Employee well-being is a holistic concept encompassing individuals’ subjective experiences of their working lives. It is an outcome and personal assessment of how people feel about their workplace; for employers, it is all about creating the conditions for them to thrive.
Leveraging their research-based Trust Index Survey, Great Place To Work has conducted a UK population study, surveying 2,200 employees across 11 sectors to create The State of Employee Wellbeing in the Workplace Report 2024.
The past few years have been particularly challenging for employers and employees alike due to the pandemic and cost-of-living crisis. In the immediate aftermath of the pandemic, employee wellbeing became a priority for company leaders. Yet, despite years of investment, organisations are still struggling to fully meet employees’ needs and achieve high workplace wellbeing measures.
Analysis of employee and employer survey responses highlights the key conditions that, according to staff, contribute to overall wellbeing:
Stress is widespread across industries
Over half (53%) of UK employees say that the demands of their job cause them excessive stress. Stress was highest among frontline managers, with just 37% saying that the demands of their jobs do not cause excessive stress. In comparison, 47% of employees/individual contributors and 44% of mid-level managers reported the same.
As a result, frontline managers tend to report the lowest levels of wellbeing among the working population. The combination of high stress, excessive workloads, demands of leading a team and other pressures significantly impacts their well-being.
These challenges can cause isolation, burnout, and feelings of being undervalued.
A third of UK employees often consider switching jobs
In the UK, 36% of employees frequently think about leaving their current company. Given that nearly half (45%) of employees say they don’t look forward to coming to work, the importance of wellbeing in retaining staff comes sharply into focus.
Prioritising employee well-being can significantly increase retention, boost employee advocacy, and strengthen employee engagement. Employees who experience high levels of wellbeing in the workplace are 3 times more likely to stay with their employer.
What do employees want most for workplace well-being?
Perks and wellness programmes often fall short of addressing the true needs of employees for enhancing their wellbeing. By analysing a sample of 1,000 comments from UK employees, Great Place To Work discovered that employees now look for the following to support their personal wellbeing:
- Work-life balance and hybrid working
- Workload, resourcing, and processes
- People management
- Pay and financial security
- Benefits and well-being programmes
Sara Silvonen, senior consultant and well-being lead at Great Place To Work UK, said: “At the heart of every organisation is its people and looking after their wellbeing should be much more integrative than a package of impressive perks on a careers website. Wellbeing, engagement, and trust between employees go hand in hand as critical ingredients of a successful workplace culture. By creating the conditions for thriving through job design, the work environment, and high-trust relationships, organisations can set employees up for success in terms of productivity and long-term commitment to their mission and purpose.”
