Report: The wellbeing of Poles requires support which will translate into business and the economy.

24 września 2024

People aged 35–44 rate their wellbeing the lowest, and they constitute the basis of the professionally active Poles today. In the opinion of Polish residents, stress, which is an inherent element of the polycrisis world which we currently live in, has the greatest impact on the level of wellbeing. According to experts, to support wellbeing in the current conditions effectively, it is necessary to monitor the needs and strengthen mental resilience and flexibility. This is a direction that will pay off for both employers and the entire economy. The wellbeing of Poles was examined by infuture.institute, commissioned by Benefit Systems.

According to “The wellbeing of Poles” report, over 60% of Polish residents admit that their wellbeing measured in six key areas – mental and physical health, comfort of life, inner peace, interpersonal relationships and contact with nature – is average at best. One in seven Poles rate it as low or very low. Most respondents indicated stress (40%) and low income (37%) as the most important obstacles to achieving wellbeing. However, among the elements that improve wellbeing, Polish residents mention financial independence (72%), good physical health (68%), a sense of security (64%), and mental health (63%).

Source: “The wellbeing of Poles” report

In the times of polycrisis

– We live in times of polycrisis: geopolitical, economic, climate, health... They undeniably affect the lives of each of us – says Emilia Rogalewicz, Management Board Member at Benefit Systems. – Naturally, this is reflected in the condition of employees and, ultimately, companies and organisations, as evidenced by alarming data on low professional commitment and high turnover – she adds.

People aged 35–44 report an insufficient sense of wellbeing most often. Twenty-one percent of them admitted that their wellbeing is at a very low and low level. These are representatives of the so-called sandwich generation. They are professionally active, take care of small and adolescent children as well as parents who often need support. At the same time, they constitute the core of the workforce. According to data from the Central Statistical Office¹, the average age of employees in Poland is currently just over 42 years.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has estimated that global losses resulting from insufficient attention to employee wellbeing, manifested in the form of reduced efficiency and absenteeism, reach approximately USD 2.5 trillion annually.² In turn, employees working in companies that support their overall wellbeing admit that they are less willing to change jobs (69%) or at risk of burnout (71%). At the same time, they are five times more likely to recommend a job in the company that employs them and show five times higher levels of trust in the organisation’s leaders. They are also three times more committed to doing their job reliably. In turn, teams that feel that they operate in organisations that care about wellbeing build greater customer commitment and profitability.³

Wellbeing at the meso and micro levels

Together with the publication of “The Wellbeing of Poles” report, Benefit Systems made available the Wellbeing Score tool for measuring wellbeing, which was developed in cooperation with infuture.institute.

– Actions taken by organisations to improve wellbeing are often not sufficient. First, companies tend to look for a universal solution that will help achieve the wellbeing of all employees. This assumption is impossible to meet. They also try to improve wellbeing through superficial initiatives, when the source of the lack of wellbeing can be deep and difficult to diagnose without the right tools – explains Natalia Hatalska, CEO of infuture.institute. – It was with great pleasure that we accepted the invitation from Benefit Systems to create a wellbeing indicator that is holistic, can be used both at the level of individual people and the entire organisation, and allows us to precisely define areas of wellbeing that require intervention and monitor progress – she adds.

The survey included six areas that contribute to wellbeing: physical health (physical activity, sleep, diet, prevention), mental health (stress level, sense of security, work-life balance, regeneration), inner peace (acting in harmony with one’s own beliefs and values, pursuing passions, sense of life meaning, spiritual zone), comfort of life (financial independence, appropriate housing conditions, sense of balance and security), relationships with others (satisfaction with established relationships, pressure to meet the expectations of others, sense of rootlessness and cultural affiliation) and contact with nature (the impact of technological changes, climate changes, the impact of nature on wellbeing).

After completing the survey, each person receives a report with a specific general level of wellbeing and results for all six areas along with recommendations on how to work on increasing the level of their own wellbeing. In turn, individual employee results allow companies to determine wellbeing at the meso level, i.e. the entire organisation, and implement appropriate supporting actions.

