By Thierry Malleret, economist
It’s premature to declare that we’ve reached an inflection point, but more and more companies (particularly in the Western world) are becoming aware that improving the wellness of their workforce is one way to deliver more growth and get a competitive advantage. It’s no longer uncommon to see companies that are not naturally attuned to wellness (like in the utility and manufacturing industries) committing to wellbeing in their business plan and annual reporting.
We believe that Robert Simpson, the CEO of Anglian Water, speaks for many of his peers when he says: “Wellbeing has become a strategic boardroom issue. Employees should be on the balance sheet in the same way as you account for cash.” This trend can only gain traction. We predict that over the next decade, workplace wellness programs will increase by double-digit rates on an annual basis.
