HRreview Special Edition

Workplace

Wellbeing 2016

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Neil Shah: Building a business case for workplace wellness 2

Susan Gee: Wellbeing in the workplace - What does it mean and why does it matter? 4

Judith Grant: Why investing in mental wellbeing is important to the Royal Mail Group 6

Rachel Arkle: The five things you need to understand about mental health 16

Linda Morey-Burrows: How can office space effect your workplace wellbeing? 18

Tracey Guest: Employee wellbeing checklist for HR professionals 20

Chris Moriarty: What can employers do to create a happy workforce? 22

Debra Gers: Managing sickness absence and wellbeing benefits everyone 24

Matthew Raybould: Why focussing on ‘health’ is just as important as ‘safety’ 26

Florence Parot: Be peaceful and recognise your workplace needs 28

Christina Butterworth: Mental Health First Aid at Crossrail 30

Dr Lynda Shaw: You shouldn’t need to pull a sickie to have a mental health day 32

Dear Reader,

Our latest special edition that examines the issues surrounding workplace wellbeing and stress management. T

This issue includes analysis from Susan Gee from Yorkshire Water, Judith Grant from the Royal Mail Group and Neil Shah from the Stress Management Society who will be speaking at our leading conference on Workplace wellbeing and stress in November; as well as expert commentary from other key individuals in the wellbeing industry such as Debra Gers from law firm Blake Morgan and Christina Butterworth from Crossrail.

The edition is sponsored by leading healthcare service providers Babylon healthcare. You can download their award winning app by using the promo code located on the page opposite. We hope you enjoy the issue.

Rebecca Clarke, Editor at HRreview.

Contents

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In the uncertain politi-cal and economic envi-ronment following the Brexit referendum, there is an overriding anxiety being experienced in Britain. We’ve seen the drop in the value of the pound, rising inflation, and unease about inter-national trade deals. In short, Britain is unsure of its new position on the world stage. Are we the fourth largest economy or are we a sinking ship? It feels that we’ve not even recovered from the last economic downturn in 2008 and 2009 – it could be argued that we have all become used to austerity being the new normal and that there hasn’t in fact been any recovery.

These factors coupled with the perception that there doesn’t appear to be any clear plan on how Britain will exit the EU or renegotiate its ties/rela-tionships with the rest of the world on trade, po-litical or cultural basis. The natural scare stories in the media of course accompany all of these anxieties, newspapers

like to sell copy and such fear mongering sells papers.

Business leaders will already be feeling the stresses of their respon-sibilities to their employ-ees – providing them job security, paying them on time and appropriately. Increasingly The Stress Management Society is seeing industry lead-ers waking up to the business case of invest-ing in their employee’s physical, mental and emotional wellbeing. However ever-tightening purse strings mean that a concrete business case is vital in securing valu-able investment for your workforce.

An employer tends to push the ‘more button’ – first of all they want the same for less, then they want more for less. Peo-ple don’t have a ‘more button’, you can red line an engine for temporary acceleration. However, if you red line an engine all the time, eventually you’ll blow a piston. Peo-ple are exactly the same.

We know that there is a

sound business case for prioritising your employ-ee’s wellbeing or invest-ing in a culture of well-being being central to how you do business. If we take care of the main asset of any organisation – the people – the people take care of everything else. We then see excel-lence.

Let’s start by putting some hard numbers on the impact to your organisation:

According to the UK Health and Safety Executive, stress is responsible for the loss of 11.3 million working days a year.

It is estimated that workplace stress is directly responsible for 25% of sickness ab-sence, 70% of visits to the doctor and for 85% of serious illnesses. At an organisational level, it is estimated that the average amount of stress-caused sick days to a company with 1000 employees would cost that company £269,730 annually.

Neil Shah

Building a business case for workplace wellness

Neil is the founder and Director of the Stress Management Society (a leading international authority on stress management and wellbeing issues) and was recently voted #22 in the list of the world’s Top 30 NLP Professionals for 2015. He is a renowned media personality on the subject of stress and writes regularly for newspapers and magazines including The Guardian, The Times, Men’s Health, Psychology’s Magazine, HR Magazine, Top Sante and the Huffington Post.

Prevention yields more than you’d expect when it comes to investing in employee’s mental wellbeing –international stress management and wellbeing expert Neil Shah explains how.

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Workplace stress doesn’t just burn money though absentee-ism; employee retention is an-other major financial factor. Over 300,000 employees leave their jobs each year because of stress. When you look at advertising costs, time spent on recruiting, training costs and loss of produc-tivity during the subsequent in-duction period – according to the CIPD, recruiting a replacement can cost up to six months’ salary.

So, how can an organisation pre-vent these kinds of losses, while boosting happiness and produc-tivity in their workforce? Allow us to share an example from Allianz UK , one of the largest general insurers in the UK and as part of the Allianz SE Group, one of the leading integrated financial services providers worldwide and the largest property and casu-alty insurer in the world. Allianz consulted with The Stress Man-agement Society because they were concerned about the team’s

low scores on work-life and health management in its annual employee engagement survey. It is well recognised in the organi-sation that wellbeing is a con-tributing factor to strategic and commercial success and Stuart Daws, the Risk Control Surveyor Manager emphasized that “if you don’t tackle the work-life bal-ance, you will end up with a stress problem.”

Following a comprehensive audit, The Stress Management Society identified specific investments that would be most effective for the organisation and the issues affecting their workforce. What we went on to supply –focus groups and management training for team leaders and senior manag-ers – was tailored and formulated to produce optimum results.

After partnering with the Stress Management Society, Allianz saw a 19% improvement in stress management scores in the follow-

ing annual employee engagement survey. Not only does stress management improve an employ-ee’s wellbeing but also the com-pany’s wellbeing. The increase in manager support from 62% to 76% and the increase in work life and health management from 51% to 64% indicates the broad advantages of implementing stress management procedures.

This expert-led, research-based approach to tackling stress re-ally did yield the best possible outcome – a workforce who are healthier, happier and more pro-ductive. Banu Gajendran, Occupa-tional Health and Safety, Allianz stated - “Our experience with The Stress Management Society was great and we would most defi-nitely recommend their services to other organisations. They made the course thoroughly enjoyable and are obviously experts in the field of stress.”

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Susan is a commercially astute, innovative and highly influential Occupational Health Manager with comprehensive experience gained within public and private sector roles. Susan was previously employed for 16 years at Bradford Metropolitan District Council as Head of Occupational Health & Safety. Susan is currently a visiting lecturer at Leeds Beckett University where her specialist subject is Sickness Absence Management and Wellbeing. Susan has a BSc (Hons) in Public Health (OH), an MA in Health Care Law and an MSc in Leadership, Management and Change in Health and Social Care.

Susan Gee Wellbeing in the workplace - What does it mean and why does it matter?

In 2008 the World Health Organisation stated that entitlement to a safe and healthy working environ-ment that places high regard on worker health and wellbeing is not an option, it’s a fundamen-tal human right.

When you type the phrase ‘health and wellbeing at work’ into Google it brings up in ex-cess of 49 million results so it’s a subject that a lot of people are interested in. There are numerous interpretations of what it means and thousands of companies providing workplace health initia-tives, tools, and services to businesses as well as a raft of academics researching the subject.

Despite all of this infor-mation being available, it’s evident that whilst most organisations report that wellbeing is their number one pri-ority, the reality is that many struggle to develop a meaningful wellbeing strategy and bring it to life.

The workplace is made up of people from all

walks of life who present with numerous physical and psychological health issues that have the ca-pacity to not only impact negatively upon them, but also on the business they work for. Not too long ago employ-ees had little expectation of their employers taking an active interest in their health and wellbeing and as such they left their problems ‘at the clock’. Now in 21st century Britain there are numer-ous arguments to sup-port health, safety and wellbeing policies and initiatives being intro-duced into organisations to benefit the employee, not least because the associated costs are met by the employer. So this begs the question, what exactly are the benefits for the employer?

• It is the right thing to do? (business ethics)

Creating a healthy work-place that does no harm to physical and mental health is a moral im-perative. Media interest in poor business practice has not gone unnoticed

by the public and has provided weight to the message that some em-ployers creates business behaviours that cause real suffering to employ-ees and their families.

