Joint Wellbeing Research Project Sets Guidance For Industry
A joint research project, by the Institute of Occupational Medicine and British Safety Council , titled “Being Well in a Changing World,” delves into the current practices that employers are implementing to support (or improve) the wellbeing of their workforce.
This comprehensive study highlights the importance of a shared approach to supporting worker wellbeing amidst the social, political, and economic changes that the future, inevitably, holds.
Key Findings
The research identified several key findings:
- Lack of agreed definition: There is no universally accepted definition of wellbeing, leading to inconsistencies in research and practice.
- Measurement challenges: The absence of a standardised metric for measuring wellbeing complicates the assessment and comparison of wellbeing across different organisations and sectors.
- Diverse perspectives: Wellbeing priorities differ among various demographics and subgroups, highlighting the need for a more inclusive and targeted approach.
- Impact of change: Rapid technological, environmental, and social changes will define the next century, leading to uncertainty and anxiety for employers and employees alike.
- Policy and practice gaps: There is a disconnect between academic wellbeing research and its practical application, necessitating further research and integration.
Principal Recommendations
The report makes 5 principal recommendations to ensure that worker wellbeing is better supported. These are:
- Create and adopt standardised metrics for assessing wellbeing
- Align workplace wellbeing offerings with wider occupational health and safety strategies
- Foster an industry wide culture that encourages organisations to learn from each other
- Ground wellbeing strategies in a holistic approach to health, safety and wellbeing
- Ensure wellbeing strategies work at an organisation, person-by-person, and group level.
You can read the full report here.