A survey published on Tuesday by Aviva Health Insurance shows that 90% of Irish employers say that employee health and wellbeing have a direct effect on productivity. The finding is contained in the Aviva Workplace Health Index which provides a comprehensive analysis of the health and wellbeing of employers and employees in Irish business.

The Aviva Workplace Health Index shows that 64% of employers are feeling positive about their work environment with ICT sector employees (61%) being the most positive. Almost three quarters of employees say a pressurized environment has now become the norm. The top four health problems experienced in the workplace were stress and anxiety (55%), fatigue (52%), back and neck pain (32%) and colds (32%). Almost half of employees (44%) say they have been contacted by their bosses while on holiday or sick leave.

Launching the Aviva Workplace Health Index, the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton TD said: “When I go into boardrooms across the world seeking to attract new foreign investment to Ireland, the quality of our workforce is a key advantage that we have. As we seek to attract new companies and new jobs to Ireland, and as we seek to grow Irish companies, the health and well-being of workers is of major importance. Today’s report by Aviva Health is a significant addition to our understanding of these issues as we seek to develop and implement new policies through the Action Plan for Jobs to create the sustainable jobs we need”.

The research found that 70% of employers said they need employees to work harder than ever before rising to 85% in smaller SME’s. Two thirds of employees said they work over and above what they are paid for, at least once a week with almost half (49%) reporting they regularly work late twice a week or more. Over half of all employees said they regularly work through their lunch-break.

The Index found that increased fatigue and physical health problems has resulted in the phenomenon known as presenteeism, which has become a key management challenge for over a third of Irish organisations. Presenteeism is the phenomenon of employees and managers coming to work while ill and being unable to function properly. This is likely to have a negative impact on productivity and morale.