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95% of employers acknowledge responsibility for employee Health and Wellbeing
95% of employers acknowledge responsibility for employee Health and Wellbeing
Aon has released research showing that UK employers feel far more responsibility for employee Health and Wellbeing, yet formalised strategic action remains unchanged in the last year.
Aon’s UK Benefits and Trends Survey 2022 shows a significant increase in the last year in the number of employers that strongly agree they have a responsibility for the Health and Wellbeing of their employees, rising from 20 percent in 2021 to just over half of all respondents (51 percent) in 2022. Forty-four percent agree they have a responsibility, and just 5 percent disagree or have no view.
Conversely, only 44 percent of employers have a formalised Health and Wellbeing strategy, although 32 percent plan to have one within the next 12-18 months, remaining unchanged from last year. Additionally, 70 percent don’t have a dedicated budget for a Health and Wellbeing programme, just 8 percent measure return on investment of their Health and Wellbeing programmes, and less than half (46 percent) have an executive sponsor for their Health and Wellbeing strategy.
Aon’s Mark Witte said: “This stand-out statistic of 95 percent of employers agreeing they have a responsibility for their employees’ Health and Wellbeing is the most notable shift from previous years’ surveys. It is easy to draw connections to the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the heightened awareness of ill-health, but the word ‘responsibility’ is important.”
“Given the acceptance that the employer has a role to play in supporting employee wellbeing, it is disappointing that this year’s research shows no change in terms of the number of employers with a formal strategy in place or planning to do so in the near future”.
“The strain placed on human resources teams over the past 18 months is undoubtedly a factor in not seeing greater progress, as priorities and resources have been focused elsewhere. However, with investments potentially supporting other key objectives, securing budget, targeted condition management and C-suite sponsorship, it is recommended that employers consider ways to elevate health and wellbeing on their organisation’s agenda.”
Young people across Scotland have had their say on how to improve career services in Scotland
Young people across Scotland have had their say on how to improve career services in Scotland
A report commissioned as part of the Scottish Government’s Young Person’s Guarantee outlines how career services need to evolve to keep up with changes in the world of work. Report authors Skills Development Scotland worked with over eighty young people across the country, listening to their experiences of current services and how they could be improved. A wide range of employers, parents and carers, teachers, careers advisers and other organisations also contributed.
Recommendations include:
- a greater emphasis on career education within the curriculum at school, college and university
- more opportunities to experience fair work, exploring jobs in different ways
- more consistent entitlement to support across the country
- greater focus on developing skills for the world of work
- enhancing digital services to ensure they empower and engage young people
Former general secretary of the STUC, Grahame Smith, led the Career Review Programme Board, along with a range of representatives from across education and the third sector.
Graeme said: “This has been the most comprehensive review of Scotland’s career services in a generation. Informed by in-depth evidence and developed with young people who have recent experience of making career choices, our recommendations are designed to provide the next generation with the support, guidance and skills they need to thrive in the future.
“Our proposals can make a significant contribution to achieving the vision and outcomes of Scotland’s COVID Recovery Strategy, the OECD recommendations for the future of Curriculum for Excellence and the emerging National Strategy for Economic Transformation. We look forward to continuing our work with Scottish Government and a wide range of partners and stakeholders to quickly implement these recommendations for the benefit of all young people in Scotland.”
Responding to the review recommendations, Minister for Youth Employment and Training Jamie Hepburn said: “We welcome this report and accept all its recommendations. As we look to next steps, we start from strong foundations and the evidence tells us that young people really value the career support they receive. However, as we emerge from the pandemic it is more important than ever all learners continue to receive the support they need to inform their future careers. We will use the findings of this review to push even further to make career services even more consistent, accessible and impactful.”
David Scott, a 22-year-old Graduate Apprentice from Glasgow, was one of the young people involved in the review. He said: “Through this review, young people like me have had the opportunity to say what we think works well and where there are opportunities to improve. We’ve shared ideas that we hope will give young people a broader range of experiences and open up possibilities that are inclusive and open to everyone. I hope people listen to these recommendations and keep listening to young people’s voices as services are developed and delivered.”
The Scottish Government has agreed that the Career Review Programme Board will continue in its role to take forward the implementation of the recommendations.