Irish women in the workforce were more likely to report a decline in their overall wellbeing in the past year than men, according to a new survey, with financial stress on the rise across the board.
Lockton People Solutions, the employee benefits advisory firm, said that just more than a quarter of the 725 employees it surveyed across the Republic reported an improvement in their overall wellbeing since last year. More than half reported no noticeable change in their wellbeing, while 20 per cent said their wellbeing had worsened over that period.
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Younger workers – those aged between 18 and 24 and in the 25-34 age bracket – were more likely to note improvements in workplace wellbeing compared with those over the age of 55.
Overall, however, Lockton said just 20 per cent of respondents said they felt fully supported by their employer while 57 per cent said they were moderately supported.
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Women were more likely than men to say that their individual and wellbeing needs are not being met, with 27 per cent of women reporting this compared to 19 per cent of men.
Women were also twice as likely as men to have experienced an overall decline in their wellbeing amid rising financial stress, which Tom Curran, head of wellbeing at Lockton, said can lead to mental health concerns.
“While it’s encouraging to see that a quarter of workers are experiencing improvements, the fact that one in five is seeing a decline – and an even greater number of women – cannot be overlooked,” Mr Curran said.
“A significant number of employees are facing ongoing pressures and challenges both in and outside of the workplace and it is incumbent on employers to do what they can to alleviate any strains their workers might be under. The gender disparity suggests that women may be disproportionately affected by stressors in the workplace and beyond.
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“Concerns over finances can be a trigger for mental health issues among workers, yet the number of employers providing financial education support remains low.”
Published last week, research conducted by iVox on behalf of payroll and HR technology company SD Worx indicated that concerns about their financial wellbeing and the strain of the cost-of-living crisis are weighing heavily on the minds of workers in the Republic at the moment.
Overall, almost half of the 1,000 workers surveyed said they were suffering from financial stress while a third said their organisation did not show sufficient concern for their financial wellbeing.
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