6 June 2016 | James Richards

Only one third of American employees take part in workplace wellness schemes provided by their organisations, according to a new survey.

The American Psychological Association published the findings in a new report, Work and Well-Being on the basis of an online poll of 1,500 US citizens in March.

The results indicate that workplace schemes are not reaching at least two-thirds of the US workforce. It is not clear whether employees are simply unaware of the schemes or feel they are not appropriate to them. 

Also, fewer than half of Americans in work (44 per cent) believe their organisational climate supports employee wellbeing and one-third report being “chronically stressed on the job”.

One of the key findings of the survey was that job satisfaction and motivation was strongly linked to whether senior leadership actively supported well-being initiatives. 

Only 38 per cent of employees without leadership support felt motivated to do their best, and only 30 per cent said they were satisfied with their jobs.

Of those who had support from executives, 91 per cent were motivated to do their best, and the same amount said they had job satisfaction.

According to David W. Ballard, director of APA’s Center for Organizational Excellence, “When supervisors’ actions match their words, employees notice.”

He added: “Promoting employee well-being isn’t a singular activity, but is instead set up in a climate that is cultivated, embraced and supported by high-level leaders and managers.”