Search Results for: mental health

March 10, 2017

Days lost to illness in the UK down to lowest level in a quarter of a century ⁰

by Mark Eltringham • Flexible working, News, Workplace

The number of days taken as sick leave in the UK has fallen to the lowest rate since records began, according to the latest release of data from the Office for National Statistics. In 2016, about 137 million working days were lost to illness, equivalent to 4.3 days per worker. The latest figures represent the lowest number of days lost since reporting began in 1993. Days lost have been falling since 2003 and particularly since the economic downturn of 2007-8, notes the ONS. This might suggest people are struggling in to work when ill out of fear, but that may be only part of the story as the growth in flexible working will also have had a significant impact. As always, the data throws up some interesting comparisons between demographic groups and sectors although the context is not always as clear or as straightforward as is commonly supposed.

March 1, 2017

Increasing adoption of wellbeing strategies to improve engagement and culture ⁰

by Sara Bean • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing, Workplace

Workplace wellbeing strategies are being implemented by employers at an unprecedented rate, with 45 percent of UK companies now having a clearly-defined wellbeing strategy in place, compared to less than a third (30 percent) in 2016, claims a new report. According to ‘Employee Wellbeing Research 2017: The evolution of workplace wellbeing in the UK’ from Reward & Employee Benefits Association (REBA), in association with Punter Southall Health & Protection, of those that don’t, virtually all plan or wish to implement one – with 46 percent planning on implementing one this year, 24 percent in the next few years and a quarter (25 percent) having it on their ‘wish list’. Over a third (37 percent) launched their wellbeing strategy to improve employee engagement, and just over a quarter (26 percent) to improve organisational culture. Other drivers included improving productivity levels (11 percent), reducing long and short-term sickness absence (6 percent & 5 percent) and retaining talent (5 percent).

February 21, 2017

Older workers increasingly marginalised at work despite their growing numbers ⁰

by Neil Franklin • Wellbeing, Workplace design

Older workers are at risk of being marginalised in the workplace according to a new survey of office workers from workplace consultants Peldon Rose, which claims that there are significant differences in the wellbeing, attitudes and motivations of the workplace’s oldest and youngest employees. The over 50s now account for more than 30 percent of the UK’s working population (9.4million people), but according to the study older workers are the least content of all employees with less than a quarter (23 percent) of the 55+ age group feeling appreciated by their company and 80 percent suffering from or having suffered from workplace stress. In contrast, the workplace’s newest recruits, the under 25 year olds, are the office’s most positive employees with over half (55 percent) feeling appreciated by their company and 60 percent – the lowest of all age groups – suffering or having suffered from workplace stress.

February 15, 2017

Demanding working culture in City of London creates ticking stress timebomb ⁰

by Neil Franklin • News, Wellbeing

Demanding bosses and increased work pressures are turning up the pressure and stress levels for City workers with staff expected to be always available, new research from MetLife claims. Its study of 104 senior decision makers from financial institutions and investment banks found 95 percent say they are expected to be always available for work with weekends seen as a continuation of the normal working week. They work on average 23 weekends a year, with 50 percent of executives saying weekends have been disturbed by work at least 25 times in the past year. Complaining about stress makes no difference – just one in seven (14 percent) of those questioned say bosses have taken action when they have complained about pressure at work.

January 20, 2017

Over half of workforce feel physically sick due to workplace pressures ⁰

by Sara Bean • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing, Workplace

More than half of the workforce (53 percent) report that they have felt physically unwell due to a poor work-life balance, and a similar number (52 percent) go so far as to say that work makes them more unwell than anything in their personal lives, claims new research from Bupa UK. In addition to physical sickness, work stress is keeping half (51 percent) of employees awake at night. Two fifths (42 percent) even state it is ‘ruining their life’.The research revealed that people find workplace demands such as presenting at an important meeting (71 percent) or managing a project (65 percent) just as stressful as buying a first house (69 percent) or getting married (66 percent). The research indicated that there is a pressing business need for organisations to better understand and address the wellbeing needs of their employees, as it is impacting profitability.

January 18, 2017

Sickie and duvet days lead to ‘vicious cycle’ of stress and absenteeism ⁰

by Sara Bean • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing, Workplace

Employees are more likely to pull a sickie in the first quarter (January to March) than any other time of year, causing increased stress for those who have to cover for their absent colleagues, a new survey claims. The research, which was conducted by Kronos found that over a third (37 percent) of respondents predicted that that they or a colleague would take unauthorised absences or fake a sickness within the first three months of the year. What’s more, they believe this will add up to a total of three to four days and 24 percent said it may stretch to five or six. When asked why they’re likely to pull a sickie, 31 percent blamed the post-Christmas blues, highlighting the challenge for employers to maintain motivation and morale throughout January. Meanwhile, 32 percent said they feel more pressure to keep productivity levels up in the first quarter so their employer could start the year on a good note, causing them to feel stressed and therefore more likely to bunk off work for a mental health day.

