Companies that fail to address workplace health and wellbeing issues need to take action or risk losing their competitive edge, Business in the Community (BITC) has warned.

Employee health and wellbeing is becoming increasingly important in the battle for talent. In a recent survey, six out of 10 workers said they would consider quitting if their employers fail to take the issue seriously, said the BITC.

Over 80% of respondents said that employer attitudes towards health and wellbeing were a factor when making a decision about a job.

Fortunately, the research also showed that the majority of companies already take the matter seriously, with seven out of 10 businesses already placing employee wellbeing at the heart of the business.

BITC chief executive Stephen Howard warned that during times of market turbulence, hanging on to key staff becomes even more important. “No business leader can afford to be complacent about the financial and cultural impact of churn,” he said.

“Our research clearly shows that workplace welfare is an emerging weapon in the battle for talent and although many companies are already taking action on their health and well being record, those that aren’t need to take action now or risk losing staff.”

BITC, which promotes positive business impact on society, is campaigning for 75% of FTSE 100 companies to publicly report on workplace health by 2011, and is launching a series of toolkits containing practical advice on improving staff wellbeing.

“Health and wellbeing needs to be an integral part of business strategy,” added Howard. “By launching these tools we hope to provide HR and business directors with the necessary utensils to take action and enjoy a positive impact on their bottom line.”