A new research from Group Risk Development (GRiD) found that employers and employees have differing opinions about the health and wellbeing impact of hybrid work setups.
The group risk industry body found that while two thirds of employees (64%) believe that hybrid work has had a positive impact on their employees’ health and wellbeing, only a little over half (53%) of employees agreed with the sentiment.
That said, both groups agree on the percentage of people who may experience a negative impact with hybrid work, with employers listing 6% and employees listing 7%. Both groups acknowledged that hybrid work is not a positive experience for everyone in the workspace.
GRiD noted in their study the importance of recognising that although a relatively small percentage of people overall view hybrid work as a negative impact in their careers, it still represents a large number of employees. The industry body stressed that while many people feel that a flexibility in working locations is beneficial, it’s important that employers don’t assume or change their workplaces or working practises in a way that could potentially harm their workforce.
“Employers have a slightly exaggerated view of just how much hybrid working is benefiting the health and wellbeing of their staff. It’s clearly the case that many do find it a positive experience but employers should be careful not to assume this is a panacea for everyone. It’s important to note that health and wellbeing support will still be required for everyone, and particularly for those who have found the change in working patterns more difficult to cope with,” GRiD spokesperson Katharine Moxham said.
The study found that mental wellbeing was the area that employees felt was most improved for those who felt hybrid work’s positive effect, with 68% of respondents agreeing. This was followed by social wellbeing at 45%, financial wellbeing at 44%, and physical wellbeing at 43%.
The research noted that despite mental health being the largest beneficiary of hybrid working, in addition to reduced costs of commuting associated with financial health, it is of interest that social and physical benefits were reported by employees, too.
“Employers may have already seen the benefits to physical and social health by allowing staff to relinquish their journey to work, allowing employees to spend more time with family and friends and potentially using the time for fitness activities to improve their physical health,” Moxham said.
The research found that half of employees said they have a choice about whether to work from the office or at home, a figure which largely tallies with statistics reported by employers. Of employers surveyed, 22% said that they have given all their employees a choice about where they work from, and 34% said that they have allowed some but not all of their employees to make the same decision.
Despite the results tilting heavily in favour of its positive effects, employers must not consider hybrid work to be a benefit in and of itself. GRiD stated in its study that hybrid work is not a replacement for a comprehensive program of benefits to support health and wellbeing such as private medical insurance or group risk benefits including employer-sponsored life assurance, income protection, and critical illness.
It’s important to have a full suite of support available for when an employee struggles with a health or wellbeing issue. While working from home may help some, it’s not always suitable for all, and the report noted that it is not a fix when more serious issues come to light.
“Employers who fully support the health and wellbeing of their staff through a programme of employee benefits and other flexible policies, will be rewarded with a more engaged and more proactive workforce. Hybrid working can play a role but it’s not the silver bullet,” Moxham said.
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