One third of the UK workforce may have a health or wellbeing issue, with the most common being anxiety, depression and stress, according to research by PwC published today.
This is thought to be affecting productivity, with four out of five workers believing their wellbeing influences the effectiveness at which they handle their job.
Despite this, the findings show that 54% of employees work for companies that do not offer health benefits such as counseling, health screening, and subsidised gym membership.
"It's becoming increasingly important for organisations to provide employees with support for their emotional and physical health at work," PwC director, Jo Salter, said.
"Healthier and happier staff perform better, stay in their business longer and reduce costs and risks for organisations.
"Understanding and addressing the root causes of employee wellbeing is the first step to resolving the underlying issues."
The research involved a survey of 2,000 workers from junior level through to managing directors across the UK, finding that 23% think their organisation does not take employee wellbeing seriously.
It also shows that 39% have taken time off or reduced their responsibilities because of their health, 39% of which did not feel comfortable telling their employer about the issue.
In addition, it was found that pressures related to dealing with customers and clients, and working long hours, have the biggest impact on the wellbeing of workers.
However, it is thought that technologies such as virtual reality and data analytics could help overcome these issues, with almost half of respondents to the survey saying they would be open to using an app to improve wellbeing.
"The growing use of virtual reality has potential to create work-like scenarios, helping workers overcome stress and improve performance," Salter continued.
"Data analytics can also support and help resolve issues by gathering team data and trends that affect wellbeing.
"To do so, employers will need to overcome the issue of trust with less than half of employees saying they would willingly accept a free piece of wearable tech if the information is shared within their organisation."
