Category Archives: Wellbeing at Work

Health, International Women's Day, News, Wellbeing at Work

From periods to menopause – Howden shows businesses how to better support women’s health

On International Women’s Day (8th March)[i] Howden Employee Benefits & Wellbeing (Howden) is shining a light on the need for employers to do more to support the health and wellbeing of female employees.  They are hosting a webinar, “It’s time to talk about women’s health in the workplace” and launching an accompanying guide to help HR teams navigate their way through this changing landscape.

Webinar guest speaker, Francesca Steyn, Clinical Director of Women’s Health at Peppy Health, will join Howden’s experts, Matthew Gregson, Executive Director and Hazel Craig, Senior Wellbeing and Data Analytics Consultant to explore the unique health needs women have and how right benefits and wellbeing design can make a real difference not just for their health, but their careers too.

From traditional coverage within medical insurance and healthcare plans, through to innovations in digital and hybrid support services, the webinar will outline the latest options available to employers in re-designing their benefits, especially in the areas of menopause and fertility.

The webinar is timely as recent research highlights some of the health challenges women face at work, particularly during menopause.

A report from the Social Research Institute at University College London[ii] highlights that women are missing out on promotions and pay rises due to the menopause, with many women having careers disrupted — or cut short — as they reached the peak of their working life because of symptoms such as hot flushes, insomnia, anxiety and heart palpitations.

Women aged between 50 and 55 take an average of two months off work but those who go through an early menopause before 45, take off closer to four months. Also, women who face early menopause lose about £20,000 in wages and pension contributions from missing out on better jobs, while those who go through a more typical menopause face a £10,000 loss.

Hazel Craig says, “On International Women’s Day, we want to help companies better support women’s health and wellbeing to create a more inclusive and equitable work culture with reduced stigma around menopause, endometriosis, and wider women’s health.”

“Taking a proactive and tailored approach to supporting women’s health can have a positive impact on your employees and business performance, including enhancing talent attraction and retention efforts, reducing rates of absence and increasing engagement.”

Howden has also produced a guide, ‘Supporting women’s health in the workplace: from periods to menopause and everything in between’ covering, periods, fertility, perimenopause, menopause and female cancers, with practical advice for employers on how to support women, and the benefits and support services that can help.

For example, with menopause the guide suggests how making small adjustments to the working environment can improve health and help to lessen some of the symptoms, such as offering enhanced flexible working and providing different equipment or facilities that support environmental needs.

Medical assistance can also be key, with Howden outlining how it is possible to include hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in private medical insurance.

Hazel adds, “Women’s health is a broad topic and is unique and personal to each individual. Hence, having a comprehensive range of benefits and support in place is important. This can include awareness and educational campaigns to reduce stigma, training for managers so employees feel comfortable and confident talking to colleagues, through to working practices (e.g. policies, flexible working) and practical support such as access to healthcare services, specialist apps, health checks etc.”

“With a growing focus on diversity, inclusion and wellbeing in the workplace, employers should be considering how they are engaging with these topics and how they can better support their employees.”

The ‘It’s time to talk about women’s health in the workplace’ webinar takes place 10am -11am on Tuesday 8th March 2022. The session will be hosted by Matthew Gregson, Executive Director at Howden and Hazel Craig, Senior Wellbeing and Data Analytics Consultant at Howden. To register to attend click here.

To download the ‘Supporting women’s health in the workplace: from periods to menopause and everything in between’ guide click here.

 

References

[i] https://www.internationalwomensday.com/

[ii] https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10431515/Women-miss-thousands-pounds-career-peak-hit-menopause.html

Employee Benefits, News, Wellbeing at Work

Perkbox and Gympass partner to expand wellbeing rewards

Global employee benefits and rewards platform, Perkbox, has partnered with Gympass, the world’s leading corporate wellness platform, to offer employees greater wellbeing support.

The partnership opens the door to more than 420,000 UK employees eligible for Perkbox, giving them the option to access over 2,000 UK fitness facilities and over 30 wellbeing apps available through the Gympass platform.

