October 6, 2022

Wellbeing and business success are directly connected, study claims

A new report from Gallup, sponsored by Workhuman, claims that a set of wellbeing measures can help mitigate a $322 billion cost of employee turnover and lost productivity worldwide. The report- Amplifying Wellbeing at Work and Beyond Through the Power of Recognition, claims to identify connections between employee wellbeing and overall company growth and success. The study of more than 12,000 employees across 12 countries claims that when employees are recognised at work, they are up to 10 times as likely to strongly agree that they ‘belong’ at the organisation. Employees who lack a strong sense of belonging are up to twelve times as likely to be disengaged and five times as likely to be looking for another job. More →

September 22, 2022

Working culture a major draw for younger job seekers

by Neil Franklin • News, Workplace

According to a new poll from Breathe HR, a large majority of younger workers now prioritise working culture in their job searches. The study of around 1,300 people claims that workers aged 18-34 are more likely to consider company culture (86 percent) when applying for jobs, compared to those working aged 55 and over (66 percent). In addition, 81 percent of 18–34-year-olds are more likely to ask about company culture in an interview than over 55-year-olds (57 percent) and four-fifths of UK workers say they would not apply for a role that had “unrealistic expectations”. More →

September 12, 2022

The wellbeing of parents should be a greater concern for employers

by Gosia Bowling • Comment, Wellbeing

A recent Oxford University study revealed that levels of stress, anxiety and depression unsurprisingly rose in parents and carers during the pandemic lockdowns. Although social restrictions have now lifted, the recovery from the significant mental impact will continue to take parents some time. Now, more than ever, organisations have a key role in remedying stress and burnout and supporting working parents’ wellbeing. More →

September 8, 2022

Nearly half of people feel disconnected from colleagues

by Neil Franklin • News, Wellbeing

Around 42 percent of UK employees don’t feel a sense of connection to co-workers and a quarter say they don’t think they have one friend at work, according to a new poll from BetterUp [registration]. UK employees with a lower sense of belonging have an 80 per cent stronger intention to quit their jobs than those who feel comfortable at work, according to the survey. It also claims that the findings come as UK workplaces are struggling with new trends such as ‘quiet quitting’, whereby employees are setting boundaries when it comes to working late and working on projects that aren’t in their job description, as well as issues around recruitment and talent retention. More →

September 7, 2022

Remote work and the things we have learned about it

by Sara Whitman and Isabel Conrad • Comment, Flexible working

Two plus years after the onset of the pandemic and many employees are continuing to work remotely, either full or part-time. We know that the ability to work remotely increases employee happiness by as much as 20 percent, but employees will tend to work longer hours and are more likely to experience burnout. The debate over whether remote work is “better” than being in an office is reductive and misses critical nuances around hybrid work models. More →

September 7, 2022

Understanding employee wellbeing in the fight for talent

by Simon Daly • Comment, Wellbeing

The pivot to remote work over the past few years has undoubtedly had its benefits, with many of us finding new ways to be productive and collaborate with our peers. This includes taking advantage of new workplace trends such as ‘workcations’, where people can work from another country, flexible working, and four-day work weeks where possible. Yet, this preference to work flexibly blurs the distinction between life and work, which will ultimately take its toll on the mental health and wellbeing of employees. More →

August 24, 2022

Workplace decision making is subject to a number of conflicting forces

by Neil Franklin • News, Workplace

A new survey from 15Five claims that the workplace is in a state of upheaval, with one-third of workers planning to quit their jobs despite the potential economic downturn. Conversely, nearly one in five organisations are planning on layoffs, and more than one-third of HR leaders have rescinded job offers. The poll of 1,000 US full time employees and 500 HR leaders [registration] also claims that work-life balance is a top concern for employees, behind only pay and health benefits. When HR leaders were asked what was most important to their employees, work-life balance claimed the number one spot (64.6 percent), followed by health benefits (62.8 percent) and growth opportunities (54.6 percent). More →

August 5, 2022

The four day week might be the wellbeing solution workers need

by Mark Hall • Comment, Flexible working, Wellbeing

It’s been a couple of months now since 70 companies in Britain began their four day week pilot program, where thousands of employees went from celebrating the Queen’s 70th Jubilee to celebrating shorter work weeks without reduction in pay for the remainder of 2022. The pilot had been highly anticipated by workers and employers alike – and has already seen tremendous results — but it’s also created a heated debate on whether it’s actually workable across industries, demographics, and different sized companies. More →

July 20, 2022

Toxic work culture continues to bedevil certain sectors

by Jayne Smith • News, Wellbeing, Workplace

Healthcare is among the worst industries in the UK for a certain type of toxic work culture, a new study by Delamere claims. The study claims to have identified the industries with the worst attitudes towards what it calls toxic hustle culture. Hustle culture refers to people feeling pressured to work tirelessly in order to constantly make money and be productive. More →

June 27, 2022

Four in ten people would take unpaid leave to get more time off

by Jayne Smith • News, Wellbeing, Workplace

New research shows British workers are increasingly willing to take measures to achieve better work-life balance, as over 4 in 10 (43 percent) of UK employees would take unpaid leave to get more time off – the second highest amount of all European countries surveyed. The poll from SD Worx, claims that while people want to prioritise taking time off, the struggle is how to disconnect from the working world. Findings show that almost a third (32 percent) of UK employees check their work while they should be offline, and 34 percent say that it’s difficult to let go of workload when on holiday. More →

May 29, 2022

Office occupiers should invest in neurodiversity, report argues

by Neil Franklin • News, Property, Wellbeing

A new report from the British Council for Offices urges landlords and office occupiers to invest in design for neurodiversity, as disabling workspaces continue to hinder wellbeing. The report examines how the neurodiverse community remains underserved and often unsupported in the current employment ecosystem, and in turn, outlines the considerations that built environment practitioners can take to make offices enabling environments, and the crucial role of more inclusive designs. More →

May 12, 2022

Small business owners continue to struggle with mental health

by Neil Franklin • News, Wellbeing

Two out of five (40 percent) small business owners believe that their emotional recovery from the pandemic will take much longer than that of the financial disruption. And, according to a new study by Xero those investing in wellbeing initiatives were more likely to hold on to staff and grow revenues. Nine out of 10 (92 percent) small business owners experienced symptoms of poor mental health over the last two years, according to the study with the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr) and Opinium. Professional responsibilities played a significant part, with more than half (52 percent) said that running their business has contributed to those symptoms. More →