Employees turn to bosses for support, as 8 in 10 employers report more staff disclosing mental health issues and feelings of loneliness.
According to new research from Benefex, employees have become far more open about their own wellbeing during the pandemic.
87% of HR leaders have experienced increased numbers of employees disclosing issues around mental health, and 82% have seen greater numbers of staff reporting feelings of loneliness.
Employee experience has become more important during the pandemic, according to 96% of HR leaders. Employee wellbeing is seen as the primary driver for this increased focus on employee experience.
Encouragingly, 83% of HR leaders are planning to ramp up investment around employee wellbeing, and they also expect to increase spend on diversity and inclusion initiatives (70%) and employee benefits and HR analytics (65%).
Also, 83% of HR leaders predict that the best performing companies will have a ‘head of employee experience’ within the next two.
Commenting on the findings, Gethin Nadin, director, employee wellbeing at Benefex, said: “Wellbeing has emerged as a critical part of the employee experience, and the pandemic has clearly accelerated this trend.
“Many employers have, for the first time, realised their responsibilities in preventing and supporting poor mental health as much as they can.
“But there is still a long way to go – how you support and care for your people will increasingly become a key, critical factor in the overall employee value proposition.”
