News

Of those who make New Year resolutions, 56% let them fall by the wayside in the first quarter of the year, according to a recent Southern Cross Health Society survey . Just 14% of all those surveyed manage to keep their resolution throughout the year.

“We all have the best of intentions when we’re on holiday or relaxing at the beach,” says Chris Watney, Chief Marketing Officer of Southern Cross Health Society. “But research tells us, over and over, that this is not the best time for setting achievable goals. Resolutions set when we are busy are much more realistic and sustainable, and we believe employers can play a role in helping people stick to their goals.”

That’s where the new BeingWell programme comes in. Launching early in 2018, the programme will help businesses look after their staff: working alongside them to offer initiatives that focus on achieving their wellbeing goals. For the workforce this increases wellbeing, morale and job satisfaction. For the business, this has the potential to translate into greater engagement and reduced absenteeism and turnover.

BeingWell is founded on 10 years of experience in workplace wellness with Southern Cross Health Society’s own wellbeing programme ‘Switch2Well’. “We work closely with our people to find out what they most need,” explains Chris. “Some of those things include co-funded fitness trackers, wellness workshops and health checks.”

The programme is good news for both the individual and the business. “It’s a win-win,” continues Chris. “The vast majority of our staff (93%) tell us they feel we care about their wellbeing . Over the past five years absenteeism at the Society has dropped by 25% and staff turnover has reduced by 27%ii, . The organisation is also once again a finalist in this year’s IBM New Zealand’s Best Workplaces Awards.

Other key findings from the survey commissioned by Southern Cross Health Society include:

• 45% of respondents say they don’t make New Year’s Resolutions.
• 29% of the total (56% of the subset who make a resolution) said their resolve tends to last anywhere from just a few days (6%) to a few weeks (13%) or up to 3 months (12%).
• 52% of respondents want to exercise more in 2018.
• 40% of the total surveyed want to get more sleep, with Aucklanders featuring more strongly here than other New Zealanders
• 31% of the total want to manage stress better.
• Smoking cessation was a resolution for only 6% of all respondents, with Cantabrians being the most representative group here.
• 14% of respondents say they keep their resolutions going all year.

The survey was conducted by Perceptive in November 2017, with 1,002 respondents from across Aotearoa New Zealand taking part.

ENDS