Last weekend saw the final of The Apprentice, with “whacky” inventor Tom Pellereau emerging victorious. However what really interested me was Lord Sugar’s final boardroom rhetoric in response to Mr Pellereau’s employee wellbeing mindful invention.

Tom came up with the idea of an improved office chair, in order to suppress staff sick days due to back pain. Lord Sugar’s agitated response certainly gave us an insight into a CEOs view on employee wellbeing;

"A long, long time ago, I stopped worrying about people taking time off of work, OK. Under health and safety regulations, I have to ensure the working environment in my building is a certain temperature, that there aren’t any things on the floor that [staff] can trip up, that lifts work properly, fire extinguishers, washroom facilities and all that type of stuff.

"But I’ve got to tell you, as an employer, I would give up and emigrate if someone said to me, ‘now what you’ve got to do is to allow all your employees to have a desk chair check’."

Mr Pellereau’s rationale was clever; if Lord Sugar was losing money through faulty electrics or heating systems, he would get it fixed. So the idea of giving employees the same attention makes a lot of sense.

The question is, is this the general opinion and standpoint of older (and dare I say it, long in the tooth) CEOs? Is the younger generation more employee aware?

I do hope so. The fact that 3 of the 4 finalist’s business plans centered on work/life balance and/or general wellbeing, is rather encouraging. 

Is Lord Sugar wrong? Is valuing the health & wellbeing of staff to reduce absenteeism necessary?

I think the facts speak volumes. According to a new report released today today, absenteeism cost British industry £1.75 billion last year. The number of working days lost to sickness and absence in the UK is 175 million per year. 

I am aware Lord Sugar is a money man, so regardless of corporate social responsibility, he still may like to re-think his position on wellbeing in the workplace.