With the new year well underway, employers across the UK are putting plans in place to achieve ambitious targets, but many staff may have different plans. According to the Institute of Leadership & Management (ILM), more than a third of people believe they are likely to change their job this year.
Reasons range from feeling undervalued by managers, to a desire for more flexible working. But regardless of the cause for dissatisfaction, the research emphasises the need for companies to put their people at the forefront of their plans.
“Many workers feel underappreciated and have more to give in their current roles,” said ILM’s Kate Cooper. “This dissatisfaction leads to many looking for new jobs and businesses missing out on talent they have already invested in, which is costly to replace.”
Last month, the British Safety Council published a report that could help avoid the need to replace that talent. It called for workplace wellbeing to be given greater prominence in organisations of all sizes, since only one in six currently evaluate the impact of health and wellbeing initiatives.
Whether by providing better support for mental health or ensuring office heating and air conditioning systems help maintain a healthy indoor environment, businesses can reap the rewards of putting people first.
Lawrence Waterman, chairman of the British Safety Council, warned that while many recognise the role the workplace can play in protecting and promoting good health, in practice initiatives can amount to little more than “free bananas and occasional health weeks”.
“Too often, unlike the highly professional approach applied to risk assessment and risk control, wellbeing efforts have been marked by a combination of real enthusiasm and commitment married to a woeful ignorance of what will make a difference,” he said.
361 Degrees believes looking after the invisible environment makes a real difference, as the air we breathe is one of the most important factors in health and wellbeing. We are spending more of our time indoors than ever before, so employers who want to retain the best staff need to make sure the environment is central to their plans.
