A third of UK workers feel their health is being neglected at work by employers, new research has revealed.
The study, by Business in the Community (BITC), also highlighted that 62 per cent of workers don’t believe that their bosses consider staff as assets worth investing in, whilst 46 per cent state that a lack of concern towards employee wellbeing has had an adverse affect on productivity.
As a result of the research, BITC is launching a national campaign, ‘Business Action on Health’, which aims to put the health of the nation’s workforce on to boardroom agendas, encouraging 75 per cent of FTSE 100 companies to publicly report on employee wellbeing by 2011.
The campaign is being led by Alex Gourlay, managing director of Boots. “Our research uncovered a catalogue of unhealthy working practices, and saw employees deliver a clear message that investment in health equals business wealth,” he said.
Stephen Howard, managing director of BITC, added that public reporting in employee wellbeing is almost non existent.
“Our aim is to increase business accountability and competitiveness, by helping companies introduce simple health and wellbeing programmes that can be effectively measured against the bottom line.”
Organisations such as Boots, RWE npower, National Grid, Standard Life Healthcare, Abbey, Aramark, and Danone Dairies have made a three-year commitment to support the campaign.
