EXCLUSIVE: New research has revealed that 86% of employers believe employee expectations have changed and that they require more health and wellbeing support since the onset of the Covid-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic.
Towergate Health and Protection carried out research into the changes in health and wellbeing aid needed by employees since Covid-19 and found that mental health was placed as the top concern from employers, as well as the area where employees would most like more support.
Two-fifths (40%) were found to be more concerned about the mental health of staff since the pandemic, and 53% said their employees would like more of this kind of support.
Just above one-fifth (22%) said they were more worried about the physical health of employees, while 36% reported that employees want more help with this post-pandemic.
Meanwhile, 17% were primarily concerned for the financial health of employees since the pandemic, with 36% believing their staff now want more support for this.
Nearly half (49%) of businesses with more than 250 staff said they were most concerned about the mental health of staff, compared with 37% of small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs), while 74% of large corporates said employees would like more mental health support than previously, compared with 46% of SMEs.
Brett Hill, head of distribution for Towergate Health and Protection, explained that employers need to re-evaluate their health and wellbeing support in the wake of Covid-19, as working practices, attitudes and expectations have changed.
He added: “It is important for any health and wellbeing programme to recognise the changing needs of employees and to be adaptable as we adjust to life post-pandemic. There have been a lot of challenges for businesses and their workforces to deal with during the pandemic, and these have affected all areas of health and wellbeing. Now is a good time for employers to look at solutions available for them to help their staff.”