A recent study shows that overwhelmed employees are expecting more support from the workplace.

A new research report commissioned by employee engagement company Reward Gateway shows that 72% of UK employees want to be “thanked” more for their work. According to the report, four in five UK employees believe workplace burnout has impacted their overall mental health and wellbeing. With 24% of respondents saying they are no longer going “above and beyond” at work, the report reflects the toll of recent years of workplace disruption.

Of the 1,015 employees and 250 managers involved in the survey, a minority rated the physical (32%), mental (39%) and financial (28%) wellbeing support of their employers as “good” or “excellent." This is despite a majority of employers believing that they are excelling in this area.

Rob Boland, chief operating officer at Reward Gateway, says: “The findings from the report confirm that a subtle societal evolution has taken place, where physical, mental and financial wellbeing in the workplace is now expected at the core of every company’s communications strategy.

“Our new research further suggests that employers and employees need to be connected on all fronts now more than ever, with 93% of UK employees saying that feeling heard is an important contributor to their wellbeing at work.”

Factors such as the current ‘war for talent’, constant adjustments to life post-pandemic and ever-increasing inflationary pressures are to blame for almost half of UK employees feeling “overwhelmed”, according to the study. 72% of respondents claim that they have felt a “lasting negative effect” from on-going upheaval and uncertainty. Reward Gateway advises that employers can re-engage their workforce by following the ‘four R’s’: revive, remind, recharge and recognise.