It’s worth noting that research suggests that 83% of the British public take account of a company’s approach to corporate social respon-sibility when deciding what services or prod-ucts to buy. Furthermore there is a belief that in the future demonstrat-ing social responsibility will be no different than a business being mind-ful of its environmental impact.

•It is the smart thing to do? (economic business case)

Research has clearly linked wellbeing at work with innovation, productivity, creatively, quality and reliability and ultimately to levels of growth at a national level. In other words how we are treated at work and the nature of the work we do affects our wellbeing and our levels

Not too long ago, employees had little expectation of their employers taking an active interest in their health and wellbeing. Susan Gee from Yorkshire Water talks to us about why it is important that workplace wellbeing is a HR focus.

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of performance, which can be the difference between success or failure for a business.

Employers who ignore the health and wellbeing of their employees do so at their peril. Britain is the worst in Europe for obesity and has a relatively large population of smokers and those whose health is being harmed by excessive alcohol consumption. According to the Office of National Statistics one in three adults suffer from longstanding illness, with over 70% of these caused by muscular skeletal disorders, circulatory disease and mental ill health.

The financial cost to businesses in terms of sickness absence is sig-nificant as is the impact on the UK workforce, with one in six deaths occurring while people are still of working age. Employers have a vital role to play in managing health at work and this can be achieved by promot-ing policies and behaviours which support good work and engage-ment, which in turn will reduce attrition rates.

What does wellbeing look like in practice?

Over the last three years, we have been developing our wellbeing strategy and approach at York-shire Water. During this time we have seen our sickness absence rates fall from 3.79 days per em-ployee to 2.6 which generated a saving of £800,000 in 16 months.

How did we achieve this?

• We reviewed our sickness absence policy so that initial intervention by managers and occupational health once an employee was off work sick oc-curred much earlier. To embed the policy change we trained all of our managers and involved our Trade Union colleagues in the process;

employees can also refer them-selves to occupational health.

• We developed a rehabilitation programme so that employees off work with more significant ill-ness could be supported back into work in an appropriate and timely manner.

• We studied our management information and identified that in line with national trends our greatest cause of ill health was muscular skeletal disorder and stress/mental health issues. In response to this we introduced fast track physiotherapy and edu-cational back care classes.

• We also offer all of our employ-ees mental health first aid train-ing and we introduced a stress policy that requires every man-ager to undertake a stress risk assessment with their team.

• We refer our employees for counselling and use therapists from numerous specialisms to support our employees; we also refer some of our employees with more complex mental health problems to a consultant psychia-trist.

• We have set up a self help de-pression group, a disability group and we have a wellbeing page on our company intranet that directs employees to a variety of organi-sations that can help them with the problems of everyday life, for example debt counselling.

• Our latest initiative has been to pilot a physiotherapy interven-tion with a group of older workers (50+). They all had an individual functional capacity assessment with a physiotherapist to deter-mine their muscular skeletal health, following which they were given a set of bespoke exercises that they carried out on a weekly basis with the physiotherapist. In some cases treatments such as acupuncture were carried out in conjunction with the exercise. The pilot took place over an eight week period at the end of which they were re-evaluated. Feed-back from the participants has been outstanding with nearly all of them subjectively reporting an improvement in their health and most importantly feeling more confident and self aware in terms of caring for their muscular skel-etal health going forward.

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Judith Grant

Why investing in mental wellbeing is important to Royal Mail Group

Providing support for employee health and wellbeing is a priority for Royal Mail Group. We recognise that our em-ployees are our biggest asset and are crucial to our future success.

We are one the largest employers in the UK, with one in every 175 people working in the UK employed by Royal Mail Group. It is a re-sponsibility that we take seriously. By providing support for employee mental health and well-being, we demonstrate the value we attach to our people. But there are also strong business reasons for our invest-ment in wellbeing: its boosts workplace mo-rale, and reduces the costs and disruption of sick absence.

Two-years ago we saw that our sick absence rate had increased. Musculoskeletal prob-lems were a significant contributor but we, like many businesses, found that mental health was a major factor in work-place sickness. We also recognised that there

were likely to be other employees who were experiencing mental health problems but had not yet come forward to talk about them.

That is why supporting the mental wellbeing of employees not only makes business sense, in that we help people before they go sick, but it is also the right thing to do as a supportive employer.

It is an approach that is championed from the top of Royal Mail Group. In October, our CEO Moya Greene addressed the Third European Leader-ship Forum for Work-place Mental Health, telling delegates that no single organisation can tackle these issues alone. She called for a collaborative joint effort to protect one of the most valuable assets any company has; its people.

The event launched the CEO Leadership Guide-lines. The guidelines create an action plan to help organisations across Europe build a healthier workplace for

employees and better support those individu-als who may have men-tal health issues.

We recognise the power of collaboration in our business. When we first started our First Class Mental Health pro-gramme our aim was to start the conversation about mental health in the workplace. We knew we had to raise aware-ness of the issues and better equip our man-agers and employees with knowledge and skills to support men-tal wellbeing, One way we achieved this was through a partnership with the Mental Health Foundation.

Together we developed five bespoke awareness films, which have be-come a training module for all our managers. The videos help our managers recognise distress and know how to support someone, as well as build knowledge on how to help them-selves and safeguard their own mental and physical health. We are now moving into a new

Judith Grant has been Head of Occupational Health and Wellbeing at Royal Mail Group for two and a half years. At Royal Mail Group, Judith is responsible for developing and delivering wellbeing strategy and programmes in addition to overseeing the occupational health and wellbeing contracts.

Currently studying part time for a PhD in Occupational Health Psychology and Management at the University of Nottingham, Judith has an interest in academic research on workplace wellbeing and her thesis is focussed on socioeconomic status, obesity and dietary behaviours.

Royal Mail Group are one of the largest employers in the UK, with one in every 175 people employed by the company. But why do Royal Mail see wellbeing as important to their organisation? Judith Grant explains more.

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phase of face-to-face training and are rolling out the Mental Health First Aid initiative for line manag-ers to help deal with crisis situa-tions as they occur.

We have also formed partnerships with our unions, CWU and Unite CMA, to harness the power of collaboration. Our shared aim is to create a supportive approach to prevent and manage stress, and enable people to keep doing the jobs they love. In 2014, Royal Mail signed the Time to Change Pledge together with our union col-leagues. The signing of the pledge enabled us to communicate our commitment across the business and emphasise to employees how to access support.

More recently, we introduced a new initiative with CWU and Unite CMA to support managers, front-line employees and members in talking about and managing stress in the workplace. Together we launched new guidance on stress on World Mental Health Day 2016, 10th October.

The new guidance on stress aims

to support managers in having positive conversations with em-ployees about stress and mental wellbeing. A simple, “How are you?” can start a conversation to identify potential areas of need and support.

To help them, our managers have been given a new Preventing and Managing Stress Guide. This provides a stress risk assessment to support employees at risk of, or suffering from, stress and enables them to start a conversa-tion aimed at addressing the root causes of workplace stress. We have also created a new online tool to help staff understand their own stress levels and assess their overall wellbeing in areas such as fitness, diet and sleep.

We have invested in a broad range of programmes aimed at creating an environment that enables our people to thrive. All of them come under the ‘Feeling First Class’ brand which is available to all employees through our wellbeing portal. It already has over 17,500 members. The site gives em-ployees tools such as a Lifestyle

Questionnaire combined with access articles and videos to help develop healthy habits. Royal Mail also offers a helpline called First Class Support for employees who want general support, counsel-ling or advice for a range of issues from stress, to financial issues or family problems.

The success of our programmes has been through a measured, strategic approach using simple messaging, branded communica-tions and leadership at all levels of the organisation. While we had ambitions to address sick ab-sence, the investment in wellbe-ing has also played a part in help-ing to improve overall employee engagement. It has also led us to be recognised with the BITC Well-being Benchmark in 2015, be-come an Employers’ Network for Equality and Inclusion Wellbeing at Work Award winner in 2016 and get shortlisted for the CIPD’s Best Health and Wellbeing Initiative of 2016. Our investment in wellbe-ing will continue to play a key role in how we support, engage and reward our people.

