The best Irish employers engage their employees with wellness programs and offer massage. And there is a reason why.
Employee Wellness & Absenteeism.
Work-related illness made up a loss of 790,000 productive days in 2013 alone. IBEC reported that absenteeism due to illness was costing Irish businesses €1.5bn a year or €818 per employee.
The three commonly cited reasons for absence on medical certs are “back & neck pain, anxiety & depression, and stress”. New research published in October 2016 by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), musculoskeletal disorders such as back & neck pain among others, is responsible for 50% of all absences, with an average of 16 days of illness. Work-related stress, anxiety and depression follow at 18% and an average of 17 days of absence. So almost 70% of all absenteeism is related to back & neck pain, anxiety & depression, and stress keeping employees out of the office well over three working weeks each year.
It goes without saying that a stressed out and wary workforce serves nobody.
The World Health Organisation advises that
“the concept of the health promoting workplace (HPW) is becoming increasingly relevant as more private and public organisations recognize that future success in a globalizing marketplace can only be achieved with a healthy, qualified and motivated workforce. A HPW can ensure a flexible and dynamic balance between customer expectations and organisational targets on the one hand and employees skills and health needs on the other, which can assist companies and work organisations to compete in the marketplace.”
The Department of Health, has committed to develop legislation to (…) develop strategies and supports to improve employee health and wellbeing.
Promoting health and wellbeing is increasingly recognised by companies and employers. Some of Ireland’s best already have employee wellness programs and offer massage treatments in their offices. Join Vodafone, Salesforce, Zahra Media, SAP, Bank of Ireland, the Department for Health, Google, Diageo, Airbnb and more.
