- You are here:
- Home
- Products for any business
- Workplace health
- Mental wellbeing
- Lightening the load
Lightening the load
Managing the wellbeing of your workforce during the recession
It’s inevitable that a difficult economic climate brings additional pressures both within and outside the workplace. As the government takes steps to prepare and protect UK industry, employers can take positive steps to ensure the continued health and wellbeing of their workforce.
Reducing the cost
A recent Bupa survey1 was conducted to discover how the current financial climate is affecting people in ten cities across the UK. The results suggested that three in every four respondents fear the financial downturn may damage their wellbeing, with concerns that increased working hours, lack of job security and general financial worries could have a severely negative effect on them. Four out of five employees also expressed anxiety about a rise in stress and related illnesses like depression.
In fact, employees from all around the UK – from Bristol to Birmingham, Cardiff to Glasgow – expressed all sorts of health concerns ranging from an inability to ‘switch off’ from work, reduced exercise, less sleep, the development of bad eating habits and a reduced libido.
Extra stress outside of work can lead to increased sickness absence - and with a third of respondents claiming they are more stressed because of the present financial situation, it’s important that employers take action now to prevent the problems escalating into serious health conditions. Janice Brewer, Director of Howarth Sheet Metal and Fabrication Ltd, believes that employers are responsible for easing workplace pressure, “Can you imagine what it must be like to worry that you can’t pay your bills? As an employer it is your responsibility to keep a positive outlook for the benefit of your employees.”
City breakdown1
How the credit crunch affects people across Britain.
- 66% of Cardiff residents say they are less likely to exercise during the financial crisis.
- 93% of people in Norwich believe the downturn will increase their worry and stress.
- 79% of Londoners think that the crunch will adversely affect their health and wellbeing.
- Over two thirds of Manchester employees are concerned that it will affect their sex life.
Our guide to tackling workplace stress
To show our commitment to helping employees through the downturn, we have published a white paper with advice for you and your employees on how to tackle workplace stress related conditions. This includes a guide explaining how to carry out a workplace health audit and more information on how Bupa can help your employees through this difficult time.
You can now download the white paper here (pdf, 962Kb)
Next steps
-
Contact us
Find out how Bupa can help your business on 0800 600 500*
-
Contact us
-
* Lines are open 8am to 8pm Mon - Fri and 9am to 5pm at weekends. Calls may be recorded and may be monitored.
Sources
1 Bupa Healthy Cities Survey, 2008. Bupa’s 2008 Healthy Cities Survey was conducted by QRS Market Research Ltd. 1,114 people were interviewed by telephone in 10 cities (Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, London, Glasgow, Newcastle, Leeds, Cardiff, Brighton and Norwich) between 11th and 26th of August 2008.
Contact us
Related Bupa products
Related Bupa products
Bupa business health insurance
Helps reduce sickness absence with Bupa. Join 40,000+ businesses already covered by Bupa.