New guidance on stress aims to support managers in having positive conversations with employees about stress and mental wellbeing

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November 23 2016 @ Hilton Hotel London Canary Wharf

Media Partner:

Conference Preview

Workplace Wellbeing and Stress Forum 2016

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Welcome to the Wellbeing and Stress Management Forum 2016 conference preview

I am excited to invite you to come on a learning journey with us as we hear from some of the industry’s best Health and Wellbeing advocates. We will hear about the challenges and strategies they development that enabled not only an improvement in the wellbeing of their employees though also their organizations. Join us for a day of learning, benchmarking and networking with your industry colleagues.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Tracy LeeHead of Conference Production, Symposium Events

09:00 Coffee and registration

09:30 Chair’s opening remarks, Neil Shah, Chief De-stressing Officer & Author of The 10-Step Stress Solution, The Stress Society

09:45 Fundamentals of Wellbeing in the Workplace • What is Wellbeing and what does it look like in the workplace?• The framework, the role of a Wellbeing Manager and the approach• How Well-being supports the public health agenda Susan Gee, Group of Occupational Health and Wellbeing, Yorkshire Water

10:10 A sustainable Wellbeing programme for a large and diverse workforce

• Tackling the challenges of developing and delivering a Wellbeing program within a large and diverse workforce• Leveraging stakeholders’ expertise and influence to ensure success and sustainability • The value of developing a Wellbeing brand within the business

Judith Grant, Group Head of Health and Wellbeing, Royal Mail

10:35 Panel discussion: Building a business case for Wellbeing in a climate of VUCA

•Identifying the Organisational Wellness needs and

priorities • Key factors to building a robust business case for a Wellbeing programme • Winning Management and/or the Board buy-in

Judith Grant, Group Head of Health and Wellbeing, Royal MailCharlotte Connell, Head of Human Resources, OrganixSusan Gee, Group of Occupational Health and Wellbeing, Yorkshire Water

11:00 Questions and discussion with speakers

11:10 Refreshments and networking

11:30 Developing a Wellbeing strategy to achieve your Organisation objectives

• Designing a workplace wellbeing programme from scratch• key elements of a cost-effective wellbeing strategy• Choosing solutions that will match with the needs of your organisation• Creating a successful wellbeing strategy on a tight budget

Charlotte Connell, Head of Human Resources, Organix

11:55 The Importance of safeguarding mental health in the workplace•The value that employees with mental health conditions contribute to the UK economy

Conference programme

Workplace Wellbeing and Stress Forum 2016 Preview

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• Managing mental health in the workplace at every stage from prevention, early intervention and managing a positive return to work• Practical tips to help employers to manage the mental health of their staff more effectively

Beth Rose Husted, Rehabilitation Services Manager, Unum

12:20 Questions and discussion with speakers

12:30 Lunch and networking

13:30 Knowledge share networking session Roundtable discussions with your peers to share solutions to your key workplace wellbeing and stress challenges

Breakout session 1

14:00 Tools and diagnostics to assist you to develop your Wellbeing programme• Understanding the key elements of wellbeing• Utilising tools and diagnostics to help identify the wellbeing issues, risks and priorities within your organisation• Tool to measure and monitor health and wellbeing

Sam Fuller, Managing Director, The Wellbeing Project

14:25 Training, communications and the wellbeing culture – An E.ON case study

• Developing an in house wellbeing training programmes• A case study of a large employer wellbeing programme focussing on mental health awareness• Engaging the corporate population in wellbeing utilising different methods of communication techniques

Louise Boston, Occupational Health Manager, E.ON

14:50 Questions and discussion with speakers

Breakout Session 2

14:00 Building a culture of wellbeing that builds emotional resilience

•Building a safeguarding agenda that ensures the

welfare and wellbeing of staff• Developing a culture where wellbeing is everyone’s responsibility • Developing emotional resilience as an essential skill to allow staff to better undertake their roles

Clare Dickens, Mental Health and Wellbeing Coordinator, University of Wolverhampton

14:25 Risk Based Approaches to Psychological Wellbeing in a Policing Environment

• Health Risk Assessment and its role in dictating psychological health practice / risk management• Organisational Stress risk management• High risk and non-occupational risk exposure psychological support services• Peer driven approaches to psychological health in policing services – embedding approaches

Sean Burgess, Clinical Lead Occupational Health and Wellbeing, Metropolitan Police

14:50 Questions and discussion with speakers

15:20 Dealing with the challenges of demographic changes in a workplace

• Designing a wellbeing programme that will meet the needs of all your employees• Gain knowledge and understanding of physical and age-related difficulties and learn how to overcome them

15:45 Measure ROI of your wellbeing programme

• Use HR analytics tools to prove ROI of your wellbeing strategy• Ensure that senior managers see your wellbeing programme as business critical• Gain feedback from your employees and line managers to improve your strategy in the future

16:10 Questions and discussion with speakers

16:20 Chair’s closing remarks and end of conference

www.symposium.co.uk

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Our expert speakers include:Louise Boston, Occupational Health Manager, E.ON

Louise Boston is the Occupational Health Manager within E.ON. She has over twenty years of experience within occupational health having worked in a variety of industries including Energy, Retail, Media and Aviation. Louise completed a degree in Occupational Health Nursing at the Royal College of Nursing and holds additional qualifications in Occupational Safety and Human Resource Management. She is the former chair of the Energy UK Occupational Health Committee and past director of the Association of Occupational Health Nurse Practitioners

Workplace Wellbeing and Stress Forum 2016 Preview

Judith Grant, Head of Occupational Health and Wellbeing, Royal Mail Group

At Royal Mail Group, Judith is responsible for developing and delivering wellbeing strategy and programmes in addition to overseeing the occupational health and wellbeing contracts. Currently studying part time for a PhD in Occupational Health Psychology and Management at the University of Nottingham, Judith has an interest in academic research on workplace wellbeing and her thesis is focussed on socioeconomic status, obesity and dietary behaviours.

Sam Fuller, Managing Director, The Wellbeing Project

Sam founded the Wellbeing Project in 2007. She is a highly experienced resilience and stress management consultant with over 10 years experience working with a wide range of commercial and public sector organisations. Sam is a certified trainer with CIPD, accredited by the International Stress Management Association and the Royal Society of Public Health, a certified NLP and applied neuroscience practitioner.

Susan Gee, Head of Occupational Health and Wellbeing, Yorkshire Water

Susan is a Occupational Health Manager with comprehensive experience gained within public and private sector roles. Susan was previously employed for 16 years at Bradford Metropolitan District Council as Head of Occupational Health & Safety. Susan is currently a visiting lecturer at Leeds Beckett University where her specialist subject is Sickness Absence Management and Wellbeing. Susan has a BSc (Hons) in Public Health (OH), an MA in Health Care Law and an MSc in Leadership, Management and Change in Health and Social Care.

Beth Rose Husted, Rehabilitation Services Manager, Unum

Beth is currently the Rehabilitation Services Manager at Unum UK and supports a team of consultants with their portfolio of return to work case management and delivering absence management solutions / education to clients. Vocational Rehabilitation Consultants develop tailored plans to support employees back into the workplace following illness or injury.

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Profile of the Chair

This conference will be chaired by Neil Shah, a leading international expert on stress management and wellbeing. An engaging and inspiring motivational speaker and success coach, he has extensive expertise in hypnotherapy, neuro-linguistic programming and strategies to promote wellbeing.

Neil is the founder and Director of the Stress Management Society (a leading international authority on stress management and wellbeing issues) and was recently voted #22 in the list of the world’s Top 30 NLP Professionals for 2015. He is a renowned media personality on the subject of stress and writes regularly for newspapers and magazines including The Guardian, The Times, Men’s Health, Psychology’s Magazine, HR Magazine, Top Sante and the Huffington Post.

www.symposium.co.uk

Clare Dickens, Mental Health and Wellbeing Coordinator, University of Wolverhampton

Clare is a from a mental health nursing back ground gaining practice and management experience with in an array of settings including intensive care, acute, substance misuse, primary care and research practice over the past 12 years. At the University, Clare is responsible for the strategic development of the response to student wellbeing and works across all areas. She is part of the Safeguarding committee whose portfolio has embraced suicide awareness and mitigation, and self-harm awareness as one of

Sean Burgess, Clinical Lead & Service Delivery Manager, Metropolitan Police

Sean has well over 20 years of experience practicably and strategically protecting the health and wellbeing of employees in a variety of sectors. Sean’s expertise in particular is within the areas of systematic organisational health hazard anticipation and recognition and assessment followed by active and proactive development of best practice health risk mitigation systems whether risks are of a physical or psychological origin.

