80% of education employees would like more wellbeing support from their employer

A survey by Westfield Health has found that four-fifths of employees working in the education sector would like more emotional and physical wellbeing support to be offered by their employer, as reported by the Education Executive.

David Capper, Commercial Director of Westfield Health, told the Education Executive: “The total number of UK working days lost to stress, anxiety and depression resulting from long working hours is 12.5million days. Therefore, it makes sense for employers to relieve some of the pressure through wellbeing initiatives.”

Despite the statistics, 64% of education employees surveyed believe that their employers are not doing enough to support the physical and mental wellbeing of their staff, whilst 80% felt that more should be done to support stress, anxiety and depression in particular.

Health check-ups, emotional wellness and counselling support were top of the wishlist for employees. Yet 68% of education staff believe that the NHS do not have the budget to provide such services. So where should the funds come from?

48% of education employees do not know where the National Insurance contributions they make end up and 45% are not even sure how much they pay. However, 73% of staff feel that they should be directed in favour of school wellbeing services.

In the meantime, Evolve are able to provide a support network. Specially trained Health Mentors are deployed to support the behaviour, wellbeing and attainment of pupils, taking pressure off some employees within the education sector. Staff after school clubs have also been successfully utilised in various schools to aid wellbeing.

Evolve also provide Health and Wellbeing Consultations where senior staff spend time in the school and advise of changes that can be made to support both pupil and teacher wellbeing. For more information, contact Josh Cronin on josh@evolvesi.com.

David Capper concludes: “From sleep to nutrition and mental health to physical fitness, there are so many elements that contribute to your overall wellness, happiness and healthiness. It’s more than free fruit in the office and discounted gym memberships. As business leaders, we need to create a culture where our people’s health and wellbeing is prioritised to drive confidence, capability, inspiration and ultimately prosperity.”