Dissatisfied employees are three times more likely to experience depression and over three times more likely to have suffered burnout, according to the results of a Vitality survey.
And unhappy workers lost more than three working months – the equivalent of 77 days – due to absence and presenteeism last year.
Those who were unhappy at work – identifying as dissatisfied – were shown to lose 91% more productive time, compared to those who had said they were satisfied.
There was also a correlation between employee satisfaction and mental health, with dissatisfied employees more likely to be at risk of depression (21% vs 6%) and more likely to have suffered burnout (33% vs 9%).
Vitality’s Britain’s Healthiest Workplace survey highlighted the importance of a health and wellbeing strategy designed around the needs of a business, with associated benefits helping to build a more productive culture and workforce.
Vitality surveyed 59 organisation and 4,787 employees, to find out how much productive time they lost due to absence and presenteeism, and what factors drove their behaviour. The survey asked participants to rate their job satisfaction and anonymously share how fulfilled they are at their current place of work.
While employee satisfaction can be complex, impacted by several factors including workloads, compensation and positive working culture, the findings highlight the importance carefully chosen benefits and a focus on health can have.
In fact, nearly half (46%) of dissatisfied employees believe their employer could play a more active role in their health and wellbeing, compared to just a quarter (26%) of satisfied employees.
Pippa Andrews, director of corporate business, Vitality, (pictured) said: “This data provides an interesting insight into how intrinsically linked a person’s health and wellbeing is to their job satisfaction.
“This raises an important question for employers to consider – whether they can improve employee productivity, satisfaction and health, through the same set of actions.
“Our findings point to the impact and productivity boost a business can get from prioritising health and wellbeing within their business, having a thought through strategy with interventions to support it and regular reporting and metrics.”
Jeanette Cook, principal wellbeing consultant at Aon, said “We are often asked for evidence that improved wellbeing improves business performance.
“These results from Vitality’s Britain’s Healthiest Workplace study further support the connectivity between productivity, engagement, mental health and job satisfaction.
“Employers should do everything they can to understand the dynamics of these factors in their own organisation and prioritise their strategy and actions accordingly.
“Incremental improvements in these areas will produce significant value.”