Have you ever wondered how your boss would react if you complained of a chronic headache? It is most likely that you would avoid any interaction with your boss during times of personal illness for fear of being labeled. This is the reality of most organizations where the employees tend to keep their personal health issues private.
Though most employees would share their problems with family and friends, they clearly steered away from bosses and colleagues. The truth is that employee health concerns are considered a matter of privacy. This has also resulted in employees who suffer in silence, their anxieties and chronic illnesses like stress that keep them from carrying their duties efficiently.
A research study conducted by Aviva Health called the Aviva’s Health of the Workplace study has clearly revealed that employees do not consider their employers trustworthy when it comes to disclosing personal health issues. Despite employers claiming that they are accommodating and encouragge employee engadgement with an open door policy, few employees consider so.
Almost one fourth of the employees questioned were wary about their prospects in the organization if their health problems were shared and almost all wanted to just avoid talking about it. In fact, only a meager 1% of the employees trusted their HR department. This was grim reality in the rosy world of employer perception.
Dr Doug Wright, principal clinical consultant at Aviva UK Health warns organizations of the consequences. A disconnect between the employer’s perspective and the employee reality would widen and result in stressful work environment if this trend continued. It was imperative that employers choose to be more supportive by offering empathy and professional services that do not link work and performance.
A counselling department would be the perfect solution for this. Many organizations who have implemented access to professional counselling services for employees have seen a strong positive influence that has negated the results of stress. It is time to implement support measures to address personal health concerns of employees.
To promote a positive health and safety culture in the workplace environment a NEBOSH course, leading to the National General Certificate in Occupational Safety and Health, can provide the necessary skills needed for the management of health.