Calling all Irish workers: Your boss needs to read this…

Results from a new survey carried out here in Ireland suggest that bosses need to focus on employees' health and wellbeing, which in turn will boost productivity.

Are you currently reading this while on your way to the office, all the while sniffling into a battered aul Kleenex? Well, you’re not alone. Results from a One4all survey of over 1,000 Irish employees found that the majority of Irish workers (60 per cent), have missed at least one day of work in the last year due to physical illness, and a further 17 per cent missed two full days of work. The results found that dedicated workers will go as far as attending work while sick, as 69 per cent have come into work despite feeling under the weather, which is almost 50 per cent higher than our UK counterparts. Women appear to be tougher than male colleagues as they are more likely to attend work despite being sick. According to the survey, over a third (35 per cent), of workers feel pressured to come into work even though they are ill. According to the One4all survey results, it seems we are not a nation who lunch, as fewer than half of workers get out of the office for lunch on a regular basis. Almost 1 in 5 (18 per cent), claim to regularly work through lunch breaks, which can be detrimental to both health and productivity, as it has been proven that engaged workers are more productive in the workplace. This is a positive cycle that can be encouraged with the right staff health programme, yet only 43 per cent of companies are offering any type of wellness scheme. When asked to estimate what impact a more positive environment would have on their performance, 46 per cent estimated that their output would improve by over 10 per cent. Furthermore, only 14 per cent of workers believe that health is a priority to their employer and almost half of Irish staff feel that their employer does not care how they get to work, so long as they show up on time (47 per cent). Now there’s something to talk about at the water cooler when the boss is in earshot.