The deal marks the start of a strategic partnership, with Perkbox clients receiving favourable financial conditions and giving Gympass the opportunity to reach over 4,500 businesses through Perkbox, as it looks to continue growing its client base.

Over 2 million benefits and rewards are redeemed by employees each year on the Perkbox platform; its holistic benefits offering includes access to a wellbeing hub that supports across financial, physical and mental health, making the addition of Gympass timely and welcome.

Employers signed up to Perkbox give a monthly allowance of points for their employees to spend on their choice of perks. With workplace wellbeing viewed as increasingly important amongst employees, the wealth of in-person fitness facilities, on-demand workouts and 1-to-1 PT sessions available via Gympass adds significant value to the platform.

“We are delighted to be partnering with Perkbox and extending our entire portfolio to over 4,500 businesses in the UK,” says Sami Missous, Head of Strategic Partnerships UK & Ireland at Gympass. “Perkbox clearly has a highly engaged and responsive audience of employees looking for benefits and rewards, and we are excited by the prospect of bringing them more physical, mental and financial health and wellbeing options. We have high hopes for this strategic partnership and look forward to helping Perkbox meet the growing demand for wellbeing perks and benefits.”

“In the era of hybrid working, employees are looking to employers to support their wellbeing like never before. Providing users with dynamic and comprehensive support allows them to choose the benefits that serve them best across the wellbeing pathways – whether physical, mental or financial,” says Joel Tobias, Global Partnership Director at Perkbox. “Adding Gympass to our platform enhances our digital wellbeing offering and means that employees in any location, whether in the office or at home, can take advantage of a range of wellness solutions including live and virtual classes, personal trainers, nutrition programmes or fitness education.”

For more information visit: digital.gympass.com/uk/perkbox/

 

News, News for HRDs, Wellbeing at Work

UK employers feel more responsibility for employee health and wellbeing, but strategic action doesn’t align: Aon Benefits and Trends Survey 2022

  • 95 percent of employers acknowledge they have a responsibility for the Health and Wellbeing of employees

  • Most employers have no formal Health and Wellbeing strategy

  • Signals show employers want to be better informed with employee Health and Wellbeing insights 

Aon plc (NYSE: AON), a leading global professional services firm, has released research showing that UK employers feel far more responsibility for employee Health and Wellbeing, yet formalised strategic action remains unchanged in the last year.

Aon’s UK Benefits and Trends Survey 2022 shows a significant increase in the last year in the number of employers that strongly agree they have a responsibility for the Health and Wellbeing of their employees, rising from 20 percent in 2021 to just over half of all respondents (51 percent) in 2022. Forty-four percent agree they have a responsibility, and just 5 percent disagree or have no view.

Conversely, only 44 percent of employers have a formalised Health and Wellbeing strategy, although 32 percent plan to have one within the next 12-18 months, remaining unchanged from last year. Additionally, 70 percent don’t have a dedicated budget for a Health and Wellbeing programme, just 8 percent measure return on investment of their Health and Wellbeing programmes, and less than half (46 percent) have an executive sponsor for their Health and Wellbeing strategy.

Mark Witte, principal – health and risk, Aon, said: “This stand-out statistic of 95 percent of employers agreeing they have a responsibility for their employees’ Health and Wellbeing is the most notable shift from previous years’ surveys. It is easy to draw connections to the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the heightened awareness of ill-health, but the word ‘responsibility’ is important. Given the acceptance that the employer has a role to play in supporting employee wellbeing, it is disappointing that this year’s research shows no change in terms of the number of employers with a formal strategy in place or planning to do so in the near future”.

The survey shows, however, that those with a formal wellbeing strategy have dedicated support for emotional and mental wellbeing (100 percent) and physical wellbeing (97 percent), while 75 percent provide structured financial wellbeing support. Social wellbeing is an increasing priority for employers (62 percent), highlighting their awareness of the importance of positive human connections and the growing societal issue of loneliness.

