Further lifting of restrictions on ‘Freedom Day’ heralds the phased return to the workplace for many. As people leave the comfort of their home working space, resume commuting and return to more rigid working hours and patterns, a degree of uncertainty and anxiety can be expected.
Just as wellness rose to prominence during lockdown to help people navigate the changes it brought, physical and mental wellbeing are once more paramount to help people manage anxiety or worry around returning to work.
Here, experts from Gympass, the world’s leading corporate wellness platform, share their tips on how to prioritise workplace wellbeing.
1. Acknowledge anxiety
Luke Bullen, CEO UK and Ireland for Gympass encourages employers to support staff: “It is important for employers to put a range of measures in place to help their staff transition back to the workplace, including signposting and giving access to stress and anxiety management solutions. Throughout the pandemic there has been a significant uptake of mental wellbeing activities on the Gympass platform – towards the end of last year there was a 115% increase in people using the mindfulness app Calm, with men being the fastest-growing demographic.”
Andrew Walls, Gympass wellbeing coach and personal trainer stresses the importance of talking to people: “The last year or so has been tumultuous and it’s completely normal to feel some anxiety around going back to working in an office on a regular or even part-time basis. There are many things people can do to reduce this anxiety – practice gratitude, meditation and deep breathing exercises, regular exercise, journaling, and most importantly talking to people. This can be friends, family, colleagues or a professional counsellor or coach.”
Alexandra Alhadeff, Lead Behavioural Scientist and Product Manager from Fabulous (a science-based app available on Gympass that motivates people to achieve their goals) encourages people to reflect, re-evaluate, and reclaim their day: “Both your productivity and mental state benefit from regular check-ins with yourself. Take time each day to make sure your physical environment and mental framework support your work and your mindset:
Replace forced concentration and unreliable willpower with a secure, productive workspace where focusing feels natural
Re-evaluate your relationship with technology so that it serves rather than controls you
Reclaim your efficiency by letting go of what holds you back and feeding what fuels your work
“Make time each day to do deep work and celebrate your progress.”
2. Set some simple goals
Andrew encourages people to be realistic: “If you are short on time, my advice is to simplify, simplify, simplify. It is easy to get carried away setting goals when you feel motivated, but life inevitably gets in the way. So, yes, set your goals but more importantly set actions for yourself that you can do with little motivation e.g. I will exercise for 15mins, 3 to 5 times per week. I like to imagine motivation like waves in the ocean, constantly going up and down. My experience has shown me that people fail because they are too vague with their intentions and usually set them for when they’re highly motivated (the top of the wave).”
Alexandra recommends stacking and slicing your work: “A well-defined schedule doesn’t just help structure your at-home workday; planning is perfect for the office, too! Follow these three steps to set yourself up for a productive day:
Prioritise the 2-3 “must-do tasks” of your day—and write them down
Bucket similar tasks together and work on them in shifts. You might have a communication shift for responding to emails and a creative shift for brainstorming or analysing
Block time for deep work sessions where you can give large projects your full attention
Plan each day with care and watch it translate into long-term gains.”
3. Make the journey count
Luke encourages people to use the commute time for some simple well-being activities: “If you take public transport to work, all you need is a set of headphones and a smartphone to engage in a meaningful activity to help kickstart your day or relax and unwind after a busy 9-5. Mindfulness, meditation and stress relief programmes can all work well – try a few to find what suits you best.”
Andrew urges people to engage: “As we return to the commute, it can be easy to fall into automatic mode where you tune out. Instead, try to engage in the present moment. Tune into your senses and find things to be grateful for. You’ll be amazed at just how effective this can be in boosting your mood.”
4. “Water cooler” wellbeing
Luke emphasises the benefits of being back with colleagues again: “Undoubtedly, a significant benefit of being in the workplace is the interaction with colleagues – a quick catch up over coffee, supporting a colleague who you can see is having a difficult day, and with wellbeing in mind, the pleasure of company on a lunchtime run, yoga class or simple walk in the park. Make the most of being part of the workplace community again and use those ‘water cooler’ moments for wellbeing.”
