According to the most recent Close Brothers Business Barometer which surveys over 900 SMEs across the UK and Ireland, 80% of SMEs believe that supporting employees in managing their mental and physical health improves performance at work.
Results showed that 3 in 4 companies encourage their employees to prioritise their mental and physical health, with 93% of those surveyed believing that employee wellbeing is important to an individual’s performance at work. This shows the importance employers are looking to place on maintaining their staff’s wellbeing.
Amidst the global challenges facing SMEs, many are finding ways to ensure their employees are supported to ensure the best performance for individuals and their business.
Highlighted in the study, the range of support SMEs offer their employees included:
• flexible working
• access to mental health support services
• mental health first aiders available
• bike to work schemes
• gym memberships
• volunteering days
Investing in your people
Having a dynamic and skilled workforce is integral to success and increasingly businesses are looking at ways to prioritise their most important asset, their people. SMEs using invoice finance have access to capital otherwise tied up in unpaid invoices, providing them with headroom to invest in their employees.
Providing benefits that improve retention can reduce hiring challenges, decrease staff turnover and improve the quality of applicants for open positions. By strengthening and upskilling teams, SMEs are likely to see better performance outcomes for both individuals and the overall business.
