Finance leaders sharpen focus on staff wellbeing

Finance leaders are paying close attention to the issue of employee wellbeing, with 44 percent viewing the matter as strategically important.

A new report on the subject shows that many finance directors are sharpening their focus on staff health and wellness, with a majority (58 percent) convinced that investment aimed at making relevant improvements is money well spent.

Indeed, research by the employee health company vielife and London’s South Bank University suggests that the issue is currently being taken more seriously by finance leaders than human resource specialists at organisations across the UK.

Areas of emphasis in this context were found to differ between HR and finance experts, with the former primarily focussed on the morale and commitment of staff and FDs keen to see measured results on the relationship between employee wellbeing and productivity.

“Whilst wellbeing is an HR priority its benefits are far broader than employee morale and do reach the corporate balance sheet,” said Mike Beason, managing director of vielife.

“HR and finance should be working together to make wellness a key driver of corporate performance and staff morale.”

Earlier this month, a report from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and the recruitment firm Hays suggested that employers in the UK are finding it increasingly difficult to identify and recruit individuals with the skills and expertise they’re after.