Managers have tunnel vision when it comes to the health and wellbeing of their own teams, often believing health issues affect them and their immediate colleagues less than their organisation as a whole.
A poll of 300 managers by management consultancy Right Management found that, while nearly three-quarters recognised the effect that health and wellbeing had on levels of engagement, most also felt that health and wellbeing were less of an issue for their own teams, with 70% saying there were either “no issues”, or being unable or unwilling to comment on the issue.
Stress was one of their biggest wellbeing issues, yet of the 63% of organisations that offered stress management programmes, only 29% of employees used them.
There had also been a decrease in the provision of wellbeing services, largely driven by the economic downturn and pressure on budgets, with manufacturing and construction companies most likely to have reined back spending in this area.
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Kirsten Sholl, senior management consultant at Right Management, said: “There is still unwillingness in many organisations to talk about health and wellbeing issues such as workplace stress.
“If organisations are not honest and open, then managers won’t be either. Employers must ensure their managers are tooled up and educated on these matters if not only to satisfy their duty of care, but to ensure the productivity of their staff and the wellbeing of their business,” she added.
