Some 71 per cent of global employers have a defined wellness program for their employees, according to a new report by the Top Employers Institute.
The survey, which queried 1,300 employers audited and certified by the institute, found North America is leading the way in wellness programs, with 80 per cent of employers offering them, up 34 percentage points since 2015. On the other hand, just 61 per cent of employers in Asia offer a wellness program.
The survey also found the most common well-being initiatives offered by employers globally included health screenings (84 per cent), stress management (82 per cent), time management (79 per cent) and healthy eating options (71 per cent).
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And employee assistance programs have grown the most in the last four years, according to the survey, which found 56 per cent of respondents have an EAP to help employees handle administrative issues such as taxes and 66 per cent have helplines for employees to call about their personal health issues.
Nearly half (46 per cent) of survey respondents offer employees the option to work remotely or telecommute. In North American and Europe, 50 per cent of organizations offer remote working, compared to just 32 per cent of African employees. And 72 per cent of all employers surveyed have flexible office spaces.
When it comes to family-friendly benefits, only 17 per cent of all respondents globally offer childcare facilities in the workplace. That number rises to 24 per cent in Europe. Also in Europe, 32 per cent of respondents offer subsidized childcare, while only 10 per cent of global respondents said the same. Less than half (46 per cent) of survey participants offer a period of leave for new parents that is above the legal requirement of their country.
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The survey also found:
- 64 per cent of employers formally track the impressions of new hires to their company;
- 36 per cent of employers use online programs for bringing new employees onboard;
- 77 per cent of employers consider the aspirations of their current employees in their workforce planning processes:
- 95 per cent of employers allow employees to provide input for setting individual goals on an annual basis;
- 85 per cent of respondents see gender equality as a priority; and
- 90 per cent see it as a top priority to make their workforce more age diverse by employing more graduates and millennials.
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