New research commissioned by COS finds most businesses place more importance on employee health in the workplace compared to two years ago

The average working Australian spends one-third of their life at work, with most Australians working full time (56%) in the office and one quarter (25%) hybrid it’s important for companies to prioritise health in the workplace. Corporate wellness is a growing trend in the Australian business world. For companies to succeed, their employees need to be able to achieve their potential and operate within a healthy and supportive environment.

A new study of over 1,000 Australian office workers commissioned by COS, an Australian-owned private company offering product supply solutions for the workplace found that the majority (75%) of employees feel like their employer prioritises health in the workplace, while less than a quarter feel their workplace doesn’t at all.

The most common complaint for Australians that felt their workplace didn’t prioritise health includes;

Too much clutter around the office (48%), Worried they’ll get sick (34%), No protective clothing (16%), No signage for wet floors (14%).

There’s no doubt the pandemic has played a part, the majority (66%) felt their company prioritised health more compared with two years ago. This included access to more hand sanitiser (84%), cleaning products for desks (61%), masks (57%), anti-bacterial soap (56%), social distancing (49%) and RATs available (47%). Despite this, only half (50%) of the population is satisfied with the current level of hygiene and almost a quarter (19%) were not satisfied at all.

The majority of Australians (63%) claim their workplace doesn’t offer any incentives or programs to prioritse health. For those that do, the most common incentives include mental health support (44%), fun incentives and rewards (34%), health care benefits (28%) and gym membership (24%). To make healthier choices, over half (58%) stated they would like more healthy food options at work.

Amie Lyone, Co-CEO, COS, said, “With most Australians back in the office full time, there is even more importance for businesses to prioritise the health and wellbeing of their staff. With the rise in living costs and many companies reducing staff numbers, pressure is mounting. Employees want to know their company cares about their health and this in turn will result in a happier more productive work force.”

Popular food options for Australian businesses include fruit (50%), Chips (29%), lollies (27%). The majority of respondents would prefer healthier food options because they are trying to be more healthy (48%), would feel more productive (43%), don’t have time to go out and get food (29%) find it hard to resist unhealthy options (27%).

Lyone continued, “Businesses need to understand how they can be supporting their teams more. This could be through better incentives, improved health and safety standards or simply reviewing the snacks and food they are offering staff.’

For more information on COS, visit: https://www.cos.net.au/

COS is an Australian workplace product solutions firm founded by Dominique Lyone 45 years ago. The company is celebrating a year since daughters Belinda and Amie successfully took over the COS reigns. The company received ABA100 Winner for Sustainability in the Australian Business Awards in 2021. The firm also plans to be Net Zero operationally and 100% renewable energy by 2023. Giving back is a priority since 2013, with the business donating more than 15 million through the Lyone Foundation to support Australian charities focused on human welfare.