Speaking to HR magazine, Devoy said that wellbeing perks, such as gym memberships and apps, are unhelpful if the culture of an organisation is harming employees’ wellbeing.
He said: “Think of the fundamentals as things that – if you don’t deal with them – make the perks pointless. For example, if you’re getting a huge shellacking from your boss, and then somebody gives you a free yoga session, that’s not going to make you feel much better.”
IIP’s research found that employees do not rate the effectiveness of most wellness initiatives highly. Only 27% of employees see health and wellness apps as effective in improving their wellbeing, and only 25% think stress management workshops are effective.
Devoy says the perks can become an easy way out in the wellbeing space: “I worry sometimes it's easy for HR to say: ‘We've got this whole big roster of wellbeing things; pick what you want. We're looking after you.’ But if the fundamentals aren't there, actually, they're actually wasting their money.
“Creating a culture where you've got well-trained, supportive managers, and you've got a positive environment takes time and consistent effort. It's much harder to achieve, but it has to be done,” Devoy added.
IIP’s research suggests a gap between HR’s perception of its wellbeing support and that of employees.
While 72% of HR decision-makers in businesses that offer gym memberships believe that employees find it valuable, only 41% of employees who are offered a gym membership find it valuable. A third (33%) see it as not valuable.
Additionally, 59% say they have never used their gym memberships. Half of employees (49%) reported that they never use stress management workshops and 47% signalled that they never use health and wellness apps.
The first thing that HR should put in place is manager training and support, Devoy said.
“If I had a thousand pounds to spend on wellbeing, I would spend it on first-line managers. First-line managers are people who look after the majority of staff, so if you create a culture where they're looked after, they'll look after your employees,” he said.
He also emphasised the importance of senior leaders’ support: “Culture has to come from the top. We have to be really intentional about having a culture that supports employee wellbeing and we have to have senior leaders communicating that they believe in that and demonstrating behaviours that underpin it consistently. It can’t just be words on a wall.”
How can HR get senior leaders onboard? The key is a strong business case.
Devoy said: “The bottom line is that we've got a structural deficit in the labour market and net migration is going to go down in the next three years. There's not going to be enough available people to just fill any vacancies you have if somebody's off sick or if somebody leaves because they're burnt out.
“So the only option that's open to businesses really is to really focus on how to keep your staff happy, healthy and productive. That’s what you need to put to the board.”
Investors in People’s survey of 1,000 people and 500 HR decision-makers was conducted by YouGov online between 18 and 24 of July 2024.
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