Andrew agrees: “Help others and remember you don’t need to go it alone. Having support from people around you will only solidify your chances of finding a life of wellbeing. However, it is important to focus on your own journey. If you have the vision for where you want your wellbeing to be then use that as your own inspiration. Don’t concern yourself with others who may be further ahead than you.”
PAI Health and Tictrac today announced a strategic partnership that offers a best-in-class health and wellness engagement platform to insurers and employers worldwide. This new integrated solution features Tictrac’s health engagement platform, delivering a range of personalised content from a diverse community of wellbeing experts to help make healthy behaviour change happen, with PAI Health’s proprietary science-based algorithms that prescribe exercise for optimal health and improve cardiorespiratory fitness.
Published research on PAI (Personal Activity Intelligence) has shown that maintaining a PAI Score of 100 or more is associated with significant cardiovascular and all-cause mortality risk reduction for healthy individuals by approximately by up to 25% as well as even greater risk reduction for those with chronic health conditions, such as hypertension, obesity, and type 2 diabetes by up to 54%. The Tictrac platform features personalised wellness content tailored to individual goals, a custom campaign engine that delivers exactly what users need, when they need it with healthy habit-forming action plans and activity challenges.
This combined proposition brings together the strengths of both companies, giving insurers and employers a wellness app, flexible white label and integration options, and advanced behavioural and health analytics including the measurement of individual and population risk and health trends.
The companies are seeing strong early interest from customers who have previewed this new solution, as it provides an entirely new approach to universal challenges of member engagement and health management and answers the more recent need for more effective and personalised health and wellness tools brought about by COVID-19.
Sally Powell, General Manager at PAI Health, said: “Our combined expertise is a powerful collaboration to further quantify the positive impacts on health and claims costs that digital wellness platforms can enable. Together, we offer a science-led end-to-end solution that will improve population health and reduce healthcare and insurance costs on a global scale.”
Martin Blinder, CEO of Tictrac, explained: “This combined approach creates an extremely supportive option to help people develop and maintain good health, benefiting individuals, insurers and employers.”
“PAI, in simple terms, scores a user’s healthy activity – based on their recommended physical activity levels. By keeping to their optimum weekly score of 100 or more, an individual will know if they are keeping their heart healthier, and in turn actively reduce major health risks. By combining the scientifically-backed PAI Score with Tictrac’s motivational guidance from health and wellbeing experts, we are aiming to support healthy behaviour change for everyone, wherever they are in their health journey.”
Les Mills, the world leader in group fitness, is expanding its workplace wellbeing offering with the launch of Les Mills Content Web Player: an onsite self-service product designed to make health and wellbeing services easily accessible at work.
Following the last turbulent 18 months, the morale, health and wellbeing of workforces has never been more important for businesses. This sentiment is echoed by a recent survey, from McKinsey, that revealed 91% of employees believed their employers should care about their health and 85% said that behavioural health benefits were important when evaluating a new job.
Drawing upon its 50 years’ experience, Les Mills has been working in consultation with corporate organisations and HR professionals to launch this new service. Delivered via a web browser, the LES MILLS Content Web Player can be accessed on laptops, tablets and mobile phones. Eminently portable around the workplace, it can be accessed anywhere in the building in a range of workplace active spaces such as meeting rooms, breakout spaces, communal areas or a studio space.
The web player’s On Demand playback option enables employees to reset, recharge and find balance at work, with access to 100+ workout videos, including a brand new range of life-enhancing yoga, stretch, breathing, mindfulness and meditation sessions. The inclusion of this wellness-focused content is a timely addition to the web player launch, enabling a flexible wellbeing programme that caters to all sections of the workforce.
In a recent survey, 77% of LES MILLS Content fitness users said improving their fitness was a key reason to exercise and the mental health benefits brought by exercise were deemed equally important. The survey found that mental health and stress relief were both leading reasons why users were using the platform, underlining the role of LES MILLS Content in supporting workplace wellness.
