“In 2017 we will continue to see an increased focus on employee wellness within the workplace. Companies are recognising that increasing overall wellness within the workplace has a positive impact on insurance premiums, reduces absence and accidents, increases productivity and helps achieve higher attraction and retention rates.  Laura Matthews, Workplace Wellbeing Consultant at Barnett Waddingham, highlights three key wellbeing trends we expect to see in 2017.

“Addressing financial wellness will be another key focus for employers. A ‘financially well’ employee is less likely to have sleepless nights, which impacts on presentism and even absenteeism. There are a range of topics which could affect employee financial wellness. Most prominently financial worries about personal debt, savings or investments, but also more general pressures such as the uncertainty around the impact of Brexit on the economy and the pound.

“In addition to this, 2017 will see an increased focus on supporting employees’ eldercare needs from an employer perspective. According to Carers UK, one in nine workers in the UK care for a family member or friend who is older, disabled or ill. Our aging population means that this will have an increasingly significant impact on productivity within the workforce. I believe we will see an increase in awareness of “remote eldercare” whereby people will use technology solutions for monitoring and assisting older or vulnerable people to live more independently.”