Another significant shift from last year’s survey is double-digit percentage increases across all data sets when respondents were asked what company-specific data analytics are being used to inform and drive their corporate Health and Wellbeing strategies. Data is being collected from a variety of sources, including Employee Assistance Programme utilisation (75 percent), employee engagement surveys (68 percent), absence data (62 percent) and occupational health (OH) data (52 percent), as well as medical, income protection, life and critical illness data (42 percent).

Witte added: “Just 13 percent of employers have said they do not use health data analytics to inform their wellbeing strategy, which is a clear and positive signal that most employers want to be better informed and have access to more detailed insights to help them make better decisions. While the research shows greater activity around employee wellbeing, a strategic approach is critical to creating focus and achieving demonstrable results to build a resilient workforce.

“The strain placed on human resources teams over the past 18 months is undoubtedly a factor in not seeing greater progress, as priorities and resources have been focused elsewhere. However, with investments potentially supporting other key objectives, securing budget, targeted condition management and C-suite sponsorship, it is recommended that employers consider ways to elevate health and wellbeing on their organisation’s agenda.”

Aon’s annual survey shows trends in employer benefits strategies, highlighting issues experienced by employers and employees. In its 12th year, the survey took into account the experiences of 253 HR, employee benefit and reward professionals from across the UK in a variety of sectors. Seventeen percent of respondents stated their organisation employs more than 5,000 people; 33 percent employ between 1,001 and 5,000 people; 13 percent employ 501 to 1,000 people; 10 percent employ 251 to 500 and 27 percent employ fewer than 250 people.

More information about how Aon helps businesses build resilient workforces is available here. To access Aon’s Benefits and Trends Survey 2022, click here.

About Aon

Aon plc (NYSE: AON) exists to shape decisions for the better — to protect and enrich the lives of people around the world. Our colleagues provide our clients in over 120 countries with advice and solutions that give them the clarity and confidence to make better decisions to protect and grow their business.

HR, Mental Health, News, Wellbeing, Wellbeing at Work

Nearly half of HR managers have considered quitting due to pressure of employee mental health crisis

  • Experts warn of risk to HR wellbeing and retention
  • Ability to set boundaries around mental health support at work essential
  • Ninety percent of HR managers noticing signs of burnout in workforces
  • Nearly 4 in 10 (38%) admit to having conversations with employees about their mental health outside of working hours
  • Over a quarter (27%) regularly have to complete tasks outside of working hours due to volume of mental health issues they’re facing

New research reveals that almost half of HR managers (45%) have considered leaving their current roles due to the pressure of dealing with employee mental health and burnout. Concerningly, the research shows that 90% of HR managers are currently noticing signs of burnout in their workforces.

The survey of 200 UK HR managers by Wellbeing Partners, clinical experts in employee mental health, reveals that when handling rising burnout and mental health concerns, HR is struggling to set boundaries for their own psychological safety.

Thirty-eight percent of HR managers admit to having conversations with employees about their mental health outside of working hours, nearly a third (31%) look at emails outside of work and over a quarter (27%) regularly have to complete tasks outside of working hours due to the volume of mental health issues they’re facing.

On top of this, more than 1 in 4 (26%) feel they can become overly involved in employees’ personal lives and/or mental health issues and 23% have compassion fatigue from supporting struggling employees.

A lack of boundaries surrounding mental health support is contributing to high numbers of HR professionals contemplating leaving their organisations, according to an expert.

Lou Campbell, Programmes Director at Wellbeing Partners, states:

“While HR has a duty of care to support employees suffering with their mental health, they often neglect to look after themselves. For people in supporting roles, it’s useful to know what the appropriate boundaries are when discussing mental health issues with colleagues, to avoid becoming enmeshed or overly involved. Appropriate boundaries ensure that the conversation stays psychologically safe for the employee, and avoids compassion fatigue for HR.

