Over half of UK workers say they wouldn’t discuss their health issues at work. Here’s how to change that.

Over half of UK workers have a health-issue, long-term condition or disability, yet almost half of us say they wouldn’t feel confident discussing any sort of health issue with their employer.

Research carried out by Benenden Health also found that almost a third of businesses (28 per cent) accepted that they would have concerns about offering support to those in need, with as many as a fifth (19 per cent) revealing that they have previously hired someone with pre-existing health conditions but wouldn’t do so again.

The survey of 2,000 employees and 500 business owners revealed the most common ailments that workers have not disclosed to their employers are poor mental health, high blood pressure and arthritis – all conditions that could be exacerbated in the workplace.

So what can you do to help make the people around you feel confident enough to talk to you about any health problems?

First let’s look at the reasons workers said they wouldn’t want to discuss their health at work, according to Benenden Health’s research

• A third of employees didn’t tell people about their health problems, saying they would worry that people would think they couldn’t do their job

• More than a quarter of employees believed they might lose their job over their health issues

• A fifth were concerned that they would be talked about

• 15% of employees believed that they have been overlooked for a job in the past due to a health issue, long-term condition or disability.

Naomi Thompson, Head of OD at Benenden Health, said: “It is disappointing that so many people still feel they can’t speak to their employers about their wellbeing and that a sizeable number of decision-makers reinforce this with dated approaches to hiring people with long-term health issues.

“This stigma is especially prevalent in the workplace, with businesses too often unable to identify wellbeing issues, employees concerned about the implications of discussing them and a continuing lack of tangible support, all of which contribute to lost time and productivity for businesses as well as unaddressed poor employee wellbeing.”

We spend around one-third of our lives at work. And the time spent in the office sees us striving to meet and exceed performance expectations, employees must bring their ‘whole self’ to work.

If ongoing physical ailments or ill mental health are being experienced, ruling without empathy, and an iron fist, is going to cause more stress and anxiety, exacerbating the situation further.

So it’s important to create culture where employees feel comfortable enough to raise issues, don’t feel penalised for taking a day off when they’re feeling out of sorts and providing the appropriate one-to-one support are all cost-effective ways of keeping employees on the path to feeling better.

Here’s just a few things you can do to make the workplace friendlier to people’s physical and emotional health

Open communication between senior management and staff members

Creating a team atmosphere can go a long way to making a place of work a supportive environment. Regular group catch-ups and one-to-ones are a great opportunity to voice any concerns or questions.

Provide an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)

An employee assistance programme is a confidential service that enables you to help people with personal or workplace problems that are affecting wellbeing, mental or physical health. EAPs normally include an assessment and short-term counseling, which is able to cover a broad range of issues – including concerns surrounding child care, relationship challenges and financial or legal problems – basically anything that might affect wellbeing.

Anxiety, stress and depression are increasingly common problems for employers in today’s working environment and EAPs are becoming a popular way to help.

Help people work towards long term goals

Everyone wants to feel as though they’re moving forwards in their career and achieving their goals. When people feel stagnant, they begin to feel bored and the lack of progression can have extremely negative impacts on wellbeing.

Learning, development and progression help to fulfil a need for growth and challenge. When employers show their employees they want to help them progress and will invest in their development – employees feel valued and motivated.

Introduce wellbeing-based employee benefits

A simple but effective way to improve workplace wellbeing is to give people access to benefits which allow them to take control and work on themselves.

Employee benefits are often targeted at the different areas of wellbeing. For example, to improve physical wellbeing, employers can offer discounted or free gym memberships or access to free healthcare.

For mental wellbeing, employers may offer free access to meditation apps or provide an EAP. Financial wellbeing could be supported by giving employees ways to stretch their salaries, such as discounts on retail and leisure services or salary sacrifice schemes.

Arrange regular get-togethers

Friendships and strong relationships in work are incredibly important for wellbeing. By building friendships, people feel that they have someone to turn for support during a tough day, while also just making work a more fun and enjoyable experience in general.

But with busy days and looming deadlines, it can often feel as though there isn’t a lot of time to socialise and get to know colleagues on a personal level during the working week.

Try to hold regular social events to give everyone a chance to get to know each other outside of work, away from work distractions. By building friendships, employees are more likely to feel comfortable turning to their colleague for support if they’re feeling overwhelmed, reducing the impact on wellbeing.

Encourage staff to take responsibility for their own wellbeing

Prevention is better than a cure, so encourage you colleagues to look after themselves. Creating a culture that supports and encourages health and wellbeing can help people realise the value of self-compassion and take personal responsibility for their own health.

A key part of this is encouraging work-life balance. That can include making it commonplace for work emails and instant messaging notifications to be switched off in the evenings and weekends, encouraging holidays to be taken, or limiting overtime.

Balance is key to reducing the chance of burnout and remaining productive and motivated. Teach staff the importance of this to ensure they incorporate it into their own lives.

In the long term, workplace wellbeing can make or break a business. When employees feel overworked, tired or undervalued, they become disengaged and deliver inefficient, low quality work. Employees who are healthy and supported on the other hand, perform at their best, are more motivated and provide better results.