Half of employees feel stressed, and few are getting the support they need despite HR beliefs about wellbeing at work, a new report shows. Of the HR leaders polled, half (47%) say their company supports employee wellbeing, while just a quarter (24%) of employees agree — a major disconnect. That's according to "Empowering Employee Wellbeing in the New World of Work" report from Toronto-based Achievers Workforce Institute, the research and insights arm of Achievers, an employee voice and recognition solutions company.

Among the more than 2,000 employed respondents and 950 HR leaders from Australia, Canada, the UK and the US, just one in five (20%) employees said they feel physically and mentally healthy and less than one in five feel their physical wellbeing (17%) and mental wellbeing (18%) are supported by their employer. 

Among the 48% of employees who feel stressed, two-thirds (63%) said their stress is related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Almost one third of employees surveyed have taken leave due to stress, and this is even higher for marginalized groups," noted Achievers Chief Workforce Scientist Dr. Natalie Baumgartner.  "HR leaders need to understand how and why marginalized groups are experiencing heightened stress, otherwise inequities will deepen and result in cultural erosion over time."

Other findings show HR leaders are overconfident, according to the report. HR leaders are twice as likely as employees to say their organization supports employee wellbeing, including mental wellbeing. In addition, 40% of HR leaders feel their company offers employees resources to support their mental wellbeing, but just 18% of employees feel supported at work in managing their mental wellbeing.

This disconnect suggests one of two things, according to Achievers: either existing programs are not being sufficiently communicated so employees are unaware of the available support, or these programs are reaching employees but not having the desired impact.

To download the report, click here and fill out the form.

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