Workplace wellbeing digital solutions provider, LifeSpeak Inc., has released new research examining belonging and its ripple effect on business outcomes.

In looking at the connection between employee belonging and wellbeing, the goal of the study was to measure how employees perceive their own physical and mental wellbeing in connection with the workplace benefits their employers offer. It also explores the connection between workplace wellbeing strategies and employer outcomes.

The survey of 1,000 human resources professionals and 1,000 individuals found that 70 per cent of employees with low belonging scores have considered quitting due to mental health concerns while 61 per cent said their employer doesn’t prioritize wellbeing. Notably employees overall said they felt less comfortable talking about their health and wellbeing needs at work in 2022 when compared to 2021. (In 2022, just 52 per cent said they were comfortable having such discussions, down from 60 per cent in 2021.)

The firm says quantifying the connection is important not only for human resources, but also for executive leaders. The study showed that companies following wellbeing best practices also report that employees are 18 per cent more productive and 14 per cent more said employees were easier to recruit. They also report eight per cent higher engagement scores.

The report, entitled Belonging: The Antidote to Quiet Quitting and Better Mental Health, also says employees are twice as likely as their employers to say there have been no positive changes to support mental health and wellbeing, suggesting a disconnect between how employers and employees perceive the level of organizational support for mental health.

“Employers have increasingly come to recognize that they play a pivotal role in supporting employees in all factors of wellbeing,” the firm’s researchers write. “However it’s one thing to verbally commit to supporting these needs as a talent leader, champion of equity or business executive, it’s another matter entirely to deliver on that promise across an organization.” 

They conclude by pointing out that diverse groups have very different wellbeing experiences. “If company culture matters to your company, wellbeing should too,” they state. “The wellness innovators are setting different priorities, and they are also reaping different benefits from a more connected, productive, and engaged workforce when compared to other firms.”