“Knowing the skills around setting boundaries and signposting to appropriate support is even more vital in a time when attracting and retaining staff is highly competitive; organisations must support HR to reduce the risk of key HR talent leaving their organisation as they deal with surging levels of employee burnout”.

Indeed, the study supports wider research revealing increasing symptoms of burnout HR needs to respond to. In the Wellbeing Partners survey nearly half of HR (49%) say their employees are struggling to find motivation and stay focused, over 4 in 10 (42%) agree that employees appear regularly tired or drained, a third (33%) say that employees seem to care less about work and over a quarter (28%) feel that employees are finding tasks overwhelming or uninteresting. As well as this, 26% state that employees appear resentful or cynical towards work or their own colleagues.

Campbell summarises:

“It’s clear there is mounting pressure for HR, but there are some initial actions they can take to support employees while setting boundaries for their own wellbeing. Ensure that supportive conversations with employees follow a framework, and schedule these conversations at a time when you have the energy and capacity to be supportive. Aim to finish work on time most days and give permission to switch off to avoid compassion fatigue.

“Knowing when to signpost employees onto wellbeing counsellors and EAPs is also a technique that HR professionals can learn, affording them more time and energy for their wider role, and ensuring that employees get appropriate professional support”.

HR, News, Wellbeing at Work

Businesses asked to support services for abused parents

A fifth of abused parents are being forced out of the workplace as a result of their home situation.

That’s the finding from social enterprise PEGS, set up to raise awareness and support those impacted by Child to Parent Abuse (CPA).

CPA is physical, financial, emotional or sexual abuse directed towards a parental figure by a child of any age (including adult offspring). Violent or abusive incidents can happen weekly or even daily, and often escalate over time.

PEGS found an additional 48% of parents had reduced their hours because of the abusive behaviour their child was displaying – meaning 70% in total had their career impacted by CPA.

Now the PEGS team is asking businesses to consider supporting them, so they can extend the number of parents, carers and guardians they can work with.

They’ve already helped 2,000 people in the last two years through advocacy, one-to-one, empowerment workshops, and peer support – but with CPA occurring in at least 3% of UK homes according to expert estimates, there are many thousands more who are going through this abuse alone.

Founding Director Michelle John, who was motivated to launch PEGS due to her own experience of CPA, said: “This type of domestic abuse has traditionally been under-researched and under-reported; but the reality is that it’s happening behind many closed doors, and it’s impacting parents in every aspect of their life including their employment.

“That’s why we want to bring businesses on board to become part of the solution – by asking them to give what they can to help us provide free services for all parents, regardless of the age of their child (including adult offspring).

“We know times have been tough and that many businesses have struggled during the pandemic. But we also know that the abuse our parents are facing has also worsened over that time, so it’s essential that they have somewhere to turn where they’ll be listened to, believed, and empowered.”

Employers who are committed to minimising the impact of CPA can also sign a DWP-backed Covenant, created by PEGS with the aim of seeing more UK organisations setting up policies and practices to the benefit of staff (and service users, where applicable) who are experiencing abuse.

Businesses receive information, template HR documents, and a one-hour free training workshop after signing the free Covenant at www.pegsupport.co.uk/CPAC.

Any organisation who’d like to find out more about making a one-off or ongoing donation – and how that money will be put to good use – can do so by emailing admin@pegsupport.com or by simply making a direct donation to pegsupport.enthuse.com/donate#!/

Healthcare, HR, News, Wellbeing at Work

Tips to support employees with cancer from Howden Employee Benefits & Wellbeing

According to Macmillan[i] 1 in 3 (or 750,000) of the two million people currently living with cancer in the UK are of working age. This figure is set to rise to 1.7 million by 2030.

Howden Employee Benefits & Wellbeing is urging businesses to address the oncoming cancer pandemic and use World Cancer Day (4th February) as a talking point to raise awareness of the forgotten ‘C[ii]’ in the workplace.