Charlotte Connell, Head of Human Resources, Organix Brands Ltd

Charlotte has worked for Organix for over nine years. Her role as head of HR plays a key part in creating and delivering a people strategy that aligns, enhances and delivers in to a well thought out business strategy. Charlotte works to drive performance and talent management and to act as a guardian of Organix’s culture and employer brand to ensure a great working environment full of opportunity and purpose that effectively develops the Organix team. Charlotte is also responsible for creating the ‘Wake up to Wellbeing’ programme. Previous to Organix Charlotte worked in various HR roles in the public, private and charity sectors.

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Mental Health is here to stay.

The latest BITC (2016) statistics show related issues are on the rise, with 77% of us suffering from poor mental health in the last 12 months.

For the sceptics, these figures simply reflect a rise in our ability to talk about a problem that has always been there. For others, this growth represents an epidemic, triggered by moderns cultures, technologies and expectations.

Regardless of where you’re at on this scale, an important thing to note is the changing role of organisations within this landscape. Interestingly 62% of poor mental health cases define work as a contributing factor. Although the cause and effect relationship between “work” and “life” is not clear cut, responsible businesses are responding. Some by acknowledging their legal “duty of care” and

others as an opportunity to drive a new employee experience agenda that includes emotional and mental health.

Wherever you are at there are FIVE things you need to understand about mental health to ensure your business’ approach is considered and sustainable.

1. Understand what it means for your people

Mental and emotional health is not something only the depressed, anxious or nervous have to consider. We all have mental health. Our experience within it is ever changing, dynamic and typically forms part of a wider picture of wellbeing.

In the workplace it is often referred to as stress, but as Mind, the mental health charity articulates, it also encompasses eating problems, loneliness and sleep problems.

Understanding the key symptoms, causes and meanings for your people is critical to address mental health in a holistic, relevant way.

2. Understand who is at risk As we’ve already touched on, our mental health reflects a spectrum from great to poor. Our current state may fluctuate in frequency, regularity and intensity. This is normal. However for some, persistent poor mental health episodes are more probable and difficult to manage.

From an organisational perspective it is important to identify who is at risk or susceptible to longer term mental health problems. Population analysis, whether it be via subjective independent assessments or historical data trends, highlight groups who are repeatedly at risk. This may be role or gender

Rachel is director of Yoke Consultancy, a leading wellbeing consultancy. As an expert in the field she works with UK companies, including Schroders, CBI & Veolia, to understand what wellbeing means to them, how to create a sustainable strategy and how best to achieve tangible results. If you want to learn more Rachel would love to hear from you: rachel@yokeconsultancy.co.uk

Rachel Arkle

The five things you need to understand about mental health Wellbeing expert Rachel Arkle believes there are five things you need to understand about mental health to ensure your business’ approach is sustainable. Read about these five factors here.

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related or even geographically influenced. This exercise also highlights populations who are thriving in the environment. Both sets of information enable you to create targeted and proactive interventions for sustainable mental health at work.

3. Understand what to do about it

Last week I attended the “Wellbeing at Work Event” and heard Geoff McDonald (Global VP of HR, Unilever) and Jeremy Connick (Partner, Clifford Chance) talk openly about mental health solutions. They posed and pondered on the question, “How are we able to roll out compliance and health & safety training so easily, yet we struggle with Mental Health”

The answer in essence is because we don’t get on and prioritise it.

Some hesitancy stems from the lack of a clear “gold standard” in training and mixed reviews on known initiatives, such as Mental Health First Aider training. However in many cases, with a little thought and expert advice, constructive training and education programmes could start imminently.

4. Understanding how to communicate As Yoke’s partner, Investors in People states, it’s not simply doing something that solves the problem but also the way you do it. Communicating in an engaging, collaborative and empowering way is key to genuinely promoting mental health.

A few simple steps to consider are the language used around mental health. Starting with words that are relatable and co-created with your people is helpful. Secondly when embarking on the road of mental health and wellbeing, it is important to communicate it in a visible fashion with authentic leadership support. And finally create space to talk about it, whether that be by including health and wellbeing in line manager appraisals or creating specific time via wellbeing forums, conversations are king to creating a supportive mental health culture.

5. Understanding it’s a practice If we look at our own wellbeing and mental health, we know that some days we get it right and other days we struggle. This is because wellbeing and mental health are practices.

We need to retain the same perspective within organisations. If we manage our expectations that some things we do will be well received and impactful, and that other things won’t quite hit the spot, we create realistic space for reflection and evaluation. This iterative approach is fundamental to sustainably embedding the evolving concept of mental health into your organisation.

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Over one million people suffer from work-related illnesses in the UK each year, meaning a staggering 27 million working days are lost annually . Stress, anxiety, depression and back ache account for the majority of reported ill health cases, all of which are arguably by-products of modern day working life.

Whilst some suggest this is part and parcel of spending so much time in the office, which is by its very nature deemed to be ‘unhealthy’, I would strongly argue that this needn’t be the case. A lack of wellbeing in the workplace currently costs the UK economy over £13bn a year. We simply cannot accept this as a mere consequence of office life.

Having spent the last 33 years designing international headquarters for major businesses including Coca-Cola, ASOS, Sony, Red Bull and Primark,

I have championed innovative, thoughtful office design which has brought about positive changes to employee’s wellbeing and helped improve the health, happiness and productivity of staff.

During this time, I have also witnessed first-hand the common pitfalls of poorly designed offices which, if not dealt with, can have a negative impact on the lives of workers. Typical ‘mistakes’ often to blame for the poor health of employees include:• Poorly laid out spaces with little recreational room, which means staff are tied to their desks endlessly.• Messy and cluttered workspaces – it is true that a tidy desk equals a tidy mind, plus messy spaces are more difficult to clean and therefore prone to spreading germs.• Inadequate lighting and antiquated ventilation systems.• A lack of options –

people are often given no choice in how, when or where they work despite the fact that each of us operate in a unique way and respond differently to different environments.

As well as getting the above correct, there are a number of fundamental basics that must be considered when designing or redesigning an office space. Key factors to get right include:

• Natural light – this is number one on the list of features that workers look for, yet more than half of the UK’s workforce have no access to it. It is so important to maximise natural light as much as possible, planning the layout in accordance with the direction of sunlight and ensuring everyone (not just the Directors) have access to it.• Air ventilation – there is nothing worse than a stuffy office. It leads to sluggishness, frustration

Linda Morey Burrows is the Founder and Principal Director of interior architectural practice, MoreySmith. Established in 1993, MoreySmith is the culmination of Linda’s distinguished 31-yearlong career in the interior design industry. She is renowned for her ability to refurbish heritage buildings as well as her creative approach to workplace psychology. Her clients span the full spectrum of business; from major entertainment and consumer brands to high-end residential developers. Most recently she designed headquarters for British Land, Primark’s European headquarter in Dublin as well as the 60,000 sq ft London headquarters of Coca-Cola.

Linda Morey-Burrows

How can office space affect your workplace wellbeing?According to Linda Morey-Burrows, there are a number of fundamental basics that must be considering when designing an office space to co-operate with a wellbeing strategy.

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and can really stifle creativity and concentration. Good quality air ventilation is crucial and control of temperature.

• Mobility is key and healthy offices should encourage movement. Promoting the use of staircases instead of lifts as well as varied working environments that support people working in different areas of the office, not just at the desk. The provision of cycle spaces and good shower and changing facilities encourage staff to be more active.• Diversity / Flexibility / Choice people do not enjoy working in a corporate environment. Offices have become extensions of homes, hotels and cafes. People want choice, comfort, flexibility and human space.• Plants and Colour• Good Quality Lighting

In addition to these somewhat basic principles which help toward the physical wellbeing of workers, an important and often overlooked aspect is the psychological health of staff. Stress, anxiety and depression are now responsible for 17 million lost working days per year . Whilst much of this can be attributed to long hours, job security and financial pressures, I believe that a well-designed office environment can help reduce some of these anxieties.