December 8, 2016

Gig economy represents a race to the bottom for many because of client behaviour ⁰

by Mark Eltringham • Flexible working, News

For many people, the gig economy represents a race to the bottom, with a large number of freelancers asked to work for free by entitled clients on the vague promise of future work, breeding anxiety and disillusionment. That is the key finding of a new study by Approve.io which found that half of freelancers and self-employed creatives had been asked by clients said that work had caused them anxiety this year with three quarters citing client behaviour as the primary cause. More →

November 3, 2016

Quarter of staff off work with stress hide truth from employers ⁰

by Sara Bean • News, Wellbeing, Workplace

A startling number of people in the UK who are suffering from stress hide from their employers, according to new research from Aviva to mark National Stress Awareness Day. A quarter of people (25 percent) surveyed admitted taking a day off work with stress but then blamed it on a physical illness. Based on the current number of people working in the UK, it indicates that almost eight million people are suffering in silence. The data also suggests that a third of people (33 percent) have taken a day off work with stress at some stage in their career. 25-34 year olds were the most likely to have taken time off (46 percent) with those aged over 55 seemingly the least likely to need time away from work (25 percent). More than half of men (53 percent) who had taken a day off work with stress at some stage in their career said they had done so in the last year, compared to just a third of women (34 percent).

November 2, 2016

Employers increased focus on wellbeing lacks adequate training and support ⁰

by Sara Bean • News, Wellbeing, Workplace

Nearly half (46 percent) of employers say that their organisation has increased its focus on wellbeing over the last 12 months; and when asked the reasons for this, 63 percent of respondents to the 2016 CIPD/Simplyhealth Absence Management Survey said they want their organisation to be a great place to work, 47 percent said their organisation believes employee well-being is linked to business performance, and 43 percent said their organisation believes it’s the right thing to do. Additionally, nearly two-fifths (37 percent) of organisations that invest in wellbeing say they have increased their well-being spend over the last twelve months and almost two-thirds (64 percent) have improved communications to staff about the wellbeing benefits on offer and how to access them. However, the survey found that while more employers are recognising the value of line managers in managing absence at work, they are not giving them the tools and support necessary to do it effectively.

November 2, 2016

Calming office space and flexible hours best ways to combat workplace stress ⁰

by Sara Bean • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing, Workplace, Workplace design

More flexible hours, a more caring attitude from management, a welcoming office design and space away from the desk to take a break are much more effective ways to reduce workplace stress than expensive office overhauls or the provision of mindfulness classes, a new survey claims. A study into the measures that help reduce stress conducted by Cascade HR, explored what workers feel bosses can do to reduce their stress levels, and found that introducing flexible working hours (47 percent), early finishes on Fridays (39 percent) and a caring, friendly management style (38 percent) would have the biggest impact. The research also revealed the physical aspects of the workplace which employees believe employers could change or introduce to improve their occupational mental health. In fact, the workplace being clean and tidy was the factor that workers felt could go the furthest to reducing their stress (35 percent), while almost 1 in 3 felt having music playing would help to keep their stress at bay; as would simply having a space away from desks in which to chill out (29 percent) or to eat (27 percent) during breaks.

November 2, 2016

A quarter of UK workers have complained of stress at work but received no support ⁰

by Neil Franklin • News, Wellbeing

Figures released in the fourth annual Employee Insight Report from Capita claim that one in four UK workers (26 percent) say they have complained to their employers about feeling stressed but have received no support. With the new statistics released on National Stress Awareness Day, the report suggests that stress is prevalent among the vast majority of UK workers, with three quarters (75 percent) saying they have felt stressed at some point over the past 12 months – more than a quarter (28 percent) say they feel stressed on and off throughout the year, while 5 percent say they feel stressed ‘all the time’. The report also shows most people (56 percent) would not feel comfortable talking about taking time off for issues such as depression or stress with their fellow workers, suggesting stigmas remain around mental health concerns.

October 26, 2016

Two-thirds of British workers more productive working in the office ⁰

by Sara Bean • Facilities management, Flexible working, News, Wellbeing, Workplace

Despite half (50 percent) of the British workforce saying they are equipped with the right tools and technology to enable them to work anywhere, half (50 percent) of respondents to a new survey stated that remote working can make them feel stressed, isolated or lonely (43 percent) and over half (53 percent) said that working out of the office makes them feel disconnected from colleagues. The survey from Peldon Rose, found that two-thirds (66 percent) of British workers say they work most productively in the office compared with a quarter (26 percent) who work most productively at home. The survey results also underline how vital close working relationships with colleagues are to employees’ happiness, wellbeing and productivity with nine in 10 (91 percent) of office workers stating they value their friendships within the workplace and 80 percent crediting their friendships with colleagues with helping them to be more productive at work – something they feel boosts their productivity even more than personal technology (66 percent).