The Institute for Public Policy Research estimates delays in cancer treatment could take until 2033 to clear, and an estimated 19,500 people with cancer in England have not been diagnosed due to missed referrals due to Covid-19[iii]. Research in the British Medical Journal suggests every month delayed in cancer treatment can raise the risk of death by around 10%[iv].

Matthew Gregson, Executive Director, UK Corporate at Howden Employee Benefits & Wellbeing says, “The pandemic has had a major impact on people suffering from cancer. Missed presentation and diagnosis of symptoms and delays in cancer treatment have had serious consequences for employees and knock-on impact for businesses. As well as the physical effects of cancer and treatments, it can have wide-reaching effects on employees’ mental health; from people living with the illness itself to those who are supporting colleagues and loved ones or dealing with cancer-related bereavements.

‘’Employers have a vital role in addressing this global issue and this starts building understanding and awareness of the risks and the support available. As many cancers are linked to lifestyle choices, businesses can help employees by promoting good wellbeing that giving them the tools to take a proactive approach. World Cancer Day is the ideal time for employers to talk about cancer and remind employees of available support.

“Initiatives could include presentations about cancer awareness, so employees can learn about the signs and symptoms of cancer, what to look out for, what the risk factors are and what can they do to mitigate those risks could have a big impact and encourage people to seek early diagnosis.

“Prevention is better than cure and introducing health and wellbeing programmes designed to promote healthier habits and lifestyles and raising awareness of diseases such as cancer, is just as important as having the right polices, benefits and support in place for when someone is diagnosed.”

Here are Matthew’s tips for employers on creating a supportive workplace for those affected by cancer:

Line manager training

Train line managers to better understand the likely effects of cancer, its treatments and how to handle difficult and sensitive conversations. They need to be able to signpost employees to their employee benefits, support services and information on their working options.

Macmillan at Work provides information, training, and resources for employers & managers to help them support staff affected by cancer.

Support for colleagues
Finding out that a colleague has cancer can be a big shock and while your focus will be on supporting the employee diagnosed with cancer, don’t underestimate the impact on their colleagues. Consider offering support services, such as counselling, to those emotionally impacted by their colleague’s illness.

Be flexible in your approach

Under UK employment legislation, cancer is defined as a disability. Employers have a legal duty to make reasonable adjustments to the workplace for employees diagnosed with cancer. This could include allowing time off to go to hospital appointments, working flexible hours, changes to the role, remote working or organising a phased return to work.

Keeping in touch and returning to work

An employee with cancer may have time off work to undergo certain types of treatment or to recover from surgery. Keep in touch during this time to support them, keep up to date with their progress and, when they are ready, agree a return date.

Remind your employees of their employee benefits

The employee benefits available to your employees could offer a range of support that will make a real difference to the employee diagnosed with cancer. This could include access to a private GP which could ensure a quick diagnosis of the cancer, giving them the best opportunity for early treatments, which may also enable them to remain in work.

Introduce Private Medical Insurance (PMI)

This can help employees’ access treatment more quickly and plan their treatment around busy schedules. PMI also gives people greater choice over which hospital and consultant they prefer, and in some cases access to drugs that are not widely available on the NHS.

Offer health screenings

Health screenings have come on a long way in recent years, with screenings that target specific cancers available, which are more affordable and convenient than ever. For employees in high risk groups, who are unlikely to have addressed the potential risk of cancer in the last 2 years, consider including screenings as part of your benefits strategy.

Include digital wellbeing tools within your strategy

Wellbeing platforms and apps are a simple and cost-effective way to help employees measure and monitor their lifestyle behaviours, such as exercise, diet and sleep. They can help to educate employees about their own risk factors, the impact upon their long term health and what they can do about them. Driving people to make proactive lifestyle choices. This can also create a platform for wider wellbeing initiatives, to promote physical activity in the workplace, taking time for mental wellbeing and much more.

Review your existing benefits

Do your existing benefits offer employees adequate support to enable them to remain in the workplace throughout their treatment or return to work after a period? Or do the benefits need to be reviewed? Employers should consider conducting a full review of their health and benefits strategy to ensure its fit for purpose post Covid-19.