“With health now the world’s number one priority, there’s greater focus on every element of people’s wellbeing as companies begin to think about what their future work set-up will look like,” says Richard Sale, Global Business Development Director for Les Mills. “Our offering brings virtual fitness to life and is scientifically-designed to help keep workforces healthy. The beauty of our new web player service is that our partners can take full advantage of our programmes wherever they are within the workplace and will be key to supporting employees in the future as they return to the office.”
This new service is delivered in partnership with global digital health and wellbeing technologists, OliveX Holdings Pty Ltd. Using its fully integrated, user-friendly Volution technology business software, OliveX’s platform, delivered through its Volution technology business, provides a hosting service for pre-recorded and on-demand fitness – bringing flexible wellness solutions to users everywhere including workplaces, gyms and homes. The platform will be licenced by Les Mills to provide fitness content to United Kingdom-based businesses for employee fitness programmes and initiatives.
The LES MILLS Content Web Player is the latest addition to the comprehensive mix of Les Mills world-class digital and physical fitness solutions for employers to extend to their employees including virtual fitness classes, a suite of holistic content including wellness, stretch and breathing sessions with Les Mills On Demand (LMOD) and Live classes.
It’s thought that a year of coronavirus lockdowns has cost the economy £251billion through closed businesses and reduced footfall. So, it’s no wonder that the Government and private businesses alike are keen to get Brits back in the office.
As a society we are getting used to one-way systems, handwashing and working from home, but when the Government makes its announcement and companies make the big return to work, what are some of the changes we can expect to see?
Here is the view of four different experts on the physical and cultural trends they predict within businesses when offices begin to open up once more.
Before Covid, most of us had probably not thought about the way viruses, such as the common cold are transmitted. Cramped into a small, stuffy meeting rooms or even larger open plan spaces with lots of ‘bodies’, infectious airborne particles can quickly multiply and create a hot bed for cross-contamination.
But even before coronavirus there were dangers in the air we breathe while at work. The World Health Organisation attributes 3.8 million premature deaths a year to indoor air pollution. Conservative estimates put the UK death toll at around 9,000 a year, with Allergy UK stating that the air quality indoors can be up to 10 times worse than outside.
During the pandemic, the Government has set out new guidelines for ventilation and maximising fresh air in the workplace, which includes open windows as well as the use of air cleaning and sterilisation units.
Where opening windows to allow fresh air to circulate is not practical or comfortable for workers, it is thought that these types of technology will be employed as an affordable way to minimise the risk of disease transmission.
Steve Whittall, from Airdri, a leading manufacturer of air sanitisation units said: “In our first quarter for 2021 we’ve seen a huge increase in enquiries from office managers and larger firms that are preparing for a return to work. Companies want a solution that provides as little disruption to employees as possible; yet minimises the risk of virus transmission through stagnant/unventilated air & surfaces.
“An air sanitiser such as the SteraSpace range from Airdri, combines three technologies to emit a stream of disinfecting plasma into the air which effectively removes viruses, bacteria, mould, fungi, and odours to give extra peace of mind. Not only this but once installed, sanitisers work continuously in the background to eliminate harmful pathogens in the air and on surfaces.
“They are quiet and compact yet suitable to cover large open spaces, as well as smaller spaces such as meeting rooms or communal break areas that will undoubtedly see a higher volume of staff congregating.”
Tim Crabtree, director at Mint Office adds that additional plants and greenery will also be used in a bid to improve air quality:
“Plants are important to offices as they help improve both air quality as well as ambiance. There are some plants which are brilliant for helping clean the air of impurities, but they add to the aesthetic too, making the office environment a more appealing place to be in. This is going to be very important to help workers to adjust back into office life and leave their home comforts behind.”
There will also be a need for companies to consider hybrid working, including the part time use of coworking spaces which offer vibrant opportunities for proactive productive energised halfway house when it’s difficult to work at home.
2. No touch technology to influence behaviour.
Whether it’s automated motion censored lights, which incidentally are good for the environment too, doors that open by themselves, or more simple inventions that limit the amount of people touching switches, handles and keypads; businesses will be looking for new ways to reduce the times people use high traffic touchpoints in the office.
Adam Bennett from access control and ID card specialists Digital ID (http://digitalid.co.uk), believes technology could also be used to influence behaviour. ID cards can be programmed to only allow access to certain areas and routes throughout a building, rather than relying on individuals to follow the rules.
