Over one out of two (57%) workers are dissatisfied with their employer’s initiatives to promote health on the work place. Only one out of five (21%) thinks his boss regards health in the company as important. This is what comes out of a survey sponsored by NN, former Delta Lloyd Life, on 1,900 Belgian workers aged 20 to 65.
Some 60% of Belgian workers are older than their biological age, mainly because of their lifestyle, according to this “National health survey.” They suffer from overweight (48%), are inactive (30%) and do not eat healthily enough (23%). We must add the stress factors and lack of sleep due to the world of work.
One of the survey’s conclusions is that employers and managers show a better health score than their collaborators. They are convinced that health has an influence on their professional success.
Ironically, this is not reflected by initiatives to improve a healthy lifestyle on the work place. Indeed, only 11% of questioned workers believe that their enterprise pursues a satisfying health policy.
Investing in health at work, however, is worth the bother: “studies have shown that absenteeism can be reduced by two thirds when the company fully invests in better physical, mental and social health for their workers,” declares Professor Lieven Annemans, health economist at the University of Gand. Every euro invested in this area generates 2.38 euros, according to the specialist.
The Brussels Times