Social interaction undoubtedly plays a major role in this so it’s important that the workplace is designed to encourage this. Face-to-face interaction is known to improve confidence levels, feelings of self-worth and contentment so it mustn’t be overlooked. Communal areas, like cafes, social space knowledge sharing areas, are effective ways to bring staff together. They also provide opportunities for workers to get away from their desks and take a break from their computer screens.

At a recent office redesign on behalf of the FTSE 100 property company, British Land, we introduced a large, open staircase in the centre of the office. As well as encouraging people to use the stairs it also opened up the office to more natural daylight and now means people who perhaps didn’t see each other before now regularly meet and have impromptu catch-ups, which has really improved dialogue across teams.

It is important to encourage people to work in different areas and to give them a choice over their place of work. Providing communal spaces as well as quiet and private areas where people can take personal calls, or simply relax and read a newspaper, meet and collaborate with colleagues are also effective ways to create a healthier environment for staff.

We recently redeveloped the European headquarters of Primark in Dublin and the brief here was to create an office which would allow the brand to attract and retain top talent. We considered health and wellbeing as central to this so included a fitness area and studio for yoga and exercise classes, and a healthy juice bar and café. At The Colmore Building, a large office development in Birmingham, we worked on behalf of Ashby Capital to transform the space. This included a state-of-the-art gymnasium, treatment rooms, luxury changing rooms and cycle facilities.

Whilst the nature of office work does lend itself to a sedentary lifestyle, there are things that can be done to counter this. For example, it is possible to encourage mobility by allowing people to choose where they work and not relying on the desk and fixed screen as the only option. Centralising key utilities

such as photocopiers, printers and recycling also encourages movement around the office, whilst open and visible staircases, as opposed to lifts, is particularly effective.

In addition, we have found that introducing a few ‘home comforts’ can go a long way to improving the psychological wellbeing and happiness of workers. At British Land we transformed a meeting room into a living room-inspired space designed for less formal encounters. This has proved really popular and is great for inspiring more creative discussions and brainstorms which help keep people motivated. At Argent’s King’s Cross headquarter we introduced an open plan kitchen living room to provide a relaxed, comforting space where staff can go to take some time out during the day.

With the number of work-related illnesses continuing to rise, I believe it is time to concentrate on creating working environments that motivate, encourage and inspire individuals to be the best they can be is. If businesses want to continue to attract the best staff and get the most out of them, the hard work needs to start at home, or in this case, the office. People want to be comfortable, feel safe and inspired by their environment!

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All employers should take some time to ensure that all staff are happy and motivated whilst at work, says Tracey Guest partner and head of employment at Manchester law firm Slater Heelis LLP.

Tracey has specialised in employment law for over twelve years. She joined Slater Heelis in November 2009 as Partner and Head of the Employment department, having previously worked at various Manchester city centre law firms. Tracey’s work focuses on providing clear, practical advice on all aspects of employment law.

Tracey Guest

Employee wellbeing checklist for HR professionals

We all know that having a fit and motivated work-force can have a huge impact on the produc-tivity and effectiveness of a business. Employ-ers should review their workplace policies and procedures to ensure they comply with the law and safeguard the welfare of all staff, which will ultimately protect the employer’s position in respect of potential claims that an employee may bring.

A general dutyEvery employer has a le-gal responsibility to en-sure a safe and healthy workplace for their staff.

It’s crucial that employ-ers adhere to this duty at all times, but what does this actually entail?

Protection from bully-ing and harassment

Bullying and harassment in the workplace can give rise to a number of legal issues and also have a

Most employers are aware that discrimina-tion, harassment and victimisation are unlaw-ful. An equal opportuni-ties policy should also be put in place and circu-lated to all workers and job applicants, in order to safeguard staff and to protect the employer from potential claims.

Training is the best way to put an equal opportu-nities policy into practice and certain members of staff (such as line man-agers) should be spe-cifically trained on how to manage equality and diversity issues in the workplace.

Employers who em-ployee individuals who are disabled should also be mindful that they are under a duty to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ to avoid the disabled workers being put at any disadvantage compared to a non-disabled work-er. Examples of this duty could be to install ramps for a wheelchair user or to provide a special key-

detrimental effect on worker wellbeing.It is best practice for employers to have a clear and effective anti-harassment and bul-lying policy in place to safeguard workers. The policy should be com-prehensive and apply to various scenarios, i.e. not just to alleged bully-ing of a subordinate by a superior. It should strive to eliminate all kinds of abuse or intimidation, including harassment of one member of staff by another and, where ap-propriate, external abuse by customers, suppliers and other site visitors.

It is clear from case law that having a more comprehensive anti-harassment and bullying policy in place can help with any defence to a claim for either discrimi-nation or constructive unfair dismissal against an employer.

Commitment to Equal Opportunities

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board for a worker suffering with arthritis. A failure to comply with this duty can amount to a claim for disability discrimination under the Equality Act 2010. The equal opportunities policy should refer-ence the employer’s commitment to making any necessary reason-able adjustments.

Rest Breaks and Working Time

Employers should give workers enough breaks to ensure their wellbeing isn’t put at risk.

If you run a business that requires staff to work long hours then it is important to remember that legally workers do not have to work more than 48 hours a week on average. Workers can opt out of this right, but they should not be sacked or treated unfairly for refusing to do so.

Generally workers have the right to 11 hours’ rest between work-ing days and have the right to either an uninterrupted 24 hours without any work each week or an uninterrupted 48 hours without any work each fortnight.

Flexible working

Many employers now adopt flex-

ible working policies to alleviate pressures on their business and increase productivity. The results can also be beneficial for employ-ees and help reduce absenteeism and stress.

All employees have the right to request flexible working and employers have a duty to give serious consideration to any such request. Coming to a work-ing arrangement that suits the employer and employee can be an important factor in protecting wellbeing and retaining staff. For example, a worker who is ex-hausted due to childcare commit-ments or a difficult commute can be significantly less productive and happy than one who is able to come in at a mutually agreeable time.

Health and Safety

Another major threat to work-ers wellbeing is lack of adequate health and safety provision in the workplace.

Employers are obliged to provide information, instruction, training and supervision as is necessary to ensure, so far as is reason-ably practicable that employees’ health and safety at work is not compromised.

This includes undertaking risk assessments to identify work-place hazards and assess the risk that someone could be harmed and how serious the harm could be. If employing five or more people, the employer must have a written statement setting out a general health and safety policy and the arrangements for carry-ing out this policy.

In the workplace many people use computers or visual display units (VDUs) as part of their job. Employers should be mindful that this may lead to workers suffer-

ing from strains to the eyes, back or neck. To protect affected work-ers, employers should look at VDU workstations and assess any potential risks that there might be and ensure workers can sit in a comfortable position, maintain a good posture and ensure their eyes are level with the screen. Employers should also provide adequate and appropriate equip-ment, facilities and personnel to enable first aid to be given to workers if they become injured or ill at work. The minimum re-quirement is to provide a suitably stocked first-aid box and an ap-pointed person to take charge of the first-aid arrangements. Employers should implement a basic health and safety policy to cover the above matters.

Back to basics

While some employers have introduced a range of schemes to benefit wellbeing, including yoga, work-place massages, free healthy lunches and even quirky slides through the office to get downstairs, as a minimum, all employers should follow the ba-sics by implementing work place policies and training to ensure the wellbeing of their staff whilst in the workplace.

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Chris Moriarty

What can employers do to create a happy workforce?

Chris Moriarty is Managing Director UK & Ireland at Leesman, an independent measurer of workplace effectiveness. He is passionate about workplace and therefore very excited about the opportunity to help organisations understand the link between people and place with the Leesman survey.

In a market where the battle for talent is be-coming increasingly competitive, employers are being dazzled by the appeal of sophisticated “wellness programmes” without considering the direct impact of a decade of under-investment in the physical workplace. Leesman has surveyed more than 165,000 em-ployees across the world and the latest data has revealed that only 56% of employees agree their workspace enables them to work productively. It begs the question about the mental health and wellness impact for an employee who wakes each morning knowing that the workplace they are about to commute to does not support them working effectively. Sure-ly the chances of them exhibiting any sort of loyalty, pride and dedica-tion - or invest an ounce of discretionary effort – are surely going to be negatively impacted. For Leesman, it is this that needs to be address before organisations be-gin to go head long into

wellness programmes that often are limited to physical well-being.