 

For more information in Howden Employee Benefits & Wellbeing visit: www.howdengroup.com/uk-en/cover/employee-benefits-and-wellbeing-consulting

 

[i] https://www.macmillan.org.uk/about-us/what-we-do/we-make-change-happen/we-shape-policy/work-and-cancer.html

[ii] https://www.macmillan.org.uk/get-involved/campaigns/the-forgotten-c

[iii] https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/clearing-cancer-backlog-could-take-nhs-until-2033-tc0pfdzj3

[iv] https://www.bmj.com/company/newsroom/every-month-delayed-in-cancer-treatment-can-raise-risk-of-death-by-around-10/

News, Wellbeing at Work

Vitality collaborates with Aon to drive better wellbeing solutions among employers in the UK through Britain’s Healthiest Workplace

Vitality has announced a new collaboration with Aon to drive better wellbeing solutions among UK employers, through Vitality’s Britain’s Healthiest Workplace survey when it relaunches in Spring 2022.

Aon and Vitality will – through Britain’s Healthiest Workplace survey and its results – support businesses to recognise the health and wellbeing issues specific to their workforce, and consequently be confident in implementing wellbeing solutions that will provide the best outcomes for their employees and business.

Britain’s Healthiest Workplace, has been run by Vitality since 2012, is the UK’s largest workplace wellbeing survey. Over the past ten years the survey has been used to support organisations to understand their employees’ health and how it links to their productivity, in addition to understanding areas of strength and areas that need further support.

Previous Britain’s Healthiest Workplace studies have shown the clear link between productivity and health and wellbeing – with findings from the 2019 survey showing the UK economy lost almost £92 billion in 2019 (£91.9 billion) as a result of ill-health related absence and presenteeism in the workplace – meaning by encouraging their employees to be healthier, employers are also looking after their business. Employers can register interest for when the survey reopens in March 2022. 

Greg Levine, Managing Director: Sales and Distribution, Vitality, said: “At Vitality, our core purpose is to make people healthier and enhance and protect their lives, and we’ve seen how organisations that are able to identify health and wellbeing concerns specific to their business can better target them by implementing focused interventions proven to make significant improvements to the health and wellbeing of their employees.

“We understand that changes to work practices brought about by the coronavirus pandemic have the potential to dramatically impact physical and mental health, and ultimately, performance at work – it’s never been a more important time for organisations to get this right.

“We’re delighted to work with Aon, which has a proven track record in this space, to support organisations to improve the health and wellbeing of their workforce and look forward to launching Vitality’s Britain’s Healthiest Workplace survey with Aon in the new year.”

David Battle, CEO – UK regions, Aon, said: “At Aon, we work with our clients to help shape business decisions for the better – to protect and enrich the lives of people around the world. We believe that businesses thrive when the communities they serve and the people they employ also flourish. Our new collaboration with Vitality helps employers gain invaluable insights from data, pinpointing the real health and wellbeing issues in their workforce. This creates clarity and confidence to make better decisions, building a proactive, preventative approach, as well as a business case showing clear evidence of the need for action”.

Health and wellbeing has moved up the corporate agenda since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Aon’s Benefits & Trends Survey 2021, more than half of employers (56%) have or plan to have Board-level sponsorship for their wellbeing initiative. Aon’s Benefits & Trends Survey results also showed that there is no shortage of investment in health and benefits generally, nor is there a lack of focus on specific support; however, overall, wellbeing activity often lacks strategic focus, with only 53% of UK companies having a strategy in place.

Benefits, HR, News, Wellbeing at Work

Aon: UK employers will need to do more to meet the challenges of a working population

The UK Government’s social care reforms discussed in the Autumn Budget will still fall short of filling the gap to cover costs for necessary social care, according to Aon plc (NYSE: AON), a leading global professional services firm.

