Search Results for: mental health

April 26, 2019

A third of accountancy professionals feel stressed at work

Accountancy has joined the legal profession in a developing mental health epidemic within their respective workplaces. Recent studies found that just over a third (37 percent) of solicitors feel stressed by work, striking a worrying comparison between themselves and accountants. The accountancy profession is in the grip of a mental health crisis according to a new study which claims that a third (31 percent) of chartered accountants feel stressed on a daily basis. The research, conducted by CABA, a wellbeing charity, suggests that as few as 2 percent of respondents claim to be unaffected by stress. (more…)

April 18, 2019

Vast majority of stress not caused by work but home life

by George Eltringham • News, Wellbeing, Workplace

Stress can be caused by numerous factors, but work often isn’t the main culprit, according to a report from The Health Insurance Group. The company runs regular forums for their staff to discuss their mental wellbeing, and life outside work consistently ranks as the biggest cause of stress. As businesses look to support the mental wellbeing of their staff, it’s important they recognise that support needs to extend to home life too – not just work. (more…)

April 16, 2019

British organisations could save £61 billion a year by prioritising wellbeing

by Neil Franklin • News, Wellbeing

Vitality has published the results of its annual Britain’s Healthiest Workplace study, developed in partnership with RAND Europe and the University of Cambridge. The report claims that many businesses are failing their employees, with three-quarters of ill-health related absence and presenteeism last year, equating to £61bn, arising from factors such as depression, poor lifestyle choices, and stress – all of which can be targeted through health and wellbeing initiatives. The study also suggests that employers lose, on average, 35.6 working days per employee per year due to health-related absence and presenteeism.

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April 9, 2019

Personal financial worries are increasing workplace stress

by George Eltringham • News, Wellbeing

Employers need to understand more about the impact of personal financial worries on workplace mental health, but are struggling to agree best practice standards to address the issue, new research from MetLife UK claims. More than six out of 10 (61 percent) senior HR executives have seen a rise in financial wellbeing issues affecting employee mental health and work performance, the nationwide study from MetLife UK suggests. (more…)

April 5, 2019

The ladder of life, the death of work, the cane toad of property and some other stuff

by Mark Eltringham • Features

We start with a question. Why hasn’t the gig economy killed traditional work?, asks Greg Rosalsky and goes on to explain what many people have now realised. The answer, as Greg points out, is that the gig economy doesn’t replace traditional work, never has, and the rise of casual work of this kind has primarily been a way for people to deal with a volatile labour market and shrinking real incomes. Offer them the choice of a decent monthly income, benefits and a contract and most of them will take you up on it.

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April 2, 2019

Mind launches toolkit to promote better wellbeing in the built environment

by George Eltringham • News, Wellbeing

A new toolkit is online at the Mental Health at Work website. This UK-wide initiative allows all types of employers and employees to access free tools, advice and information – all in one place. The construction toolkit includes resources from a range of expert organisations. The resources include tips on how to start the conversation on mental health, mental health first aid training and five steps to building a positive and supportive culture in construction. Mind invited colleagues from Building Mental Health to put together this toolkit of resources. (more…)

March 29, 2019

Need for employee resilience heightened in a time of constant change

by George Eltringham • News, Workplace

Challenges facing UK businesses in the next five years have heightened the need for employee resilience, according to new research from recruitment specialist Robert Half UK. As businesses adapt to an ongoing period of change, more than nine in 10 (94 percent) CFOs think developing resilience amongst their employees will be important over the next two to five years, with 43 percent citing this as very important. This is critical to almost all (97 percent) CFOs from London-based businesses – the UK’s financial hub. (more…)

March 26, 2019

Four day working week would still allow people to complete their work

by George Eltringham • Flexible working, News

Ahead of daylight savings this weekend, The Workforce Institute at Kronos Incorporated has released part two of a global survey examining how employees across eight nations view their relationship with work and life, asking the simple question, “What would you do with more time?” These results from The Workforce Institute at Kronos and Future Workplace came from a survey of nearly 3,000 workers across the UK, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, India, Mexico and the US look at the rationale for a four day working week.

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March 5, 2019

Designing a better workforce: how workplace design can impact wellbeing

by Mary Lawrence • Comment, Wellbeing, Workplace design

In a recent survey, 95 percent of office workers said their physical work environment is important for their wellbeing and mental health. However, half believe their current working environment does not have a positive effect on their mental health, wellbeing, mood and productivity. The issue of employee wellbeing has risen up business’ agendas in recent years, and, as part of the drive for better mental health support for workers, companies are looking at ways in which the physical workplace can improve the mental health of their employees.

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March 5, 2019

Digital transformation offers great opportunities for firms, but at a risk

by Neil Franklin • News, Technology, Wellbeing

Digital technology can improve our lives but it also poses a major risk of widening social inequality and blocking opportunities for people without the skills to navigate the online world safely, according to a new OECD report. A mix of technical, emotional and social skills is a pre-condition for people to combine their digital and real lives in a balanced way, and to avoid the mental health problems and other risks linked to abuses of online technologies, the report says.

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March 1, 2019

National Employee Appreciation Day? What a joke!

by Helen Jamieson • Comment, Flexible working, Wellbeing

Today is (apparently) a hot new date for all employers’ calendars as we ‘celebrate’ National Employee Appreciation Day. This US import seems to be finding feet in UK workplaces as employers plan to hand out freebies, gifts and perks to their hard-working staff. We all like to receive a thank-you, and likely won’t turn down free cakes, boxes of chocolates, or an early-finish. However, ‘moments’ like these do nothing to improve employment conditions. They are often nothing more than hollow gestures, designed to show the outside world how great an employer is rather than demonstrate true appreciation.

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February 25, 2019

Growth of flexible working locations in London is lowering the costs of office space

by Sara Bean • Cities, Coworking, News, Property

There is a boom in the number of new flexible working locations opening in Central London, which has seen a growth of 42 percent year-on-year. According to the new report by Office Freedom this growth is driving ever more competitive rates and lowering the cost of all kinds of office spaces within the capital. Over the last two years, office prices in Hammersmith have fallen by 29 percent, whilst Paddington is 32 percent cheaper as a direct result of greater flexible space availability. The rates in prestigious Knightsbridge are still amongst the highest in Central London, but have dropped by 38 percent between 2014 and 2018. (more…)