Measure employee wellbeing to improve economy, says workplace expert

Business leaders are being encouraged to measure and prioritise employee wellbeing to improve productivity and the health of the UK’s economy.

Leading workplace psychologist, Professor Sir Cary Cooper, made the recommendation in a new report by the National Forum for Health and Wellbeing at Work and Alliance Manchester Business School (AMBS).

The pandemic appears to have taken a toll since data from the Health and Safety Executive shows that 800,000 people suffered from work related stress and anxiety in 2020/21, with more than half saying this was worsened by the pandemic.  

Sir Cary Cooper, co-chair of the National Forum for Health and Wellbeing at Work and Professor of Organisational Psychology at AMBS, said: ‘Placing health and wellbeing at the heart of a business strategy makes perfect sense – it will help to improve productivity, improve staff retention and reduce presenteeism. But implementing a strategy alone is not good enough. We must measure it too, and then use this data to drive further improvements in worker wellbeing.’

The report also highlighted three more workplace trends: the importance generation Z and millennials place on wellbeing compared to previous generations; the permanence of hybrid working models; and the increased focus on environmental, social and governance indexes, which often include health and wellbeing considerations.

Experts are urging business leaders to measure workplace wellbeing as evidence shows it is important to differentiate subjective wellbeing – how we feel and function – from underlying drivers.

These could include external factors such as employment status, income and social networks and internal factors, like health and self-esteem.

Business leaders are being advised to choose simple metrics which are relevant to both internal and external stakeholders and can be integrated into existing, periodic employee surveys.

It’s also been suggested pilot schemes to consult with employees and to build stakeholder buy-in before implementing wellbeing metrics across an organisation.

Sir Cary added: ‘There are so many factors within the workplace that can impact an individual’s wellbeing and their performance at work. And as the world around us continues to change it is important that business leaders look, learn and adapt to the way the world of work is evolving.

‘We need to support our people. But there is not a one-size-fits-all solution, so to do so effectively we need to tailor our wellbeing strategies to our own organisations and most importantly, measure the impact of them. Only then will we truly be able to create a better working environment for our people and, in turn, improve productivity.’

Photo by Alex Kotliarskyi