BAN ON SMOKING IN PUBLIC RAISES AWARENESS OF HEALTH AND WELLBEING IN WORKPLACE
53% of UK employers pay more attention to employee health thanks to ban
76% of Scottish employers pay more attention to health of employees
Healthy workforce boosts staff motivation, increases productivity and reduces absenteeism
LONDON, 24 MAY 2007: With less than six weeks to go until smoking in public places
- including the workplace - is banned in England, just over half of UK employers (53%) say the ban has
made them more aware of the importance of the health and wellbeing of their workforce, according to
research released today by Manpower, the UK's leading employment services provider.
The independent research of over 1,800 employers throughout the UK reveals that while many say the ban
will make them pay more attention to health and wellbeing in the workplace, fewer than half (46%) are
providing access to, or encouraging, healthy living in such ways as free/subsidised gym facilities, free
fruit, healthy food, diet counselling - and 50% of employers have no plans to introduce such initiatives.
And despite a public drive to raise awareness of the dangers of smoking, only 20% of employers are
providing advice on how to quit smoking.
However, the research reveals that a ban on smoking in public may change attitudes towards health in coming
months: where the ban was introduced in Scotland in March 2006, 76% of employers say it has made them pay
more attention to health and wellbeing in their workplace.
Jason Greaves, Director of Commercial Staffing at Manpower UK, says: "Health and wellbeing
is the responsibility of everyone. Many employers across all industry sectors recognise the benefits of a
healthy workforce as it has a clear impact on their business - in areas including productivity, motivation,
absence management and staff retention."
Overall, 82% of the UK employers surveyed consider a healthy workforce improves staff motivation, 64% say
that it increases productivity, and 56% that it reduces absenteeism. However, there are marked differences
between the perceived benefits of a healthy workforce by industry sector. Employers in the Finance & Business
Services sector (87%) are most likely to consider a healthy workforce to be a more motivated workforce,
whereas employers in the Manufacturing sector (73%) are more likely to recognise the increase in productivity
associated with a healthy workforce.
The research reveals that employers in non-service based industries are least likely to offer their
employees health and wellbeing benefits, and when employers in these sectors do promote healthy living
initiatives, it is most likely to be advice on how to stop smoking.
Jason Greaves, continues: "Health benefits can be important tools in a recruitment and
retention strategy: many job seekers today expect employers to offer such benefits. By making these
available, employers in all industries will be better placed to recruit and retain the right people, then reap
the benefits with a more motivated and productive workforce."
-Ends-
Note to editors:
Research was conducted by GfK NOP of 1,805 UK employers in February 2007.
About Manpower
Manpower is one of the largest and most innovative companies in the UK's employment services industry; creating
and delivering services that enable its clients to win in the changing world of work. The company provides a wide
range of services including permanent, temporary and contract recruitment, employee assessment and selection,
training, outplacement, outsourcing and consulting.
Manpower was established in the UK in 1956, and today works with organisations in both the public and
private sectors, ranging from small and medium-sized enterprises, to multi-national organisations such
as BMW, BT, Hertfordshire County Council, IBM, Royal Mail and Xerox.
The focus of Manpower's work is on raising productivity through improved quality, efficiency and
cost-reduction, enabling customers to concentrate on their core business. Manpower works across all
industries finding people for every level of an organisation.
Manpower Professional (formerly Nicholas Andrews) is the company's accountancy and finance arm, and was
voted Recruiter of the Year by Accountancy Age magazine in 2005.
Manpower UK has a network of over 300 offices and is a subsidiary of Manpower Inc, a worldwide network
of 4,400 offices in 73 countries and territories
