated to cost around £150bn a year, with employers shouldering around a fifth of this cost. With workplace absence rates rising sharply, the impact of sickness and ill health within the UK workforce is not just of concern from an employer’s duty of care perspective, but also for productivity and retention, a business’s bottom line and more widely, economic prosperity.’

The survey also revealed a significant lack of awareness among employers regarding the benefits of occupational health services. Less than half of the employers surveyed said they fully understand the range of services available, dropping to 14% among smaller firms with 101-250 employees. Budget constraints were cited as the primary barrier to improving workplace health conditions, with 45% of employers pointing to financial limitations.

Although 94% of employers surveyed believe in the importance of occupational health in maintaining a healthy and productive workforce, only a third (33%) said they were very familiar with the financial benefits of investing in occupational health and employee wellbeing programmes.

‘People are an organisation’s most valuable asset and this is why we believe there should be financial incentives and tax breaks to encourage employers to invest fully in occupational health services for their employees,’ added Gardiner. ‘Encouraging greater corporate investment in employee health would be a policy move that would not only pay dividends in improved workplace productivity but also alleviate pressures on the NHS. With the workforce getting older and having to work for longer, there has never been a more crucial time for employers to take a proactive, preventative, and holistic approach to occupational health and employee wellbeing.’

The vast majority (77%) of employees surveyed agreed that employers should invest more in occupational health, while 79% said the government should incentivise companies to do so.

The findings come as separate research carried out by Towergate Health & Protection found employers are being asked to provide a broader range of health and wellbeing support for their workforce.

In addition to the increase in demand for traditional health and wellbeing services, 29% expect an increase in demand for support for caring responsibilities, while 20% anticipate a rise in fertility, neurodiversity, addiction, and gender identity support needs.

Head of wellbeing at Towergate Health & Protection, Debra Clark said: ‘Today’s employer is supporting employees through situations that are outside of the traditional employee benefits sphere, and what is perhaps most staggering is the sheer range of areas that an employer may now be expected to assist.’