Workplace health and wellbeing survey for East Sussex employers

Results updated 22 Dec 2020

East Sussex County Council Public Health asked local employers for their feedback on health and wellbeing in the workplace.

The survey ran between 1 and 30 October 2020. The link to the survey was distributed to partners in Communities Economy & Transport, districts and boroughs, and some local chambers of commerce. The survey was also promoted via the Health and Social Care East Sussex monthly newsletter.

Sample details

• 26 people responded to the survey.
• The most common job role of respondents was as a business owner (27%).
• Respondents were most likely to be based in either the Wealden District or Hastings Borough Council area (27%).
• 38% of respondents worked in a micro-sized organisation (1-9 employees).   
• 19% of respondents were based in a health and social work setting. Respondents worked in a wide range of occupations.

COVID-19 impact on the health and wellbeing of workforce

• The main positive impact was a better work life balance (23% : 6 respondents).
• Improved adherence to infection prevention and control measures and the governments COVID-secure guidance, reduced travel costs and time, and flexibility with working hours, were all mentioned by 15% : 4 respondents.
• The main negative impact was an increase in mental health challenges or reported conditions (38% : 10 respondents).
• Loneliness or isolation (35% : 9 respondents), and poorer communication (27% : 7 respondents) were the next most commonly mentioned impacts.

Current support

Respondents reported that the most common things already being done to support positive employee health and wellbeing are:

• signposting to health and wellbeing information (11 responses);
• wellbeing newsletter, intranet pages; other staff communications (6 responses);
• wellbeing policies (6 responses); and
• mental health champions or mental health first aiders (6 responses).

Future challenges and support needs

The most common topic mentioned was an increase in mental health challenges or reported conditions (31%). 

23% mentioned challenges with low energy/morale/motivation/engagement, and 19% noted a reduction in time able to be spent outside or in sunlight.

69% of respondents said their workplace could benefit from further support regarding health and wellbeing. The most popular topics suggested were:

• mental health (mentioned by 65%);
• musculoskeletal health (also 65%); and
• health & safety (62%).

The top two forms of support workplaces mentioned would find most helpful were recorded for each workplace health topic mentioned. The most common of these were:

• specific advice and guidance (including policies and plans), which came within the top responses for 6 topics; and
• resources and wellbeing activities, which both came within the top responses for 5 topics.

Common other comments included:

• provision of widely available information that is easy to navigate and find;
• involving local businesses to share and provide their expertise; and
• ensuring different sectors such as retail and healthcare are recognised and supported.

Awards programme

• Just over a third (9 respondents; 35%) said they would be interested in taking part in an awards programme to recognise employers’ commitment to workplace health and wellbeing.
• Nearly half (12 respondents; 46%) said they were unsure and would need more information.

What will happen next

• We have already launched a series of monthly webinars to provide information to employers. January’s topic, on Tuesday 12 from 12pm to 1pm, is mental health: Sign up here
• We will be providing guidance, resources and signposting to services for topic areas raised, within our monthly Wellbeing at Work newsletter: Sign up here
• Following the feedback on providing widely available, easy to find and navigable information, we are currently developing a website to act as a hub for workplace health and wellbeing information for East Sussex employers. Launching early 2021
• We will use the feedback collected to inform the development of an East Sussex Health and Wellbeing accreditation programme, that will recognise employers’ commitment to improving workplace health. Launching Spring 2021
• We will provide more information to employers about the accreditation programme though the channels used to promote the survey
• We will use the feedback to inform the development of a training offer to support employers with workplace health and wellbeing topics.

Thank you to everyone who shared feedback.