He said: “access control systems are infinitely customisable, if you want your employees to have one way access that’s more than easy to achieve by programming the system so that doors can only be opened in certain ways or to specific patterns and timings.”
The company has also recently seen record sales of its innovative anti-bacterial KROK ID card holders that negate the need to use door handles, he said:
“People with a virus in their noses and throats may leave infected droplets on objects and surfaces (called fomites) when they sneeze, cough on, or touch surfaces, such as tables, doorknobs and handrails. Other people may become infected by touching these objects or surfaces, then touching their eyes, noses, or mouths before cleaning their hands. So, many of the adaptations we will see to offices will be to do with reducing common touchpoints.”
“Companies are looking for simple, cost effective solutions to stopping the spread of viruses through touch, so something as simple as an ID card holder that means they don’t have to touch doors and keypads with their hands is a no-brainer. We’ve been inundated with requests.”
3. Layout Changes
Layout to reduce cross infection could change in a number of ways according to experts.
Smaller, closed plan spaces
Matt Thickett of Oscar Compliance Solutions, a company that assesses workplace compliance to Covid-regulations said:
“The open plan office came into existence as a way of stimulating ideas and creativity through ease of interaction, but studies have shown that open plan spaces are also linked to low productivity, stress and high blood pressure. Now, as companies strive to make workplaces as Covid-safe as possible – they also pose a health threat.
“The problem with open plan and infection is that it gives many more opportunities for more people to cross-infect one another.
“An uncovered cough or sneeze creates a spray of up to 40,000 disease-ridden droplets that travel at up to 200 mph to up to 26 feet and stay suspended in the air for up to 10 minutes.
“Smaller offices that house fewer people could certainly return, as well as rotation patterns. For example, a rota system with one week in the office, one week work from home could be introduced to allow businesses to function even if one or more team members become sick.”
A return to 1970s cubicles
Matt continued: “During the pandemic, partitions have been introduced, made of Perspex screens which we’ll probably see well after the vaccination roll out. We usually advise that desks are rearranged so that workers are back-to-back rather than facing on another but segregating workers through partitions is another solution.”
Tim Crabree at office interior design firm Mint Office, added:
“A return to more individual workspaces or ‘pod’ [booths] working with greater space between work areas could not just prevent infection but also give workers the privacy and concentration space they need but may not have enjoyed in the pre Covid-19 layouts or at home.
We have had significantly more interest in pods and breakout areas, or modular office designs that can be adapted to the changing needs of the work force. Companies will need to use clever interior design to make spaces feel homely, stimulating and productive thus avoiding the attitudes to cubicles from the 1970.”
4. Quiet Zones
Tim Crabree at Mint Offices believes companies will also need to consider the ambient noise levels in offices now employees are more used to working from home.
“Home-working has given people the space to ‘zone out’ and get away from the chatter and noise so that they can really focus on the task in hand.
“The trend for ‘break out’ areas were already gaining traction, but we have seen a huge increase in companies installing a ‘quiet zone’ or soft seating areas, pre-pandemic and this is likely to continue as workers who are used to the home comforts and total silence when needed.
“Booths are another option as a means of offering smaller, private and less distracting work-spaces.”
5. The return of the traditional tea break
Managing when employees take breaks could be another change that both employers and employees need to get used to.
Matt at Oscar Compliance Solutions said:
“It’s about limiting gatherings and mixing as much as possible. So, for instance, the mass exodus for a cigarette break or a chat by the water cooler could and should become a thing of the past.
“Congregating in the kitchen could be another potential route to cross-infection, so some of the businesses we’re working with have even floated the idea of bringing back the tea trolley in some shape or form. Serving up hot beverages direct to desks. It would certainly meet the criteria for keeping a workplace Covid-safe, how it may go down with employees is another matter.”
6. The end of the ‘department’
A cultural change that we could see is changing how employees group their teams together. Some experts believe that when we return to office spaces, entire departments will not be permitted to sit together as they would have pre-covid. Rather, larger companies may organise their teams into huddles with representatives from different teams across the organisation.
