New findings from Hays’ UK "Working Well" report reveal a pressing need for employers to re-evaluate and embed wellbeing into every aspect of organisational culture before it costs them talent, productivity, and reputation.

An overwhelming 97% of employers and 95% of employees agree that wellbeing is essential to organisational success. Yet only 30% of hiring managers discuss wellbeing at the recruitment stage, and 61% of organisations don’t even have a dedicated wellbeing role in place.

It is a disconnect with real consequences. 39% of professionals say they’ve left a role due to poor wellbeing support, 42% of women report quitting for this reason compared to 35% of men and a further 34% have considered leaving.

Employers themselves acknowledge the negative organisational impact. While 49% cite lower morale, 39% report increased absenteeism (rising to 46% in the public sector). 62% see poor financial wellbeing driving lower engagement, and 51% report higher turnover as a result.

Financial concerns are increasingly influential, particularly among younger employees with 59% of respondents saying money worries would deter them from returning to the office more frequently, rising to 73% among those aged 29 and under.

Who Owns Wellbeing? No Clear Leader

Responsibility for wellbeing remains fragmented. Only 13% of employers believe the C-suite is primarily accountable, while 54% think it’s a shared responsibility across all levels from executives to individuals. Yet, a mere 7% place the responsibility solely on employees themselves.

Despite growing awareness, only 29% of employers plan to invest in wellbeing this year. According to the report their top priorities should be flexible working as cited by 66% of employee respondents. 61% mentioned mental health support, while 59% cited access to health services. 48% want expanded flexible working and 38% want mental health days or virtual GP access.

Even with wellbeing high on the agenda, many employers are operating without clear metrics:

• 50% aren’t measuring employee wellbeing,
• 68% don’t track the effectiveness of wellbeing programmes,
• 43% don’t even ask for staff feedback.
• For those that do, surveys (82%) are the top method, followed by absenteeism (55%) and engagement scores (47%).

Perceptions of success also vary. 62% of employers believe their strategies are effective, yet just 50% of employees agree. Only 30% of both groups believe wellbeing commitments are backed by real action.

Top challenges to embedding effective wellbeing strategies include lack of employee engagement (44%), difficulty measuring impact (40%) and limited resources (37%).

Furthermore, 40% of employees don’t engage with existing wellbeing initiatives, and just 23% feel comfortable discussing financial wellbeing with a manager.

 
Wellbeing is a competitive advantage. With nearly half of the workforce willing to walk away due to inadequate support, HR and reward professionals must move from ad hoc wellbeing efforts to holistic, measurable strategies that support employees across all dimensions: mental, physical, social, and financial.

As this report demonstrates, in today’s job market, organisations that don’t take wellbeing seriously, risk falling woefully behind.