Tag Archives: Well-Being

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We’ve been published in the latest Public Health England [PHE] report!

Exciting news! We have recently been included in the latest Public Health England [PHE] report on identifying promising practices in health and wellbeing for the workplace.

 

Selected from 117 submissions, The Healthy Worker provided vital research into the importance of helping businesses provide effective health and wellbeing strategies, for the significant reduction of employee absence and sick leave.

 

The influential report, officially entitled ‘Promising Practices for Health and Wellbeing at Work’, was commissioned by PHE to review the current landscape of health and well-being interventions available to Employers, as it can be difficult to know the impact that workplace wellbeing initiatives are having.

 

Liz Preece confirmed: “I am delighted that The Healthy Worker has been included in this PHE report, which has taken a robust approach to research evidence, and showcases improved wellbeing for individuals plus the cost benefits of implementing effective wellbeing interventions for employees.”

 

A comprehensive document, the 100 plus page report highlights the latest evidence that a healthier workforce is a more productive workforce and cites effective interventions from both large-scale providers and SME’s who are able to provide research based evidence of the effectiveness of their interventions.

 

‘It’s fantastic to see the range of health and well-being organisations nationwide, which are supporting employers provide for improved mental and physical wellbeing for their staff. Avoiding workplace related ill-health and proactively enabling employees to improve their health and wellbeing is the future for successful organisations of all types’ explained Liz. ‘This report highlights those within in the wellbeing sector who have sought ways to evaluate the impact they are having and demonstrates that by focussing on effective wellbeing interventions, businesses can improve their own outcomes whilst also empowering their staff to thrive and grow with them.’

 

To find out more about the PHE and RAND report, please read here: https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/research_reports/RR2400/RR2409/RAND_RR2409.pdf

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Are you taking the time to ask your staff how they’re feeling?

If staff members are off sick with potential mental health problems, how often do you think employers take time out of their schedules to ask them how they are? The answer is not enough.

If you’re one of those employers, you may notice the difference that simply asking can have on your team members, and their overall attendance and productivity levels.

According to recent reports, unsupportive managers can result in employees taking an extra 4.1 days off a year. Not only that, but people with depression were also found to take more days off if their managers did not seem empathetic. Increasing absence rates affects both the employee and the business, but is a detrimental figure that can easily be avoided.

Mind, the mental health charity, found that 56 per cent of employers said they would like to do more to improve staff wellbeing but don’t feel they have the right training or guidance.

Well, that’s where we can help.

Although the Healthy Worker arrives equipped with polices and refreshing consultancy services to help management improve well-being in the workplace, there’s nothing that helps more than taking the time to ensure you are caring about your staff and showing them that you’re putting important strategies in place to support mental health.

Why not try out some of these small, but effective changes:

 

Have an open-door policy

If your staff feel you are more open to having a chat, they won’t be more likely to bottle up any issues they may be having, whether it is work related or not. It can be difficult if you are time restricted or don’t have much face to face time with your employees as you’d like, but making small gestures to let them know you’re there, whether it’s via phone call or a one-on-one chat, can make all the difference in ensuring your staff know you value their feelings.

 

Dedicate your own ‘well-being champion’

As previously mentioned, sometimes it can be hard as a manager with time-restrictions. But this is where our expert knowledge can help! The Healthy Worker can support your staff to become ‘well-being champions’, a designated representative who will have the know-how to support staff with any issues they may be facing and know how to help or guide them through it.

They can work alongside HR, liaising or signposting staff, and be a direct link between the staff and managers to relay any issues in a secure and professional manner.

 

Break the taboo that surrounds mental health

If your office knows that you can talk about mental health openly and freely, then there won’t be so much pressure when somebody is dealing with something they perhaps feel awkward about. Break down barriers by implementing structures that allow staff to be open and honest and not feel mental health is such a taboo subject.

 

Get in contact with us with to update your work place policies

Yes, that’s right, here at The Healthy Worker we can provide a range of courses such as; Managing Sickness Absence Workshop for management, Managing stress in the workplace, personal health and coaching and an overall healthy worker course. We will work together with

you and your business to ensure you are up to date with any mental health work place policies and help motivate your staff by knowing they’re working in a safe and healthy work environment.

 

If staff attendance levels are a concern, or you want to revamp your businesses mental health policies, get in touch with us on 01684 231461 or email info@thehealthyworker.co.uk.

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Come along to our new well-being forum!

We’re excited to announce the launch of our NEW well-being forum, dedicated to helping Worcestershire Employers improve health and well-being in the workplace.

 

With the first event to be held at The Three Pears on the 4th July 2018, the Well-Being Forum is free to attend and will provide a friendly platform to support businesses in improving well-being in the workplace; enabling participants to ask questions, share experiences and offer support for one another.

