Seventy percent of U.S. office workers and managers report working more than 40 hours a week, and the majority consider the office the most productive place to get work done. But employers need to take action to ensure it remains an inspiring, motivating environment. This, according to the second annual Workplace Index conducted by Staples Business Advantage, the business-to-business division of Staples, Inc.
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According to the survey, most employees say they’re working longer hours simply to catch up on work they couldn’t tackle during an 8-hour day. That workload is taking a toll. Consider:
- 64% of respondents say their workplace has contributed to stress
- 46% acknowledge that burnout is a motivating factor in looking for a new job
- 13% have even taken a workplace stress-related leave of absence
“The Staples Business Advantage Workplace Index provides an important look at the state of the workplace and what employees want and need from their employers,” said Neil Ringel, executive vice president, Staples Business Advantage, North America. “Based on the results, it is evident that employees thrive in a workplace that is sensitive to their needs and well-being. An office outfitted with thoughtful workplace solutions boosts employee productivity and happiness and directly impact the bottom line.”
The article notes that inquiries should be made to the HR Department concerning the program. My thought would be to turn over the entire administration of any corporate Wellness Program to a third party administrator such as Sedgewick. The privacy battle has long been fought and resolved by using third party administrators to determine accommodation, dialog, leave extension requests, and the like. Seems like Wellness Program would be a natural for third party administration. The communication from the third party administrator to management would be sanitized and limited to eligibility for the program, progress, etc. Details such as biometrics would not be shared with line-managers.