Many organisations are increasingly acknowledging the vital role of employee wellbeing in fostering employee engagement, job performance and satisfaction, and overall organisational productivity. Recognised as a key factor in business success, employee wellbeing encompasses a complex connection of physical, emotional, mental, financial, social, and economic factors.
The COVID-19 pandemic amplified the significance of employee health and wellbeing and brought this topic to the fore of business agendas. The shift to hybrid working, which has continued to be a stalwart of many business operations, has a myriad of advantages and, in a Stanford University report, has been described as a win-win-win for employee productivity, performance, and retention. Flexible working arrangements have enabled many employees to achieve a better work-life balance and enjoy greater autonomy. This increased autonomy has enhanced motivation, job satisfaction, and engagement within the workplace, leading to improved health and wellbeing for employees and greater productivity for employers.
That said, the pandemic had an impact on employees’ mental health with challenges like stress and burnout having emerged as major concerns in today’s workforce - burnout has been described as the ‘work-related illness of the 21st century’. According to HSE statistics, 29.6 million working days were lost due to work-related ill health in 2023/24 in Great Britain, and 16.4 million of these were attributed to stress, depression and anxiety.
The notion that investing in employee wellbeing programmes is costly for organisations has been debunked. Two key perspectives underscore the cost benefits of such initiatives. First, poor employee wellbeing often results in significant expenses for organisations, including high levels of attrition, absenteeism, and presenteeism. Second, research from Deloitte in 2024 reveals that for every £1 spent on health and wellbeing interventions, employers gain approximately £4.70 in increased productivity.
Recognising the importance of employee wellbeing, organisations should implement strategies and introduce tools or interventions to support the health and wellbeing of their workforce. Beyond the traditionally highlighted aspects of physical, mental, and financial wellbeing, organisations should also focus on fostering psychological connection, workplace community, enhancing emotional competence, promoting growth and development, and cultivating strong, supportive leadership.
Fostering employee wellbeing should be an organisation wide endeavour. Whilst HR professionals can act as a catalyst in designing and supporting wellbeing initiatives, these efforts could fail to reach their full potential if they are implemented as standalone programmes, disconnected from the organisation’s day-to-day operations. Instead, an organisations leadership team has a duty of care for ensuring that health and wellbeing initiatives are disseminated and engagement encouraged. Whilst concerns may be raised from managers in relation to not having the skills or time to fully commit to promoting employee wellbeing initiatives, HR professionals could provide guidance and support and demonstrate the value that wellbeing interventions have on overall organisational success.
To gain a deeper understanding of employee wellbeing and other key human resource management challenges, Ulster University Business School offers an MSc in Human Resource Management (HRM). This highly regarded programme is tailored for graduates with at least one year of HR experience, aiming to enhance career opportunities and future employability. By adopting an applied learning approach, the course delivers significant value by equipping students with the skills to navigate complex workplace scenarios while driving meaningful impact within their organisations.
Naomi Smyth-Patterson Ulster University (UU) MSc HRM graduate, was named by CIPD Northern Ireland as the most Outstanding Student of the Year 2021 and ranked within the top three students of CIPD UK. Now pursing a PhD at UU, Naomi’s research explores employee wellbeing in the tertiary educational sector in NI. Her work emphasises employee wellbeing as a cornerstone of organisational resilience and success.
Professional membership of CIPD is also vital for employability in the HR profession. The MSc HRM has been mapped to the new CIPD Profession Map, and students can achieve professional membership alongside the MSc qualification.
If you would like to discuss how this programme can add value to your business, or if you are interested in other organisational development opportunities, please contact UUBS’s Business Engagement Team at engage@ulster.ac.uk