In raising £12 billion a year by increasing national insurance by 1.25 percentage points from employers and employees, the UK Government intends to address both the NHS backlog created by the COVID-19 pandemic and the social care system. The social care system will receive £5.4 billion over the next three years, with more to be provided afterwards.

Mark Witte, head of health and risk consulting, Health Solutions UK at Aon, said:

“These reforms are shining a spotlight on an issue that has perhaps been considered a lower priority for many years. However, even the most far-reaching legislative proposals will still fall short of fully meeting this growing challenge. The unfortunate impact is likely to fall squarely with employers and employees”.

In Aon’s recent report, “The Aging Population: Why it’s time to take notice”, a number of key issues were highlighted: one in six UK workers will balance their job with caring responsibilities by 2040[i], unpaid carers provide approximately £132 billion worth of care each year[ii] and 2.6 million people have given up working altogether to provide care, a 12% increase from 2013[iii]. This data shows that even with new levels of funding being promised by the Government, and recognising some of the caps and limitations on the levels of support available, there will be millions of UK workers underserved.

Employees shouldering a burden of care struggle with all aspects of their wellbeing. This can have an adverse impact on business performance in terms of low engagement, increased absence, higher levels of presenteeism, loss of productivity and increased staff turnover.

Aon’s Witte highlighted areas for employers to help increase the resiliency of their workforce and mitigate business risk:

“Employers will see value in reviewing their internal policies, as well as the support and advice available to carers. This should extend to an assessment of new solutions including helping carers meet the cost of care, as well as technology aimed at decreasing the strain and helping loved ones stay in their home for as long as possible. The eco-system of strategies and benefits aimed at meeting challenges arising from an aging population continues to evolve, and we can expect rapid developments as employers seek to make better decisions that support their employees.”

Read the full guide, “The Aging Population: Why it’s time to take notice”, here.

Read Aon’s Rising Resilient report here.

About Aon

Aon plc (NYSE: AON) exists to shape decisions for the better — to protect and enrich the lives of people around the world. Our colleagues provide our clients in over 120 countries with advice and solutions that give them the clarity and confidence to make better decisions to protect and grow their business.

Benefits, News, Wellbeing at Work

How should companies re-imagine their benefits strategy for a post-covid business environment? Howden explains

Howden Employee Benefits & Wellbeing (Howden) says many businesses will need to review and re-imagine their benefits and wellbeing strategy, in light of the impact and changing work environment created by the pandemic.

This was the subject of its latest webinar, ‘Our Ultimate Guide to Re-imagining your Benefits Strategy’ where host Matthew Gregson, Head of Corporate at Howden looked at why companies often leave it too long to do a review and the challenges that subsequently arise.

This follows a recent study by Group Risk Development (GRiD)[i] which found that 73% of employers think the pandemic will result in long term changes to how they support the health and wellbeing of their staff. The report revealed that employers expect to increase support for physical wellbeing (57%), social wellbeing (54%), financial wellbeing (52%), improve the choice of benefits (49%) and provide support for dependants (48%).

Matthew Gregson says, “For many businesses, changing their employee benefits can be problematic, and, as such, many benefits offerings continue to look the way they have always looked. For other companies, changing business circumstances such as through an acquisition can give rise to the need to fundamentally re-assess their benefits. The big question for HR is why and how the business should do a review, even if not compelled to do so?

Matthew highlights four common challenges for companies when evaluating their benefits strategy and how to address them.

The first is engagement – this is perhaps the main return on investment from an effective benefits programme and organisations should have a measure of the level of engagement with their offer.

The second is cost – the investment in benefits and wellbeing can be too high, too low or directed to the wrong people or the wrong products and services. Having all costs to hand is the first step.

Thirdly, there are risks – financial, operational, and reputational risk to the business. Companies need to take a more systematic approach to understanding where their exposures lie.

And lastly, administrative challenges – the burden could be too high, with too much manual intervention and not provide a good employee experience. Look to where you are wasting effort within the HR team and where processes and experience breakdown for your employees.