The thinking behind this is that if a close contact becomes ill and passes on an infection, the entire department will not be taken out and the company can continue to operate.
7. Screening as standard
Access control and ID card specialists Digital ID believe that screening in terms of health-related questions and physically in terms of temperature on entry to a building will become commonplace.
Adam Bennett at Digital ID said: “New procedures and vetting processes will be needed to mitigate the risk of bringing illness into the workplace. There is scope for temperature screening booths and rapid flow testing areas being installed onto sites to ensure those who could pass on an infection do not gain entry.
“Vaccination status could be checked on entry too – the software is readily available for a ‘digital vaccine passport’ and would be very easy to use – it could be as easy as scanning an ID card.
“Visitor management technology has come a long way in recent years, with software now having the ability to “vet” people before they are granted access. Our visitor management software allows you to incorporate health related questions, site safety information and even instructional videos to the sign in process.”
8. Homely Design with Added Protection
This year, thoughtful interior design will really come into its own to help employees settle back into communal working.
Tim at Mint Offices said:
“It’s unlikely that workers will be able to personalise their work-space with photographs and knick-knacks as they may have done previously due to contamination risks and many will also be used to their home comforts, so there will be a need to create comfortable and welcoming spaces.
“Offices will be more spaced out with concentration not just on desks and chairs but break out areas too. Looking at colour and texture is becoming much more important to create a pleasant more homely working environment. Gone are magnolia walls and neutral floor coverings.
“Many companies may give workers more choice over the colour of their desks and more importantly proper supportive seating, stationery and desk accessories like laptop risers etc. will also help in a bid to help them create a comfortable and welcoming space.
“There are surfaces and fabrics coming on stream which are anti-bacterial, both of which will self-clean and stand up to more abrasive cleaning and substances which will help eliminate bacteria and viruses.”
9. Automating the Reception
Adam Bennett from Digital ID said:
“There is a definite rise in automated check-in kiosks to replace the front desk. Using dedicated software employees can also check-in to a flight, book a taxi or order a pizza for a meeting themselves using their smartphone effectively negating the need for admin support. Rather than waiting areas with newspapers and magazines, businesses will use tech solutions like visitor management systems.”
10. No more meetings for meetings sake
The days of back-to-back meetings crammed into a tiny board room are gone. Some thought-leaders have even gone as far as to suggest that senior management will have to approve meetings in advance to ensure they really are vital to the running of the company. In terms of layout does this mean the end of the meeting room?
Steve Whitall from Airdri said:
“Companies have really switched onto the time-saving and expense-saving reality of online meetings.
“Meetings are still going to be important, so I can’t see companies doing away with board rooms and meeting rooms entirely, but the rooms will be repurposed to include better video conferencing so that teams can get together easily virtually. Air and surface sanitising technology could be employed to stop meeting rooms becoming ‘fragrant’ or full of germs without the need for cleaning in between meetings.”
The Mental Health & Wellbeing Show Virtual aims to promote positive mental health through open conversation, promoting awareness and sharing real-life experiences.
To celebrate Mental Health Awareness Week, popular award-winning training and events company, Ajuda Training, are hosting a modern and state-of-the-art virtual event taking place on 20th May 2021 – the Mental Health & Wellbeing Show.
An event of this kind is much-needed across the UK and further afield, as according to Mental Health charity Mind “1 in 4 people experience mental health issues each year”. During the past year of unpredictability, anxiety and so many difficulties to overcome, we believe that more people will be struggling with their mental health than ever before. The team at Ajuda Training feel that this is an issue that needs to be addressed and discussesd as much as possible.
The virtual show is open for 30 days beginning on the 20th May, and will include over 70 on-demand webinars focused on topics such as coping with mental illness, ways to promote positive mental health, and how to support people around you who are suffering with ill mental health.
Alongside this is an exhibition with over 20 charities, organisations and companies promoting their helpful resources, services and initiatives designed to support positive mental health and wellbeing. There’s also a chat networking area where people can connect and share best practices for positive mental health.
To enter the exhibition is free, with full access to the webinars priced at £75+vat for 30 days of valuable CPD content.