Whilst we would applaud any employer invest-ing in efforts to improve the health and fitness of their employees, these efforts should not be at the expense of, or as some sort of diversion-ary tactic to detract from the core issue – that for growing numbers of employees, the physi-cal and technological infrastructure of their workplace does not sup-port productive work, let alone perform at their peak. A lack of focus surrounding health and wellbeing can, of course, impact employee motiva-tion, engagement and performance. However, we would argue that the physical workspace plays a crucial part in this pursuit.

So what can employ-ers do to create a happy workforce through the workplace offering? Well, first and foremost, they need to create work en-vironments that support

their employees’ needs. Employees are increas-ingly developing complex work profiles (the range of different task types they conduct regularly) mean-ing that the need for a va-riety and choice of space is paramount. And yet only 29% of the employees we’ve surveyed are satis-fied with the level of vari-ety in their office. Offering a number of different spaces means people can choose the right environ-ment for the specific task in hand. There is plenty of evidence around to sup-port the view that if people feel supported in their role, they will be more engaged - and morale will lift accordingly.

Variety in the workplace also has additional ben-efits, like reducing the impact of noise. Our data-bank reveals that a large number of employees are not content with the noise levels in their workspace. However, getting it right can have a huge impact; of those who say they’re happy with noise levels, 82% report that their environment allows them

The workplace is a business critical part of organisational infra-structure and has a crucial impact on the satisfaction, behaviour and producitvity of the employees working in it. Chris Moriarty discusses what can be done to bridge the gap between the work-place and wellbeing.

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to work productively. That’s a 50 per cent improvement compared to those that aren’t satisfied with noise levels. This again, points to the importance of variety; we see higher satisfaction with noise levels in environments with choice as people can escape the noise. It’s also important to remember that people are social creatures. It’s a normal human instinct to crave a sense of belonging; to be part of a group and to feel in-cluded, accepted and respected. Considering we spend an average of thirty-seven and a half hours a week at work, this basic need has to be translated into the work-place which can act as a huge an enabler when it comes to foster-ing social cohesion. Across the respondents in our database, only 58% report that their workspace contributes to a sense of com-munity. Out of those, 84.2% feel

that their workplace creates an enjoyable environment to work in; whereas only one in 10 workers that agree their workplace offers a sense of community suggest they find the work environment enjoyable.

In our portfolio of Leesman+ award winners (workspaces worldwide that have achieved the highest scores for effectiveness out of the 1,407 buildings we’ve surveyed), 72% agree that their workplace contributes to a sense of community - that’s a difference of 14 percentage points from the average. Our research suggests that there is a clear correlation between community-focused workspaces and the satisfac-tion associated with that work environment. Workplaces which support a sense of community can help people collaborate at work, think creatively, improve social

interaction and encourage learn-ing across teams.

The workplace is not just a space that keeps the rain out; it is a business critical part of the organisational infrastructure and it has a crucial impact on the sat-isfaction, behaviour and produc-tivity of the employees working within it. Considering only 51% of the thousands of employees we’ve surveyed agree that their office is a place they’re proud to bring visitors to, business leaders should invest their efforts in order to improve not only health and wellbeing but also the core issue, which is about creating a physical and technological infrastructure that allows employees to work productively. To create a happy workforce you need to understand your people, understand how they work and then build the work-place offering around their needs.

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Employers, quite rightly, are under many obligations to ensure the health, safety and well-being of their staff. However, many employers now recognise the business case for doing so as well. There is a huge amount of legislation setting out employers’ obligations. The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, for example, provides that employers have a legal duty to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of employees. Other regulations require employers to carry out risk assessments to identify potential risk factors and to take reasonable steps to prevent harm occurring. The nature of the risk assessment will vary depending on the sectors and industries involved. It is important to remember that staff also have a duty to take care of their own health and safety and that

of others who may be affected by their actions or omissions at work.

In addition there are a number of potential claims that may be brought by staff in relation to their health at work, such as:

• Breach of the Working Time Regulations 1998 with regard to rest breaks, limits on the working week and minimum paid holidays;• Breach of contract claims, often relating to the implied term of trust and confidence if health issues are handled badly, which could also lead to claims for constructive unfair dismissal;• Disability discrimination claims if the health issue relates to a disability under the Equality Act 2010; or • Negligence claims for personal injury, for example in relation to work-related stress.

As for the business case for managing employee ill-health, the CIPD

Absence Management Survey 2015 reveals that: • Average level of employee absence has increased slightly compared to last year from 6.6 days to 6.9 days per employee per year and public sector absence has increased by almost a day. • The average cost of absence per employee is £554 a year but £789 in the public sector and £639 in the non-profit sector.

There are other consequences.

Workloads increase for the other members of staff, performance and customer satisfaction levels may fall and staff morale may be affected. Many organisations which have been involved in outsourcing or restructuring now have reduced headcount and budgets. They cannot afford to have their staff, particularly in key roles, absent from their business for, potentially, an extended period.

Debra Gers is a senior practice support lawyer at Blake Morgan.Debra is responsible for the firm’s public employment training programme, including the Breakfast Clubs and Summer Employment Law Workshop. Debra is a regular speaker at legal conferences and external events for organisations including ACAS, the CIPD, HPMA, HR Retail Circle and Welsh Government. She monitors key cases and legislative developments in both the UK and EU to provide legal updates and internal training on topical issues as well as future developments.

Debra Gers

Managing sickness absence and wellbeing benefits everyone There is a huge amount of legislation that sets out employers obligations when it comes to workplace health. Debra Gers from leading law firm Blake Morgan gives us the all important employee law perspective on wellbeing at work.

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Consequently, managing sickness absence effectively is crucial for all organisations regardless of sector and size.

Return to work interviews, trigger mechanisms, training for line managers and the involvement of occupational health are all well-established ways of managing sickness absence. Increasingly, employers are tackling it more proactively, particularly in the context of workplace stress and mental health. Many employers are adopting initiatives to improve work-life balance and employee well-being by providing flexible working, access to counselling services and employee assistance programmes, health screening and private medical insurance.

According to the CIPD Survey 2015 two fifths of respondents report an increase in stress-related absence which increases to half of public sector organisations. Over a year, one in four people will experience mental health problems, with anxiety and depression being the most common. The Centre for Mental Health estimate that 91 million days are lost each year due to mental health problems at a cost to employers of £26 billion a year or, put another way, £1,035 for every employee in the UK.

Following a 2015 survey carried out by the mental health charity Mind on talking to employers about mental health issues, we asked our clients why employees might not be open about their mental health problems and 65% gave the reasons as shame, social stigma and fear of detriment.

One of the best ways of managing mental health in the workplace is to create a more open culture where people feel able to talk about their condition and some of Mind’s recommendations are:

•Lead by example and send a

clear message that staff well-being and work-life balance are important, so work sensible hours, take lunch breaks and annual leave, and, in the digital age, exercise control on accessing work-related devices out of hours.•Put in place and raise awareness about a Mental Health at Work policy to ensure that staff know how mental health is managed and what support (such as employee assistance helplines) is available.•Provide training to HR and line managers on mental health and stress management. •Promote positive work relationships to support a culture of teamwork, collaboration and information sharing.

Blake Morgan recently launched a dedicated Well-being, Health & Safety programme as part of its firm-wide training Academy. All staff have access to a wide range of resources via an online portal and can attend courses on topics such as personal resilience or can download resources on subjects such as managing stress, coping with change, mental health and mindfulness.

The firm has also launched a Mental Health First Aid scheme which sees trained Mental Health Champions working to raise awareness of mental health issues, provide support and help to access further resources for individuals and their line managers. Liz Bryne, Head of Learning and Development and responsible for the Academy programme, says: “We are committed to creating a working environment which enables all our people to achieve their full potential whilst feeling supported and valued as individuals. It is essential

that we prioritise mental health issues as much as physical health issues and our new Well-being programme has been designed to help people perform at their personal best in a safe and sustainable way. That has to be as good for the health of the individual as it is for the health of the business.”