 

Liz Preece, Founder and Managing Director of The Healthy Worker, explained: “Businesses lose over 15 million working days to stress, anxiety or depression each year, therefore it comes as no surprise that over 50% of Senior Managers now place improved employee wellbeing high on the agenda, according to the latest results from the CIPD Health and Wellbeing Survey.”

 

“These figures alone magnify the importance of putting strategic steps in place to ensure staff are working in a healthy, supported environment. By creating something like the Well-Being Forum, Employers can start to explore their own well-being strategy, guided by the Healthy Worker team and other industry professionals. It will also provide an excellent opportunity for networking with like-minded local professionals.”

 

To gain primary research, Liz conducted a survey to gain insight into the wellbeing needs of local businesses and their priority areas for action moving forward. With the aim of then engaging relevant local stakeholders who can join together to help provide a boost for Workplace Wellbeing within Worcestershire and the surrounding areas.

 

“This survey provided me with the best possible primary research, ensuring I can tailor the forum to the current needs and wants of local employers.” explains Liz. “The first meeting will be held at The Three Pears on the 4th July from 9am, and I’m delighted to welcome Rachel Vann, of Malvern Hills’ District Council, who will host a talk on improving well-being in the workplace, following their success in winning the Chamber of Commerce ‘Health and Well-Being in the Workplace Award.”

 

For more information and to keep up to date with more news on the Well-being forum, please visit contact liz@thehealthyworker.co.uk or get in touch on 01684 231461.

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How do businesses benefit from employing a dedicated Wellbeing Champion?

In the last five years, we have seen a positive rise in the number of employers shining a light on wellbeing in the workplace, including mental wellbeing.

 

More organisations are sitting up and taking notice, recognising the direct link between employee health, happiness and levels of productivity.

 

One way that companies, such as Virgin, have shown commitment to this is through the recruitment of Wellbeing Champions.

 

So, what is the role of a Wellbeing Champion?

Wellbeing Champions are members of staff who have the aptitude and training to serve as an inspirational voice to promote the wellness of every person within an organisation.

 

Their work is often alongside HR colleagues, with Wellbeing Champions contributing to the development and implementation of a health and wellbeing strategy, instilling wellbeing into company culture and engaging with employees to promote healthy lifestyles and positive mental health both inside and outside of the work place.

 

Why is this a vital role?

Every year in the UK alone, a staggering 70 million working days are lost due to mental health problems, costing employers over £2 billion.

 

Research by Time to Change revealed that one in ten people have resigned from a job due to stress and that a further one in four had thought about it.

 

A national survey carried out by the charity Mind also found that 90% of working people who suffered from a mental health problem told their employer they were suffering from a physical illness instead and research suggests that only 50% of GP ‘sick’ notes for those with mental health reasons for absence actually reflect this.

 

By developing Wellbeing Champions, businesses can demonstrate that staff are a top priority. It provides a safe place for staff to say “I’m struggling” or “I need support” and encourages people to speak openly about their mental health without fear of judgement.

 

Organisations can also benefit in other ways, such as improving employee engagement as well as the recruitment and retention of staff.

 

As more and more companies invest in the health of their team, it highlights that workplace wellbeing is no longer a nice benefit- it’s a vital part of working life. All measures which help with reducing stigma and take us closer to ending mental health discrimination are valuable.

 

Interested in finding out more? The Healthy Worker is hosting a series of workshops including one dedicated to developing Wellbeing Champions in the workplace. Contact us today for more details.

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Could sleep deprivation be affecting your mental health?

You may have heard that a lack of sleep can affect you physically, having an impact on your weight, your immune system and even aches and pains, but did you know that sleep deprivation can have an even bigger effect on your mental well-being?

 

Studies have shown that there is a direct relationship between sleep and your mood – but it’s more than waking up feeling grumpy after tossing and turning all night. A lack of sleep, such as prolonged periods of insomnia, can lead to a lack of concentration and impair our ability to think clearly, as well as influence our outlook on life, energy levels, motivation and emotions.

 

Despite these warnings however, it is clear that people across the UK are not getting a good night’s rest. In 2016, research by the Royal Society for Public Health found that the average Briton is losing almost an hour of sleep per night – that’s a whole night’s sleep over the course of one week!

 

The report, titled ‘Waking up to the health benefits of sleep’, highlights the need for individuals to get more good quality sleep to protect our health and well-being, and calls on schools, employers and GPs to discuss sleep as part of complex health issues.

 

The most common mental health issues linked to sleep deprivation are depression and anxiety disorders. It therefore may not surprise you to hear that people with insomnia are 10 times as likely to have clinical depression and 17 times as likely to have clinical anxiety than those who get an average of 7-9 hours per night.

So, why does this happen? What is the impact of sleep deprivation on our brains?

