Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today

AnxietyDepressionStressMental health conditionsOH service delivery

Two-thirds say work has made them feel unwell

by Ashleigh Webber 21 Oct 2021
by Ashleigh Webber 21 Oct 2021 Shutterstock
Shutterstock

Organisations must take a more proactive approach to helping their employees stay healthy, according to report that reveals two-thirds of employees believe their work has made them unwell or has undermined their health.

The report by occupational health and wellbeing services provider PAM Group says that employers must do more to create healthy working practices, including facilitating a good work-life balance and addressing overwork, and not simply rely on health and wellbeing apps to help staff self-manage conditions – although these do have their place.

The survey of 1,000 employees commissioned for its ‘Health at work’ report found 86% agreed that their employer has a responsibility for their wellbeing, with 62% stating that the health and wellbeing support provided would make them less likely to want to look for a new job.

Mental health continues to be the biggest issue affecting employee wellbeing: 75% said they had been extremely or somewhat affected by stress, 72% had felt anxious, 64% had felt depressed, and 20% had been extremely affected by feelings of loneliness and isolation.

Supporting staff wellbeing

Six in 10 firms increase wellbeing support during pandemic

‘Future of work commission’ needed to ensure work supports wellbeing

How can we support managers’ wellbeing?

Fatigue and burnout (64%) and work-related stress (63%) are also significant concerns, and more than a quarter of employees had been diagnosed with clinical anxiety or depression.

Physical health concerns are also prevalent, with 24% experiencing a musculoskeletal concern and 5% having a heart condition. Eight per cent of those polled said they had experienced long Covid.

Louise Abbs, managing director of PAM Wellbeing, said: “Employers must be more proactive. Not least because nearly nine out of ten employees say their employer is responsible for their wellbeing, with a healthy work-life balance and a supportive manager seen as the most important things their employer can do to help them.”

Where proactive support was given to support employees, business benefits that went beyond reducing sickness absence were seen, the report concluded. Almost half (47%) of those who felt their employer proactively helped them to stay healthy now felt very productive, compared to just 11% of those given little or no wellbeing support.

The report makes five key recommendations for proactively supporting employees’ health and wellbeing:

  • Devising a proactive wellbeing strategy that helps employees avoid getting sick
  • Looking at data to determine how employee health has an impact on the wider business
  • Utilising digital solutions that are inclusive and accessible for all
  • Looking at alternative ways to help people who are waiting to access NHS support
  • Normalising anxiety by ensuring that staff know is okay to feel the way they are feeling.

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

The report’s findings were revealed ahead of the MAD World conference which is taking place today (21 October).

MAD World co-founder Simon Berger said: “The findings of the PAM Group survey accentuate the need for all employers to act now. The pandemic has provided a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reinvent ways of working that enhance mental health. Look after your human capital and they’ll give you better passion, performance and profits.”

Ashleigh Webber

Ashleigh is a former editor of OHW+ and former HR and wellbeing editor at Personnel Today. Ashleigh's areas of interest include employee health and wellbeing, equality and inclusion and skills development. She has hosted many webinars for Personnel Today, on topics including employee retention, financial wellbeing and menopause support.

previous post
Green revolution ‘risks being tripped up by lack of green jobs’
next post
Holidays: How leaders taking a break can set an example

You may also like

Uncertainty over law hampering legal use of medical...

20 May 2025

Employers ‘worryingly’ ignorant about stress risk assessments

20 May 2025

Awareness weeks fuel spike in demand for mental...

19 May 2025

Healthcare workers prioritise mental health support in new...

12 May 2025

Tool developed for employers to calculate cost of...

28 Apr 2025

Why employers must do more to support all...

24 Apr 2025

NHS to expand GP scheme enabling greater access...

16 Apr 2025

Computer says no: IT woes giving employees sleepless...

15 Apr 2025

Access to Work backlogs and delays costing businesses...

14 Apr 2025

Nearly half did not take even one full...

14 Apr 2025

  • 2025 Employee Communications Report PROMOTED | HR and leadership...Read more
  • The Majority of Employees Have Their Eyes on Their Next Move PROMOTED | A staggering 65%...Read more
  • Prioritising performance management: Strategies for success (webinar) WEBINAR | In today’s fast-paced...Read more
  • Self-Leadership: The Key to Successful Organisations PROMOTED | Eletive is helping businesses...Read more
  • Retaining Female Talent: Four Ways to Reduce Workplace Drop Out PROMOTED | International Women’s Day...Read more

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today