There is a wealth of information and advice available for employers and a good starting point is to adopt the good practice model in the Health and Safety Executive’s “Management Standards for work related stress”. There is also helpful Acas guidance, “Promoting Positive Mental Health at Work and the Mind guidance, “How to support staff who are experiencing a mental health problem”.

By taking some relatively simple steps, it is possible to ensure that robust policies and support systems are in place that are of benefit to both the organisation and those who work for it.

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Any responsible employer will understand the importance of employee wellbeing, as not only does it ensure a healthy and happy workforce, it reduces the time and finance expended on staff turnover and extended periods of leave due to mental or physical ill-health.

According to figures released from Oxford Economics in 2014, replacing a member of staff costs an average of £30,000 and it can take 28 weeks for a new employee to reach optimum productivity. In an increasingly competitive market this is a significant financial output, it can impact on the business’ appeal and, most importantly, is often easily avoided.

For a construction company such as ourselves, the maintenance of health and safety remains a principal focus, confirming we are able to ensure our staff

work in a safe and considered environment. It goes almost without saying that working on a construction site presents a certain level of inevitable risk, so with this in mind, it is often easy to fall into the trap of prioritising the ‘safety’ over the ‘health’ of our teams.

Although they are often seen as one and the same, health actually presents a greater impact to workplace absence than safety. The HSE suggests that five times more days are lost annually for work-related ill health compared to workplace injuries, with stress, depression and anxiety accounting for the majority of absences. As such, it is our duty as employers to support those who are on a leave of absence to safely return to work, as well as put procedures and practices in place to ensure our people are not put in a position where they have no other option but to go

on leave due to work-related ailments.

With this in mind, awe have begun to trial ways to improve employee wellbeing across the company for our employees. Across the business, we offer health incentives such as bi-annual BUPA health screenings and the Bike4Work scheme, but a real standout success took place on-site at the University of Warwick earlier this year.

As part of our ongoing relationship with the university, in August 2016 we completed a sixteen month project to build a brand new teaching and learning facility, marking the start of a comprehensive redevelopment of the university’s central campus delivered to mark its 50th anniversary. Throughout the build, our on-site project team took part in a wellbeing initiative, aiming to bring the ‘health’ up to par with the ‘safety’ for our

Matthew Raybould is operations director in the South Midlands for Willmott Dixon, one of the UK’s largest privately owned companies specialising in construction, development and support services. To find out more about Willmott Dixon, visit www.willmottdixon.co.uk.

Matthew Raybould

Why focussing on ‘health’ is just as important as ‘safety’As research is released suggesting that almost half of UK workers know somebody who has given up work because of stress, Matthew Raybould, operations director in the South Midlands at construction company Willmott Dixon, explores what companies can do to ensure staff wellbeing remains at a high.

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people.

Delivered in association with Motus, employees met with consultants on-site for coaching on nutrition, fitness and lifestyle, as well as career and personal performance coaching. At the beginning of the programme, an in-depth bio-signature was taken which measured physical state, such as body fat percentage, as well as indicators of sleep quality and toxicity within the body. Based on these findings, each member of staff received a personalised diet and exercise programme developed for them to follow throughout the construction process. They also met with a counsellor regularly to discuss their personal and career development.

The results we achieved from this programme were astounding and significantly improved both

the productivity and overall wellbeing of our site team. We had no employee turnover or days of absence reported, saving the business almost £52,000 in comparison to a similar project from the previous year. Stress levels for our staff had also reduced by almost 20%, indicated via both physical measurements and qualitative feedback from employees, as well as their resilience to stress increasing by 25%.

On a more personal level, the improvement in the atmosphere on-site was unmistakable: members of the team often had light-hearted health and fitness competitions between one another, while the way they interacted with each other and the senior team really boosted overall morale and productivity.

Not only did the scheme offer

our employees the chance to better themselves, it also gave the senior team a chance to hear honest and constructive feedback on areas team members felt the business could be improved. This open dialogue allowed us to positively develop as an organisation and demonstrate our commitment to our employees showing their voices are heard.

As a nation, we are now battling with heavier workloads and longer working hours, resulting in a poor work/life balance for many people. On the whole, subjecting employees to high levels of stress not only impacts negatively on productivity, but often increases the likelihood they will look for better career opportunities elsewhere. By offering financial and personal incentives and support, the long-term benefits to you, your staff and your business should not be undervalued.

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Mental ill health in the workplace is a growing issue with more than three quarters (77%) of employees experiencing symptoms of poor mental health in their lives according to the Mental Health at Work report released this week which shines a light on the issue of mental health in the workplace.

This World Mental Health Day on 10th October, Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) England is calling on employers to find out how they can support the mental wellbeing of their staff.Here, Christina Butterworth, Occupational Health and Wellbeing Strategy Lead at Crossrail, tells us why mental health will be a vital part of the Crossrail legacy.

Crossrail Limited is building a new railway for London and the South East. It will be known as the Elizabeth line when services commence in December

2018, and will carry over 200 million people a year between Reading and Heathrow in the west to Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east via 42km of new tunnels under London.

With men three more times likely to die by suicide than female counterparts, the case for prioritising mental health wellbeing in the current male dominated construction industry is clear.

As the largest infrastructure project in Europe, with over 10,000 people working across over 40 construction sites, we are in an ideal position to lead by example and leave a positive legacy for the infrastructure and construction sector in the provision of mental health.

As part of our health and wellbeing strategy, 12 Crossrail staff have taken part in a two day Adult Mental Health First Aid course and

are now trained Mental Health First Aiders. 90 more have undertaken Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) England’s one day mental health awareness course.

Why we train our staff in Mental Health First Aid

Health and Safety is our number one value. As part of our ‘target zero’ approach emphasising that everyone has the right to go home every day unharmed, we have embedded a health and safety culture into all aspects of the project.

The decision to train staff in Mental Health First Aid followed the results of a survey showing that Crossrail staff have the same mental health and wellbeing profile as the general population. From this we assumed that our population will have the same risk of experiencing a mental health issue as the general population,

Christina is a senior occupational health nurse, with over 25 years’ experience of working in national and international organisations. She has led the occupational function in a number of high profile organisations putting into place systems and programmes that continuously improve the health of the workforce and those who come into contact with their activities. With a special interest of quality and assurance in occupational health, having completed the ISO 9001 Lead Auditors course. She has developed tools, conducted management system and clinical audits and supported teams to improve the management of health in some complex and challenging environments.

Christina Butterworth

Mental Health First Aid at Crossrail

Christina Butterworth, Health and Wellbeing Strategy Lead at Crossrail talks us through through why Mental Health First aid is important at her company with a unique case study.

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which is one in four.

Mental ill health can affect anyone and as an organisation we wanted to ensure that employees had people to talk to about whatever they might be going through and give staff the skills to support people experiencing mental health issues.”

Results

We have since trained 12 employees to become Mental Health First Aiders and so far 90 of our line managers have taken part in MHFA England’s one day mental health awareness course. In addition 12 Crossrail employees have signed up to train as Mental Health First Aiders before the end of the year - we receive consistently good feedback around the mental health support offered by our business.

Many of our volunteers are team administrators as they are often the first people that colleagues approach to get a question answered or to find out where to go to get further information. Their training gives them the skills and confidence to help those colleagues while looking after their own wellbeing.

Alongside the Mental Health First Aid training, we hold a project-wide ‘Stepping Up Week’ twice a year; a period dedicated to health and safety for everyone who works on Crossrail whether than be on a construction site or in an office. As part of Crossrail’s commitment to this area of wellbeing, last October’s Stepping Up Week focused on mental health.

We also employ a number of other initiatives to address the stigma of mental health amongst our workforce including online training, practical workshops

on personal resilience, stress management, fatigue, nutrition, exercise and mindfulness. Additionally the business is engaged with various networks and campaigns to ensure good practice and shared learning, including Public Health Responsibility Deal, Time to Talk, London Health & Wellbeing Week, City Mental Health Alliance and Business in the Community. We offer the opportunity for staff to engage on their personal and business mental health requirements, through the Crossrail-wide wellbeing survey, as well as feedback sessions on all initiatives.

We are dedicated to improving health provision in the construction industry as a whole, with all members of our supply chain contractually bound to have their own individual wellbeing programme, with wellbeing co-ordinators at every site. In

addition we have signed up to the London Healthy Workplace Charter, are a member of the Health in Construction Leadership Group, and offer employees resilience workshops.

