Employers urged to 'sit up and take notice' as damning report shines light on workers' wellbeing

Businesses have been urged to take better care of their staff or risk greater uncertainty after new research painted a gloomy picture of the UK workplace as a “demotivated world of insecurity and weak identity”.

The major study by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) shines a light on an environment where the main emotion is said to be one of existing rather than thriving. It reveals that nearly half of respondents do not believe their employer has their health and safety in mind, while four in ten don’t agree their workplace is supportive of their physical and mental wellbeing. A quarter of employees don’t believe their job is secure, with only a third saying their employer would support them if their job was under threat.

IOSH described the findings as “a huge wake-up call” for bosses. The professional body, which has more than 49,000 members in some 130 countries, said there is likely to be a link between how workers sense they are being treated and their feelings towards their employer, with only two in five giving their best at work and only half feeling loyalty towards them. In contrast, nearly 80 per cent of business leaders and managers think their employees are provided with a safe and comfortable working environment.

Ruth Wilkinson, head of health and safety for IOSH, said: “Businesses need to sit up and take notice. They cannot afford to ignore the results of this survey. It is a huge wake-up call for them; the findings lay out the way the UK’s workforce is feeling right now. Businesses need to ensure they are putting their people first and they need to be seen to be doing so. Clearly, many workers don’t believe this is happening in their roles. And there is a clear correlation between employees feeling they aren’t looked after at work and them not giving their best or feeling loyalty toward their employers.”

According to the research, more than a quarter of employees admitted they don’t undertake tasks with any enthusiasm or commitment, while only 61 per cent claimed they give their best. Just over half of the workers polled said they felt loyalty to their employer. Almost 40 per cent of workers don’t feel their employer is supportive of their physical and mental wellbeing.

IOSH launched a campaign last year to demonstrate the link between social sustainability and occupational safety and health. It called on businesses to put people alongside the planet and profit as a key priority, citing the fact there is more scrutiny than ever on how they treat workers. As part of this drive, the organisation commissioned the survey of more than 2,100 workers. It also surveyed almost 1,000 line managers and senior leaders.

Wilkinson added: “In this period of major uncertainty, now is the time for employers to step up and demonstrate that looking after their workers is key to their business, showing they value them and the work they do. Failure to do so will have a significant impact on how sustainable a business is.”