Wake-up call: Business accountability for employee health
07/09/2011
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A new study showing a poor night's sleep causes 11.3 days of lost productivity per employee per year should serve as a wake-up call to company managers and HR professionals, according to a corporate wellbeing expert.
Dr. Paul Lanthois, director of Work Life Balance Foundation, has suggested that in such tight economic times business can no longer ignore the huge productivity drain of poor employee health and lifestyle.
"Employers are continually looking for ways to improve staff engagement and motivation in an attempt to increase work output and productivity," said Dr. Lanthois. "But this research is another in a long list of studies showing that the major factor affecting employee productivity is their wellbeing and lifestyle."
In his research, Dr. Lanthois has found poor employee wellbeing results in a minimum of 24 days of lost productivity per Australian employee per year and based upon these most recent findings this figure seems to be conservative. Survey results released earlier this week in a separate study indicate that 58% of employees take 'sickies' when not actually sick; instead time off was required due to stress.
"Businesses have rightly pointed out that an employee's wellbeing is their individual responsibility but that doesn't mean that business should do nothing, " said Dr. Lanthois. "Business need to wake up. Employee low wellbeing is costing Australian business at least $100bn annually."
Dr Lanthois suggested that companies investing in employee wellbeing and lifestyle training can provide huge returns on investment for the companies. "It's common sense really," he said. "Healthier, balanced employees will create healthier balance sheets for business."
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