 

First of all, a lack of sleep will effectively cause the memory inbox of the brain to shut down. Sleep affects the formation of myelin, which is vital to allowing the brain’s cells to grow and repair ready to operate the next day. So, when the brain is deprived, we are unable to properly commit new experiences to memory.

 

Studies have shown that sleep is also important to maintaining the health of our brain’s neurons. A good night’s sleep allows our neurons to independently rest and repair themselves, but if this happens while we’re awake, it is much less efficient and affects our cognitive performance such as our ability to reason, make decisions and react quickly. Moderate sleep deprivation has even been compared to the impairments of alcohol intoxication.

 

Sleep deprivation also leads to an increased development of beta-amyloid, a damaging protein in the brain associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

 

There are numerous ways to avoid or combat sleep deprivation, such as establishing your natural wake-sleep cycle (or circadian rhythm), exercising regularly, limiting caffeine and nicotine and taking time out to wind down at the end of the day. However, for some, sleep deprivation can be a more serious issue that requires medical intervention. Booking an appointment with your GP is the first step to diagnosing a sleep disorder such as insomnia or sleep apnoea.

 

Whatever your course of action, it’s time to take sleep seriously, particularly when it comes to your mental health.

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How can you motivate and encourage your employees?

Are your employees fired up and passionate about what they do? Do they show enthusiasm to start the day and hit their targets? In any business, there will be days where employees don’t have that get-up-and-go attitude, but if you’re staff are disengaged more often than not, it can have a significant impact on productivity.

 

Successfully improving wellbeing and motivating your employees is not as challenging as you may think – even small changes can make a big difference in staff morale. Here are 7 techniques that Managers and Supervisors can use in your organisation to encourage their teams:

 

1. Acknowledging achievements.

It’s important to recognise the hard work that staff put in on a daily basis to help the company achieve its objectives. Something as simple as giving praise and saying thank you for a completed job or even a good idea will mean more to a team member than you might think and is one of the most effective ways to give your employees a boost in morale. Don’t forget, being positive with others who have done a good job can help your wellbeing as well as theirs!

 

2. Demonstrate trust.

Trust forms the basis of our relationships which are a key component to our wellbeing, and a key factor in employee performance. When staff don’t feel trusted by their superiors, workplace engagement often suffers, but on the flip-side, employees who do feel trusted tend to be higher performers and go the extra mile. Let your staff take the lead on projects or campaigns, present new ideas in meetings or manage communications with clients. The more confidence you have in your team, the more confident they will be in taking on new challenges and pushing themselves to learn new things. Allowing others to take the lead can also help your work – home balance.

 

3. Encourage personal development.

When employees learn new skills it not only benefits them and their wellbeing, but also the company. Letting your staff know that you’re willing to invest in their professional growth is a great source of motivation. Some businesses will support their staff financially, offering further education or courses outside of work. However, if you can’t offer financial aid for self-improvement, you can still be flexible and allow staff to add webinars, courses or seminars into their schedules – within reason of course.

 

4. Promote from within.

For many business owners, it’s important to fill the company with hard working, knowledgeable people who will help to achieve long-term growth and while sometimes a role will require external talent, it’s important to look inwards and promote current staff. Promoting from within will not only strengthens your company culture by retaining the best employees, but it sends a message to everyone in the organisation that you are willing to reward hard work and offer opportunities for progression.

 

5. Be flexible.

We’re all looking to strike the perfect work-home balance, so the ability to offer your employees flexibility in the workplace is invaluable. Some of your staff may be parents or grandparents looking after children, others may have clubs or other commitments outside of work; it’s important to remember that everyone is different and juggling a variety of things in their personal lives which impact their wellbeing and ultimately their engagement. Offering employees flexible hours or the ability to work from home for example are great ways to boost this.

 

6. Have some fun.

Maintaining a positive working environment isn’t just about what goes on in the office – there are numerous benefits to team building and social interactions between colleagues outside of work. Organise office parties, birthday celebrations, dinners and nights-out or even off-site work activities. A change of scenery and social time allows for colleagues to bond, get to know each other and promotes collaborative working. Building good relationships is a key component of our wellbeing too.

 

7. Talk about mental health.

The workplace is an important place to have a conversation about mental health, but sometimes it can be difficult for staff to open up and discuss it with co-workers or managers. Employers need to show they’re open to talking about mental health and that staff won’t be discriminated against or judged because of any mental illness. Whether it’s stress in the workplace or a member of your team is struggling with depression, making your workplace a comfortable environment can help employees feel happier, more confident and more productive.

 

Every business is different and it’s important to find the right motivational methods that work for you and your staff. Focusing on those methods which improve wellbeing is a great start and ask your staff through focus groups or surveys, about what’s important to them. Then, by making some small changes in your workplace, you can ensure your staff feel inspired, motivated and look forward to every Monday morning!