Overcoming these challenges is essential for the benefits strategy to meet the needs of the business and its people – but this can only be done by understanding the problems it is trying to solve. That requires data, analysis and understanding at a level many HR teams don’t get to.

Matthew Gregson says, “Companies should strategically review their benefits every three to five years. Most challenges are likely to sit within one of these four areas, with engagement being the most fundamental to a successful programme. Starting a review could begin with an employee survey to understand what employees like, do not like about the current benefits and what they would value going forward.

“Evaluating cost, risk and admin are necessary too. Once they have a clear idea of where they are at, organisations can look forward and align benefits to the business and the people agenda over the next five years. They will have evidence as to where changes are needed, so they can develop the business case to secure funding or the commitment to undertake a significant review.

“As businesses emerge from the pandemic and perhaps are looking at new markets or changes in operations, it’s an opportune time to conduct a review to ensure benefits match where the business is heading. Only by evaluating existing benefits, can companies make informed decisions to build a great benefits programme that offers value to both employer and employees.”

To get in touch please click here.

News, Wellbeing at Work, Work from Home

UK bosses warned to ‘double-down’ on young people feeling isolated and underappreciated at work

New report from Advanced shows one in four young workers using bedrooms as their workspace and just 37% have had regular check-ins from their boss since working remotely

UK bosses are being warned to double-down on their support for young, entry-level employees after new research from Advanced reveals that 18-24 year olds are feeling isolated, overworked and underappreciated at work during the pandemic.

One in four say they have been stuck working in their bedroom while living at home or isolated in flat/house shares with strangers – a situation that is far from perfect. And there’s been little support from their managers. Just 37% of 18-24 year olds say their manager has introduced regular check-ins since working remotely over the last 12 months.

Nearly two-thirds (64%) also say they have been expected to perform urgent tasks outside of working hours – 10% higher than the average of all other age groups over 25. It suggests that some managers expect younger employees to put in extra unpaid hours, and that possibly a lack of experience, confidence, or job security makes it harder for them to refuse.

Alex Arundale, Chief People Officer at Advanced, says: “The pandemic has had a negative impact on all age groups, but it’s 18-24 year-olds who have been hit the hardest. Many young people may struggle with putting together the basics they need to work from home, such as an adequately-sized desk, or even just sufficient peace and quiet from noisy flatmates or other family members. This has made it incredibly difficult for them to separate work from personal life, which is clearly leading to feelings of isolation and cabin-fever.

“Bosses need to double-down on their support for younger employees – especially those who started their very first job during lockdown and have had no in-person onboarding or training. As a minimum, they need to maintain regular contact, offering support and guidance while also boosting confidence and encouraging self-determination. It’s also important that managers do not underestimate the value 18-24 year olds place on social interaction.”

According to the report, 44% of 18-24 year olds are really looking forward to returning to the workplace – compared to 19% for over 25s – and 60% admit social interaction is the main reason for wanting to return to the office. Similarly, 66% say they miss their workplace compared to 38% who miss their personal working space. While most don’t want to return to the office full-time, 54% want to spend half of their time in the office and half at home.

Alex adds: “The younger generation has missed out on a lot of the benefits of office-based working, such as watching more experienced colleagues tackle challenges and peer-to-peer mentoring. So, for those who do want to come into the office, leaders need to take the appropriate steps to make this happen safely. Create work-friendly spaces that will help younger employees to develop their networks and connections and make use of technology, like desk-booking apps, so they can sit near to team-mates, or mentors for appropriate day-to-day support.”

Other key findings:

  • One in five 18-24 year olds say a lack of autonomy and trust from their manager is holding them back from being more productive at work
  • Nearly half (46%) say their boss trusts them to work remotely and be just as productive – if not more – as if they were working in the office
  • Just 4% feel engaged with their boss (compared to 14% of over 25s)
  • 36% want to see their employer provide more communication around wellbeing and mental health

Read the full report here.