Employee wellbeing needs to be a priority as Christmas approaches: Beckie Hart

These pressures can have a negative impact on the health and wellbeing of our workforce.

Employee wellbeing is front of mind for firms right across our region, it comes up regularly at roundtables and in meetings.

Last month, the CBI marked National Self Care week by highlighting the importance of the relationship between health and the workplace – including what both Government and businesses in Yorkshire and the Humber can do to improve it.

In 2024, we’ll remain steadfast in our aim to work together with Government to help employers support their staff in looking after both their physical and mental health.

Last year, the CBI launched its first iteration of its Work Health Index to benchmark private sector health provision across the economy of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

The initiative, in collaboration with Business for Health and supported by the NHS and the UK Government, gives all businesses the opportunity to diagnose the strength of their employee health offering and benchmark it against peers.

It covers all workplace policies, practices and provisions designed to support employee health and wellbeing, including counselling.

And whilst CBI members welcomed the Government’s focus on occupational health in the Autumn Statement, firms are looking for more action to support their staff.

For example – through making Employee Assistance Programmes free of tax charges for businesses.

It’s something firms we will be looking for at the Spring Budget.

My colleagues and I have just completed an in-house wellness week. It was an opportunity to recharge, following a busy few weeks.

This period included the successful CBI General Election Countdown conference in London, the Autumn Statement, the Business Manifesto launch and the preparation of the 2024 Economic Forecast, which we published earlier this week.

The week offered CBI employees virtual workshops to help them focus on positive wellbeing strategies, including on how to work well with technology.

Our aim was to support colleagues to be at their most productive and effective by providing them with tools and guidance to help them develop strategies to help them through challenging times.

Personally, it was a great opportunity to reflect and think about what I can do to strengthen my own wellbeing, and that of my team.

As we look to the new year, we will continue to support firms right here in Yorkshire and the Humber to provide the right wellbeing support to their staff.

Large or small, businesses want to make sure they can give their staff what they need to thrive.

In 2024, we’ll continue to work with decision-makers to make sure those firms have access to the tools to make that a bit easier – because a happy and healthy workforce is in the best interest of business and Government alike.

Beckie Hart is CBI’s regional director for Yorkshire and Humber