Speakers on the day include:
Alastair Campbell – Politician and Mental Health Campaigner
Neville Southall – Former International Footballer and Mental Health Campaigner
Holly Bourne – Youth Mental Health Author
Hope Virgo – Eating Disorder Campaigner
Jonny Benjamin – Mental Health Campaigner
Company director Dawn Evans says: “Following such a difficult year for all, we could see there was a clear need for a bigger and more extensive event around mental health and wellbeing in the UK. The team at Ajuda always strive to provide our customers with the training and events that really matter to them, so we decided to create an event to accommodate the rising need for mental health and wellbeing training.”
Tickets can be ordered on Eventbrite, or by contacting the Ajuda Events team on 02922 400382.
During Mental Health Awareness Week (10-16 May) Howden Employee Benefits and Wellbeing reports that asset management firms are not doing enough to look after the mental wellbeing of their workforce, despite investing in other high value insurance products for employees.
Howden surveyed over 160 asset management firms to benchmark their employee benefits, wellbeing and reward programmes, investigate their plans and find out if their existing benefits are still fit for purpose given the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
They found 88% have no formal wellbeing strategy in place, with over a third (35%) saying they plan to address this and create a wellbeing strategy in the next twelve months. Employee mental health and building resilience were identified as the key priorities as firms plan to return to the workplace post-lockdown.
Most firms are taking a reactive rather than preventative approach to mental health. The number one provision for employee mental health support is through Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs), but Howden points out such services are typically underutilised.
In contrast, asset management firms typically offer highly valued benefits as standard such as Private Medical Insurance (PMI) which is offered by 99% of firms, Life Insurance (88%) and Income Protection (73%) – benefits which are more generous than many other sectors.
Howden says employers need to have mental health and wellbeing on their agenda given the rising numbers of people are suffering and to focus on prevention, as well as the cure, as part of a robust wellbeing strategy.
The Health and Safety Executive[i] highlights that over recent years the rate of self-reported work-related stress, anxiety or depression has increased with 2019/20 significantly higher than the previous year. In 2019/20 work-related stress, depression or anxiety accounted for 51% of all work-related ill health and 55% of all days lost due to work-related ill-health.
Robbie Weston, Executive Director, Asset Management and Workplace Savings at Howden says, “Employee wellbeing has tended to be overlooked by many asset management firms in favour of high value insurance benefits, but as we move beyond the Covid-19 it must become a priority.
“The pandemic has exacerbated wellbeing issues and there is now growing concern around people’s mental health, especially when it comes to stress and anxiety brought on by remote working, managing work/life balance, financial worries and fears over job security.
“However, our research found that when it comes to supporting mental health, we tend to see a high reliance on reactive solutions such as support services like EAPs, but often employees don’t know that these services exist as there is no formal strategy or communication, so they tend to be under-used.
“We urge asset management firms to take a proactive approach and consider creating a dedicated wellbeing strategy. This can focus on specific measures to support mental wellbeing such as providing mental health training for employees and managers and creating a mental health programme that is clearly communicated to all employees, so they know what support is available and where to go for it. We’re also seeing increased demand for initiatives such as helping employees manage sleep issues.
“Running awareness campaigns and tying up with weeks such as Mental Health Awareness week and creating a calendar of events around mental wellbeing can also be highly beneficial. These proactive measures can help create a culture of support around mental wellbeing and break the stigma that often surrounds mental health.”
Howden has launched a specialist service to help firms create and implement a comprehensive wellbeing strategy, tailored to the unique needs of their workforce. This service can provide essential support to asset management firms in readiness for September, when most staff are expected to return to the workplace.
Aon plc (NYSE: AON), a leading global professional services firm providing a broad range of risk, retirement and health solutions, has published a report highlighting the role employers should play in supporting mental wellbeing.
Charles Alberts, head of wellbeing, UK Health Solutions at Aon, said:
“It has been well-documented that there is not enough support for those with poor mental health. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, research by the World Health Organisation (WHO) found that countries were spending less than 2% of their national health budgets on mental health[ii]. However, now the pandemic has impacted many more. We are at a point where there is increased demand and decreased support services available. On top of this, we are now learning that COVID-19 survivors may also suffer from mental health issuesiii.”