What the future holds

The Crossrail programme is now over 75% complete with services through central London due to open in December 2018. Crossrail Limited is intent on leaving a legacy for how organisations can get mental health provision up and running in their workplace. Lessons learnt by the Crossrail project, ranging from their Health and Wellbeing strategy to technical construction documents, will be published at learninglegacy.crossrail.co.uk.

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Managing stress at work is always a challenge but there are times when it is even more so. Sometimes the company undergoes some major changes which are particularly stressful for those involved, at all levels of hierarchy. I particularly remember the atmosphere of sheer panic and dread as we were winding down the company I was working in as a member of management more than 25 years ago. The sense of doom and gloom was palpable as you entered the building. Having to let go of everything we had built while letting down our staff was unbearable.

Fortunately, it does not always go that far but any change is always a major stress factor, even if for the better. Because change means meeting the unknown, our bodies and minds react to it automatically with the same reactions we have for any stress. Even if the change is for the better.

So what do we do about it?

A study was led by Dr Samantha Evans from the University of Kent on Sophrology, Organisational Change and Employee Well-being earlier this year in a FTSE 100 international financial services group that is in the process of closing its London operation and making redundancies over a two-year period. The company decided to offer Sophrology to their employees during that period as well as more traditional outplacement services.

As those of you who have read my articles for some time now know, Sophrology is my thing! Related to the better-known mindfulness, you could describe it as super-charged, super-fast mind-body meditation. It is super-practical and adapts very well to the workplace. Widely used on the continent for more than

50 years, it is gaining strength is the UK. In her study, Dr Evans noticed that the staff found Sophrology very useful. It helped them relax and focus, increase energy levels and take a step back to assess difficult situations. They used some of the practical tools for everyday work challenges, like a stressful meeting. And it also helped outside work to sleep more easily for instance. Employees talked about it as an “unexpected bonus”. The study concludes saying that such an intervention can have a positive impact on staff even in the most difficult of circumstances. I would say “particularly” in difficult circumstances! I am not sure of course what specific techniques the Sophrologist involved in that study used but I can say for certain that Sophrology can help with managing your stress better, building up resilience, keeping a calm and clear mind

Florence is an international expert in stress and sleep management, a performance coach and sophrology practitioner. She works with executives who need to perform at a high level and face pressures and challenges on an everyday basis. She teaches them practical tools and strategies to be at their best when they need it most, know how to “switch off” and “on” at will, remain in control, have energy, focus, a clear head and build resilience. With methods similar to those used by Olympians, she helps her clients develop the brain power of a corporate athlete: their mind at its best.

Florence Parot

Be peaceful and recognise your workplace needsSophrology is defined as ‘a therapeutic discipline, a practice and a philosophy’. Florence Parot, leading Sophrology expert, gives us her tips on how the medium can help to solve stress at work.

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when you need it most to support you in whatever you are going through.To help with change management, a regular process of several sessions and training would be involved, not something we could sum up in 5 minutes. But to get you started on the path to better stress management, let me remind you of a few practical tools I have already mentioned:

• Switch off for a few minutes every two hours: close your eyes, unclench your jaw, let your shoulders drop and breathe out loudly.•Take a break BEFORE you are tired! • Slow down, speed does not always mean efficiency but can lead to major mistakes.• Focus on one thing at a time.• Learn to use technology and not

let it use you: decide when you check your emails, switch off all your alarms etc• While walking, focus on your feet, on breathing, not on what you were doing before or what you are going to talk about just after.

And a couple of typical Sophrology exercises:

If you are anxious: Breathe in and gently contract the muscles in your whole body, sensing any tension or discomfort. Breathe out loudly, let go and completely relax the muscles, letting the tensions flow away. Do this three times and listen to how you are feeling inside.If you are feeling stressed: Breathing in, bring your shoulders up, fists clenched. Holding your breath gently, do a

little “up and down” movement with your shoulders. When you need to, breathe out loudly and let go of shoulders, arms, hands.Repeat three times.

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Businesses need to stop penalizing employees when they legitimately take days off for the good of their mental health, and should even introduce ‘mental health home days’ to encourage loyalty, support and good communication in the workplace, according to cognitive psychologist and business neuroscientist, Dr Lynda Shaw.

Some companies in the US and Australia offer ‘duvet days’ as part of employment contracts, whereby employees are allowed up to four days a year on top of their holiday entitlement to take time to recover and rest as and when they need them. Shaw insists she is not referring to employees who have burned the candle at both ends and simply want a day at home to recover, but argues that those suffering from mental health issues are regarded as weak or unbalanced if they find it hard to cope at work, and those suffering from

stress try to make do because they are fearful of repercussions from their employer.

“The need for an employer to approve time off for an employee who is feeling mentally or emotionally unwell is as important as for someone who is physically unwell. By encouraging communication and using emotional intelligence, businesses have a chance to show employees their full support and as a direct consequence, employees will be more loyal, motivated and engaged, which should be the goal of any business.”

However, Shaw points out that stress and mental health are two very different problems. “If you are suffering from mental health problems the support and understanding is still simply not there because of the stigma attached to mental health issues. An open door policy and long term planning and

support is needed from the employer. In contrast someone who is feeling anxious or depressed and legitimately just needs a few days off work, because perhaps of a temporary over-stressful home situation, or because they are struggling to cope emotionally with a loss, should be regarded in the same way as someone who needs a few days off because of a physical illness such as a virus.

“We are a very stressed workforce who multitask like no other generations ever have. Too much stress is simply not good for employees or the business. Flight or fight is a one-off reaction to a perceived challenge or pressure but being continually in this state means that cortisol and adrenalin are constantly being overly-stimulated which affects our brain and most likely other major organs as well. The mental effects of too much stress include mentally slowing

Dr Lynda Shaw is a cognitive neuroscientist and chartered psychologist, a Forbes contributor, an Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine and a Fellow of the Professional Speaking Association.

Dr Lynda Shaw works with business leaders and their teams to improve performance for real development and growth, to invigorate communication skills, to strengthen internal team relationships and to bolster external business relationships.

Dr Lynda Shaw

You shouldn’t need to pull a sickie to have a mental health day Dr Shaw believes that stress and mental health are two very different problems. Here, she discusses her top tips to increase mental health wellbeing at work.

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down, forgetfulness, difficulty concentrating and an inability to solve problems in a logical sequence and so a very stressed employee is largely of little use in the workplace anyway.”A survey of 2500 employees in 2015 by healthcare provider Benenden * showed that only 17% thought that mental health was a good reason to take a day off, in comparison to an illness such as vomiting, which was accepted by 73% as a good reason to take a day off.

“Someone who is under extreme stress is likely to feel unsupported, anxious and/ or depressed and they are often forced to feign a physical illness in order to take a much-needed day off work. If we could be honest with our employers and give a legitimate reason why we need to take “a mental health day” we could breed loyalty rather than guilt and resentment, allowing our employees to fully recover and return to work motivated and productive.”

Shaw also explains why preventative measures are important to boost productivity and creativity in the workplace: “The byproducts of stress hormones can act as sedatives leaving an employee feeling extremely lethargic and unproductive. With the normal working day starting at 9am, if not

earlier, and the average bed time of adults being 23.10, we do not allow ourselves enough time to recover and return to our fully-functioning selves which only exacerbates the situation. Having flexi-working hours helps.”

Estimates from the Labour Force Survey 2010/11 showed that the industries that reported the highest rates of work-related stress were health, social work, education and public administration.

Tips to increase mental health at work include:

1. As long as they work core hours, allow your employees the opportunity to start work at 10am if that suits their normal bio-rhythms better. Many experts argue that this is the optimum time for starting work as it allows

employees to have a full night’s sleep and perhaps get some exercise and fresh air first thing in the morning.

2. Be open about mental health. Creating an environment where mental health is not a taboo subject means that employees are far more likely to be honest about how they’re feeling which means that you can activate effective strategies to help them before it becomes a bigger problem.

3. Have an open door policy for anyone who feels they are suffering emotionally or mentally to come and discuss how the business can help.

4. Be supportive of your employees and their occasional need for a mental health day. Lack of managerial support is one of the most commonly cited factors in the cause of stress.