More than a third of British workers (38 per cent) have said they would be encouraged to lead a healthy lifestyle if their managers led by example.

Half of all workers (52 per cent) surveyed in the study by Willis PMI Group, part of Willis Towers Watson, said they would be more inclined to take part in company health and wellbeing schemes if their managers also participate. “Employee engagement with health and wellbeing initiatives calls for a company culture that embodies healthy lifestyle values with managers having an important role to play in inspiring and motivating staff,” said Mike Blake, Director at Willis PMI Group.

“These findings clearly highlight the extent to which employees can be influenced by managers’ actions and behaviour.” The research also revealed that one in ten workers claim their managers take more time off sick than ‘rank-and-file’ employees. Managers in the North are less likely to take sick days, compared with ‘rank-and-file’ employees, than those in the South. Just nine per cent of workers in the North said their company managers take more time off sick compared with 12 per cent in the South. In London this figure rises to 16 percent.