The Centre of Mental Health said that at least half a million more people in the UK are likely to experience mental ill-health as a result of the pandemici. In addition, the WHO recently found that the COVID-19 pandemic has halted or disrupted critical mental health services in 93% of countriesii.
The UK Government has recently recognised this impact, with the announcement of a new £500 million mental health recovery plan.
Although Aon’s UK Benefits & Trends Survey showed that employers are already recognising mental wellbeing as an area they can influence – 76% of employers have a strategy to address emotional wellbeing – Aon believes employers will need to do more to be proactive in this crisis to build a resilient workforce.
The Benefits & Trends Survey showed, for instance, that 70% of employers do not have a health and wellbeing budget currently in place. Of those that do have a budget, at least 22% of them are inadequate at £125 or lower per employee per year. Just 8% of employers invest more than £126 per employee, per year, in a health and wellbeing programme.
In addition, around half of employers are not delivering resources to help their managers and employees understand mental wellbeing. The survey found that 44% of employers are not delivering mental health awareness training, and 56% are not providing line manager mental health training.
Alberts further explained:
“Not only should employers provide targeted support for people managers and business leaders, they also need to provide adequate training to help them manage the specific issues their team members may bring to them. This has become more complex since the pandemic started for many reasons, so providing support and training is fundamental. Neither people nor managers should be left ill-equipped to handle an issue.”
However, some employees do not feel able to bring these issues to managers. Research from Mind showed that one in three adults did not try to access support over the COVID-19 lockdown because they did not think their problem was serious enoughiv. This is something employers can tackle.
In its Mental Health Crisis Guide, Aon advises employers to encourage people to seek appropriate support; through having an open and accepting culture towards all forms of illness, by signposting to both internal and external avenues of support and by educating employees about mental health to increase awareness and reduce harmful stigma.
Alberts added:
“The greatest opportunity employers have is to prevent the workplace itself causing ill health. Tackling the root causes of work-related stress, depression and anxiety starts with a stress risk assessment to understand what the key issues are for employees – be that workloads, relationships or a range of other common causes.
“Not all stress in our lives can be prevented. Equipping employees with the knowledge and tools to build their resilience is important; it can reduce the impact stress has on them and help them to ‘bounce back’’ faster from challenging circumstances.”
The report follows the recent launch of Aon’s mental health calculator, which helps organisations understand the financial impact poor mental health can have on their business, while revealing the opportunities that investing in the wellbeing of their employees can bring.
Aon’s 2021 Global Wellbeing Survey found that improvements to employee wellbeing performance within a company have an impact on customer satisfaction and retention, and that whilst wellbeing performance overall has a direct connection to a strong and focused wellbeing strategy, a series of standalone wellbeing initiatives will have less impact.
Howden surveyed over 160 asset management firms to benchmark their current employee benefits, wellbeing and reward programmes, investigate their plans and find out if their existing benefits are still fit for purpose given the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The research found asset management firms typically offer a rich range of employee benefits with highly valued benefits such as Private Medical Insurance (PMI) included in most packages.
The top three benefits were PMI – offered by 99% of firms, Life Insurance (88%) and Income Protection (73%). Other popular benefits were Cycle to Work schemes (59%), Dental Insurance (43%) and Critical illness cover (36%).
Howden says the research highlights that benefits offered by asset management firms are more generous than in other sectors, and the benefits provision expected by staff, even in very small firms, is very high.
When it comes to Group Income Protection, the income paid to employees who are unable to work long-term as the result of an illness or injury, the level of protection was unsurprisingly more generous in larger firms. However, the impact of losing a member of staff to long-term illness is likely to be more severe in a small firm than in a larger one who will have great ability to flex its workforce.
Robbie Weston, Executive Director, Asset Management and Workplace Savings at Howden says, “Key observations from our research are that employees in the sector have rich and comprehensive benefits packages particularly when compared with employees in other industries. They expect high quality and comprehensive benefits as part of their overall remuneration package.”
