LONDON, September 6, 2022 - Almost three quarters (70%) of neurodiverse employees are currently suffering with mental health issues, prompting the need for greater support in the workplace. That’s according to research from WTW’s Global Benefits Attitudes survey.
According to the research, neurodivergent employees report low physical, emotional and financial wellbeing compared to neurotypical employees, but have higher social wellbeing. Only a quarter (25%) of neurodiverse employees feel financially secure and emotionally balanced, while only 36% feel they have good physical health. Plus, half of neurodiverse employees feel burned out from work, while this figure sits at 38% for neurotypical employees. As a result, they are more likely to suffer from stress, anxiety or depression and are more likely to struggle financially.
Three in five neurodiverse employees have deferred healthcare, compared with only 29% of other employees. As a result, almost three quarters have suffered adverse healthcare from delaying or cancelling treatment. Deferred care includes those who delayed or cancelled care on their own, or had an appointment cancelled or delayed by a provider.
Yet, to date, only two in five UK companies (38%) have incorporated inclusion and diversity priorities in their employee benefits strategy, according to WTW’s 2022 Wellbeing Diagnostic research with UK employers and according to WTW’s latest Emerging Trends in Healthcare Survey, only 1 in 5 employers (20%) have already implemented benefits and policies to help support neurodiversity. Though a further quarter of employers (24%) are planning to do so.
Neurodivergent employees want a greater focus on benefits that manage their emotional health (39%) and more flexibility in the workplace (38%). In addition, neurodivergent employees would prefer more support around day-to-day finances, as 57% of colleagues are living payday-to-payday, versus only 34% of neurotypical employees.
Attitudes towards employer’s efforts to create an inclusive workforce are positive, as 67% of neurodiverse employees say employers have made progress in showing greater empathy and understanding around issues of inclusion, diversity and discrimination, while 71% say there is greater visibility around inclusion and diversity as an important business issue and 67% say employers have become more open with talking about these issues at work.
“As more employers look to embed their Inclusion and Diversity strategy within their organisational culture, there is a growing focus on the role of benefits in delivery of inclusive care for employees.”
Lucie McGrath | wellbeing expert, WTW
Lucie McGrath, wellbeing expert at WTW says “As more employers look to embed their Inclusion and Diversity strategy within their organisational culture, there is a growing focus on the role of benefits in delivery of inclusive care for employees.
“We’re also seeing some of the larger UK healthcare carriers introduce pathways to support assessment and diagnosis of neurodiverse conditions, which reflects that there’s a growing understanding that more support is needed in this area.
“There are varying levels of support and intervention that a company can engage with, such as reviewing specialist vendors, using insights and benchmarking and engaging in workshops to build an inclusive care strategy – but, doing something is better than nothing.”
WTW’s Global Benefits Attitudes Survey 2022 was conducted between December 2021 and January 2022. Respondents include 4129 U.K. employees from large and midsize private employers, representing a broad range of industries.
WTW’s Emerging Trends in Health Care Delivery survey 2022 was conducted between June and July 2022. Respondents include 173 U.K. employees from large and midsize private employers, representing a broad range of industries.
WTW’s Wellbeing Diagnostic survey was conducted in January 2022. Respondents included 166 employers across a range of industries.
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