The majority (83 per cent) of global employers say they have an employee well-being strategy, up significantly from 55 per cent in 2020, according to a new survey by Aon.

The survey, which polled human resources and benefits leaders from more than 1,100 employers across 46 countries, found nearly two-thirds (63 per cent) of respondents said employee well-being is more important to their company now than in 2020, a percentage that increased to 70 per cent among North American employers.

Nearly half (47 per cent) of respondents said employee well-being has increased in priority over the last three years and 42 per cent rated their well-being programs as “exceptional” or “above average.”

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In addition, two-fifths (43 per cent) of companies said they’ve increased their investment in employee well-being and roughly half of respondents said they allocate between two and five per cent of benefits spending towards well-being.

The majority (80 per cent) of employers said employee well-being is fully or partially integrated into their overall business and talent strategy, up 13 per cent from 2020. Another 80 per cent said they’ve integrated diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, as well as environmental, social and governance factors and total rewards into their well-being strategy.

“Companies are building resilient workforces by increasing their commitment to employee well-being both in support and financial investment, which also helps to attract and retain talent,” said Stephanie Pronk, senior vice-president for health solutions at Aon, in a press release. “Well-being is far from being a niche issue — well-being programs that are designed to address the diverse needs of employees can have wide-ranging impacts on an organization.”

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