The Wellbeing Score test in an individual formula can be performed free of charge at www.multilife.com.pl/badanie-dobrostanu. www.multilife.com.pl/badanie-dobrostanu

Wellbeing operating system

– However, it is worth remembering that effective support for wellbeing requires, on the one hand, a strategy that takes into consideration many areas of wellbeing and the current needs of employees in their scope. The Wellbeing Score tool will be extremely helpful here – says Piotr Szostak, Strategy and Product Development Managing Director at Benefit Systems. – On the other hand, the selection of benefits that will respond to the identified needs of employees comprehensively and with a high degree of personalisation is of great importance. Guided by these criteria, we have created an online tool that supports wellbeing in many of its aspects – the MultiLife platform. It is a wellbeing operating system in organisations and at the same time a wellbeing assistant for employees – emphasises Piotr Szostak.

MultiLife is a platform that provides access to knowledge and experts. Employees can use e-courses, webinars, individual consultations with a psychologist, sports and financial trainer, dietician or language teacher. This benefit also allows them to use preventive medical tests, telemedicine services and external applications such as Legimi, Focusly and Youniversity. – All available functionalities are used to build professional and personal competences, and thus strengthen resilience, i.e. flexibility and mental toughness, which makes it easier to face new, unexpected and difficult situations. In the era of polycrisis, this is undeniably one of the competences of the future – adds Piotr Szostak.

MuliLife’s offer perfectly addresses employees’ expectations regarding the functionality of non-financial benefits. As much as 73% of employed Poles want to use benefits that adapt to their current needs and capabilities, ensuring a flexible selection of various services within one benefit (66%) and available online (51%).⁴

The MultiLife platform, together with the MultiSport programme and the MyBenefit cafeteria platform, creates an ecosystem of products supporting employees in taking care of their wellbeing.

[1] Central Statistical Office; Pracujący w gospodarce narodowej w Polsce we wrześniu 2023 r.; https://stat.gov.pl/obszary-tematyczne/rynek-pracy/pracujacy-zatrudnieni-wynagrodzenia-koszty-pracy/pracujacy-w-gospodarce-narodowej-w-polsce-we-wrzesniu-2023-r-,27,10.html

[2] World Economic Forum, 6 global employers on how to improve workplace mental health, https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/01/6-global-employers-on-how-to-improve-workplace-mental-health/ [dostęp: 31.01.2024].

[3] https://www.gallup.com/workplace/390776/percent-feel-employer-cares-wellbeing-plummets.aspx

[4] “Tired, indifferent, disengaged. Post-pandemic employee needs”, Benefit Systems report, 2022

“The wellbeing of Poles” report methodology: In the first stage of the research process, a quantitative survey was conducted on a representative sample of Poles (n = 1004). The survey was carried out using the CAWI method on the poznaj.to research panel, and includes summed indications (0, 1 – very low; 2, 3 – low; 4, 5, 6 – medium; 7, 8 – high; 9, 10 – very high). The survey was used to check what wellbeing means to Poles, what it consists of, what strengthens it, what counteracts it. The general level of wellbeing of Poles and the levels of care for individual areas of wellbeing were determined based on another quantitative survey conducted on a representative sample of Poles (n = 1,014). The survey was conducted by infuture.institute in cooperation with Benefit Systems.

Benefit Systems has been operating on the Polish market for over two decades and is one of the leaders in providing non-financial benefits that support employee well-being. The company is the creator of the MultiSport Programme, which enables physical activity in sports facilities throughout the country. Its portfolio also includes the MyBenefit cafeteria platform and the MultiLife wellbeing programme. For several years now, the company’s sports offer has been developed on foreign markets, including the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Bulgaria, and Croatia. The Benefit Systems Group operates over 240 fitness clubs on four markets (in Poland it is responsible for the Fabryka Formy, FitFabric, Fitness Academy, My Fitness Place, Saturn Fitness, StepONE, Total Fitness and Zdrofit networks). An important area of Benefit Systems activities is the promotion of an active lifestyle at every stage of life, which is why the company implements initiatives supporting physical activity of children, adults, and seniors, also as part of the MultiSport Foundation. Since 2018, Benefit Systems has been part of the global B Corp initiative, bringing together companies operating and engaging in solving the most important social problems. More information can be found at benefitsystems.pl/en.

Infuture.institute is a forecasting institute that defines the most important trends, describes them and indicates the consequences for the economy, market categories and specific brands. The institute was established by Natalia Hatalska, one of the most influential and recognised experts in the field of analysis, forecasting and research on trends in market-brand-technology-consumer relations.

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