Search Results for: stress

Stressed staff contribute average ten hours free labour a week

Stressed workers contributing average 10 extra hours work a week

British employees contribute an extra £142 billion a year to their employers, by working on average, an unpaid ten extra hours per week. According to a study by Travelodge of 2,000 workers across the UK, nearly three quarters (72 per cent) routinely do the extra hours, which translates into an average saving of £6,635 for employers. So great is the trend, that one in ten workers cram a whole extra week of unpaid work on top of their normal working schedule so that they can manage their workload, and a third of Britons now work an additional 16 hours a week for free than they did prior to the start of the recession. (more…)

Survey: Work and poor management biggest cause of stress

Stress-300x193Work is the most stressful factor in people’s lives with one in three people (34 per cent) saying their work life was either very or quite stressful – and the top cause (32 per cent) is frustration with poor management. Research commissioned by Mind found work more stressful than debt or financial problems (30 per cent) or health (17 per cent).  However, employees don’t believe that managers are actively tackling causes of stress in the workplace, with only one in five people saying they felt their line manager took active steps to help staff manage stress (22%) or mental health conditions (19%).

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How to apply the lessons of World Mental Health Day every day in the office

How to apply the lessons of World Mental Health Day every day in the office

Annick Bessawa shares six practical ways employers can acknowledge what we learn on World Mental Health Day and create a more supportive workplace throughout the yearWorld Mental Health Day is always an opportunity for organisations to show they genuinely care about their people, but supporting employee wellbeing requires year-round commitment. This year’s theme highlighted the importance of listening to people with lived experiences of mental health conditions, helping to build understanding and reduce stigma in the workplace. By creating an environment where employees feel safe to speak openly and know where to find support, businesses can make a real difference to their wellbeing. St John Ambulance trainer Annick Bessawa shares six practical ways employers can acknowledge what we learn on World Mental Health Day and create a more supportive workplace throughout the year. (more…)

The hidden cost of a poorly planned office relocation

The hidden cost of a poorly planned office relocation

Ask anyone who has managed a poorly executed office move and they will describe it in similar terms: it took longer than expected, disrupted more than it should have, and the final cost bore little resemblance to the original estimate. What tends to be harder to quantify — but is often the most significant expense — is the productivity lost during and after the move. Office relocations are among the most disruptive events in the working life of an organisation. When they go well, barely anyone notices. When they go badly, the effects ripple through the business for weeks. (more…)

How people move may offer clues to their mental health

How people move may offer clues to their mental health

The way people move may provide clues about their mental health and associated patterns of behaviour and symptomsThe way people move may provide clues about their mental health and associated patterns of behaviour and symptoms, according to new research that could ultimately have implications for how psychological wellbeing is understood and assessed. Researchers from Northwestern University in Illinois and other institutions examined the relationship between a range of movement characteristics and psychological symptoms, including anxiety, depression, mania, dissociation, substance use and psychosis. (more…)

Optimizing business travel for peak performance

Optimizing business travel for peak performance

With a smart approach, you can turn business travel moments from wasted time into valuable chances for focused work and getting aheadBusiness travel can often feel like a juggling act, trying to balance getting work done with all the moving parts of a trip. All that time spent traveling, waiting around in terminals, and hustling between appointments can really feel like it’s eating into your efficiency. But here’s the good news: with a smart approach, you can actually turn these moments from wasted time into valuable chances for focused work and getting ahead. By making every stage of your journey count, from the initial planning to wrapping things up when you get back, you can make sure your time away from the office actually boosts your productivity instead of dragging it down. It’s not about working harder; it’s about working smarter, so every hour on the road helps you hit your professional goals. (more…)

Workplace design can improve focus for people with ADHD, research suggests

Workplace design can improve focus for people with ADHD, research suggests

Workplace lighting, visual distractions and opportunities for movement can have a measurable impact on attention among people with inattentive-type ADHD, according to new researchWorkplace lighting, visual distractions and opportunities for movement can have a measurable impact on attention among people with inattentive-type ADHD, according to new research from architecture and design firm Corgan and the University of Arkansas. The study examined how environmental factors including light, sound, movement and visual activity affect people with inattentive-type ADHD, with researchers using electroencephalogram (EEG) technology to monitor participants’ brain activity in open workstations and private offices. (more…)

Is resilience a personality trait or a flaw in workplace design?

Is resilience a personality trait or a flaw in workplace design?

Resilience is often ascribed to the individual, but are there other ways we could look at the issue, asks Carl LyonsResilience must be one of the most misunderstood issues affecting businesses right now. It’s used whenever people are struggling, and almost always aimed at the individual – be tougher, manage your stress, build a bit more grit. During countless conversations with leaders and teams over the last few years it has been seen that those words do real damage to people who are trying hard to do their best. When tiredness is no longer fixed by a weekend, when feedback lands as a threat, and when change is met with a sigh, it gets recorded under ‘poor personal resilience’, effectively telling people the problem is with them. I don’t think it is. I think we’re looking in the wrong place. (more…)

Giving employees a say over office art may boost wellbeing and job satisfaction, review suggests

Giving employees a say over office art may boost wellbeing and job satisfaction, review suggests

visual office art can have a positive effect on employees' psychological wellbeing and workplace experience, with the greatest benefits seen when workers are able to choose or position artwork themselves.Giving employees more control over the artwork displayed in their workplace could improve wellbeing, job satisfaction and engagement, according to a new systematic review from researchers at the University of Roehampton. The review, published in Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, found evidence that visual office art can have a positive effect on employees’ psychological wellbeing and workplace experience, with the greatest benefits seen when workers are able to choose or position artwork themselves. (more…)

Resilience: the expanding global mandate for facility management

Resilience: the expanding global mandate for facility management

Throughout this decade, global challenges have shined a spotlight on the facility management (FM) industry and its professionals like never before.Throughout this decade, global challenges have shined a spotlight on the facility management (FM) industry and its professionals like never before. From pandemics to climate events and geopolitical instability, these challenges have tested organizations in unprecedented ways. While many debated the meaning of  terms like “the new normal,” facility managers demonstrated competence, strategic planning and decisive leadership to keep their organizations and people moving forward. From the C-suite to workers and visitors, organizations have become acutely aware of  FM’s influence as critical enablers  to ensure organizational, environmental and personal health. (more…)

Remote work linked to mental health concerns in major US study

Remote work linked to mental health concerns in major US study

A major new study has suggested that the rapid growth of remote work since the pandemic has played a significant role in rising levels of social isolation and poor mental health among workersA major new study has suggested that the rapid growth of remote work since the pandemic has played a significant role in rising levels of social isolation and poor mental health among workers, although researchers stress that the findings relate primarily to fully remote work rather than hybrid arrangements. The research, published in the journal Science, analysed data from five nationally representative surveys covering almost 590,000 US workers between 2011 and 2024. According to the authors, the expansion of remote work may account for around one third of the increase in mental distress recorded over that period. (more…)

Fathers who work from home fear ‘return to office’ rules could force them to quit, study claims

Fathers who work from home fear ‘return to office’ rules could force them to quit, study claims

More than one in six fathers who currently work from home say they would quit their job if required to return to the office full-timeMore than one in six fathers who currently work from home say they would quit their job if required to return to the office full-time, according to new research from King’s College London, which suggests employers risk losing experienced staff if they tighten office attendance policies. The report, When Fathers Work from Home, from the King’s Global Institute for Women’s Leadership, argues that remote working has become an important part of family life for many fathers, but warns that workplace cultures continue to discourage men from making full use of flexible working arrangements. (more…)