Survey: 63 Per Cent of Workers in Canada Consider Health and Wellness Offerings When Choosing a Job

• Ergonomic resources and fitness amenities are most commonly sought by employees and provided by companies
• More than one-quarter of organizations don't have any health and wellness programs

TORONTO, Jan. 7, 2019 /CNW/ - Workers are looking to their employers for some help in meeting their health and wellness goals, new research from staffing firm OfficeTeam suggests. Sixty-three per cent of professionals surveyed in Canada said a company's health and wellness offerings influence their decision to work there. Employees place the greatest weight on ergonomic workplace evaluations and equipment (30 per cent) and fitness facilities or programs (25 per cent). Fortunately, these are the resources most commonly offered by organizations (36 per cent each). Twenty-nine per cent of companies don't have any health and wellness options.

Wellness offerings matter to workers. (CNW Group/OfficeTeam)

Workers were asked, "To what extent does a company's health and wellness offerings influence your decision to work there?" Their responses:

A great deal	16%
Somewhat	47%
Not at all	36%
	99%*

*Responses do not total 100 per cent due to rounding.

The health and wellness offerings valued most by workers, and what's offered at companies:

	What Workers Value Most	What Companies Offer**
Ergonomic evaluations and equipment	30%	36%
Access to fitness facilities or programs	25%	36%
Stress management resources	15%	26%
Healthy food options	13%	26%
Wellness incentives (offering prizes for engaging in healthy behaviour)	10%	27%
On-site vaccinations or health screenings	7%	19%
None of these	N/A	29%

**Multiple responses were permitted.

Additional findings:

• Professionals ages 18 to 34 (74 per cent) most often said health and wellness offerings impact their decision to work at an organization, compared to those ages 35 to 54 (60 per cent) and 55 and older (50 per cent).
• Companies with fewer than 100 employees were least likely to have health and wellness programs.

"As standards for health and wellness evolve, organizations need to be responsive to the changing expectations of professionals if they want to find and retain the best talent," said Koula Vasilopoulos, a district director for OfficeTeam. "Candidates are weighing job opportunities more holistically, including assessing the potential impact a role may have on their well-being."

Added Vasilopoulos, "Companies that offer their staff a variety of resources to support a healthy lifestyle both in and out of the office ultimately benefit from a more appealing corporate culture, and engaged, productive and satisfied workforce."

About the Research

The online surveys were developed by OfficeTeam and conducted by independent research firms. They include responses from more than 1,000 workers 18 years of age or older and employed in office environments in Canada and more 600 senior managers at companies with 20 or more employees in Canada.

OfficeTeam

OfficeTeam, a Robert Half company, is the nation's leading staffing service specializing in the temporary placement of highly skilled office and administrative support professionals. The company has 300 locations worldwide. For additional information, visit roberthalf.ca/officeteam. Follow roberthalf.ca/blog for career and management advice.

SOURCE OfficeTeam

Natasha Ferraro, 647-956-5575, [email protected]