Cigna has introduced “Your health plan, Your growth plan,” urging organisations to prioritise employee wellbeing.
The initiative aims to raise awareness about the detrimental effects of profit-focused approaches, emphasising the link between chronic illnesses and employee burnout.
The programme addresses the challenges revealed in a study of over 1,200 UK adult workers with the goal of reducing absenteeism and fostering happier work conditions. Findings show that 88 per cent exhibit burnout indicators, 47 per cent feel their companies prioritise production over mental health, contributing to the stress reported by 78 per cent of workers.
Globally, $1 trillion in lost productivity results from 12 billion missed workdays due to employee health neglect, with the UK losing an average of 18 million workdays annually to mental health issues.
Cigna Healthcare president, international health Jason Sadler says: “The current climate is challenging, and many businesses are facing recessionary cost pressures, but we are seeing out of hours working and burnout become the ‘norm’. This impacts productivity, retention and the bottom line. Employee health is imperative for any business to succeed and it’s crucial that businesses stop being blindsided by growth and start to recognise this.
“While cutting costs can be instinctive during tough economic times, investing in healthcare can actually reap benefits for the business. Our new campaign aims to shift the conversation towards employee health as a driver of business growth, and how investment in healthcare could in fact be a solution to create value.”
