Workplace wellbeing initiatives, involving meditation apps, subsidised gym memberships, yoga and free lunches, are a waste of employers’ time and money, according to new LSE research.
Employees would prefer to pursue happiness in their own way, with the employer responsible for providing sufficient work-life balance and decent pay. Employers should also focus more on reducing negative aspects of the workplace such as bullying, favouritism, burnout and lack of career progression.
Researchers at LSE’s The Inclusion Initiative (TII) in the Department of Psychological and Behavioural Science interviewed 100 people across banking, finance and professional services in the UK and created the Beyond Workplace Wellbeing Framework to advise employers. Not one of the interviewees was in favour of workplace wellbeing initiatives.
One third of employees reported that the demands of their job, a lack of flexibility regarding the way in which they fulfilled their responsibilities and the way they were treated significantly exacerbated mental and physical health conditions, therefore suggesting that organisational wellbeing initiatives might be redundant.
Instead, 51% of employees highlighted the benefits of autonomous working conditions, where they had decision making power over how, when, and where they completed their work. Autonomy allowed employees to create a workday that enabled them to be both productive and enhance their own wellbeing. Autonomy was also linked to greater work-life balance for a third of employees.
Full paper at LSE News.