Strikingly, the survey highlighted a major disconnect between the high value insurance products provided to employees in the sector and the fact that most firms do not have a formal wellbeing strategy in place.
88% have no formal wellbeing strategy in place, with over a third (35%) saying they plan to address this and create a wellbeing strategy in the next twelve months. Employee mental health and building resilience were identified as the key priorities as firms plan to return to the workplace post-lockdown.
The survey also found most firms are taking a reactive rather than preventative approach to mental health. The number one provision for employee mental health support is through Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs), a confidential support service, but Howden points such services are typically underutilised.
Interestingly, half of firms do not collect any data on benefit satisfaction levels, which means they may not know which benefits are used or most valued by staff.
Howden recommends that companies regularly collect feedback on the benefits satisfaction and engagement levels as without these insights, they could be investing in benefits which are not used or valued.
Weston concludes, “While the asset management industry clearly invests in high value benefits for their staff, many have been overlooking employee wellbeing. There is a recognition that employees will need greater support for their physical and mental wellbeing post-pandemic and a third of firms plan to step up their wellbeing programmes.’’
‘’In response to this survey Howden has launched a specialist service to help firms create and implement a comprehensive wellbeing strategy, tailored to the unique needs of their workforce. This service can provide essential support to asset management firms in readiness for September, when we expect most staff to return to the workplace.’’
For many, coming out of lockdown also means returning to the office – which for many means longer hours with a daily commute, more rigid working patterns, and less time for personal activities – but it’s important to remember that returning to the workplace does not have to mean giving up the wellbeing routines that have helped us through this stressful past year.
It’s more important than ever to make well-being a priority as we transition. We asked experts from Gympass, the world’s largest wellbeing platform, to share their tips on what to include in a wellbeing programme.
Acknowledge anxiety
Luke Bullen, CEO UK and Ireland for Gympass encourages employers to support staff: “It is important for employers to put a range of measures in place to help their staff transition back to the workplace, including signposting and giving access to stress and anxiety management solutions. Throughout the pandemic there has been a significant uptake of mental wellbeing activities on the Gympass platform – towards the end of last year there was a 115% increase in people using the mindfulness app Calm, with men being the fastest-growing demographic.”
Andrew Walls, Gympass wellbeing coach and personal trainer stresses the importance of talking to people: “The last year or so has been tumultuous and it’s completely normal to feel some anxiety around going back to working in an office on a regular or even part-time basis. There are many things people can do to reduce this anxiety – practice gratitude, meditation and deep breathing exercises, regular exercise, journaling, and most importantly talking to people. This can be friends, family, colleagues or a professional counsellor or coach.”
Alexandra Alhadeff, Lead Behavioural Scientist and Product Manager from Fabulous, a science-based app with 21 million users globally that will motivate you to achieve your goals and is available through Gympass, encourages people to reflect, re-evaluate, and reclaim their day: “Both your productivity and mental state benefit from regular check-ins with yourself. Take time each day to make sure your physical environment and mental framework support your work and your mindset:
Replace forced concentration and unreliable willpower with a secure, productive workspace where focusing feels natural
Re-evaluate your relationship with technology so that it serves rather than controls you
Reclaim your efficiency by letting go of what holds you back and feeding what fuels your work
Make time each day to do deep work and celebrate your progress.”
Set some simple goals
Andrew encourages people to be realistic: “If you are short on time my advice is to simplify, simplify, simplify. It is easy to get carried away setting goals when you feel motivated, but life inevitably gets in the way. So, yes set your goals but more importantly set actions for yourself that you can do with little motivation e.g. I will exercise for 15mins, 3 to 5 times per week. I like to imagine motivation like waves in the ocean, constantly going up and down. My experience has shown me that people fail because they are too vague with their intentions and usually set them for when they’re highly motivated (the top of the wave).”
Alexandra recommends stacking and slicing your work: “A well-defined schedule doesn’t just help structure your at-home workday; planning is perfect for the office, too! Follow these three steps to set yourself up for a productive day:
Prioritise the 2-3 “must-do’s” of your day—name the to-do list items that simply must get done
Bucket similar tasks together and work on them in shifts. You might have a communication shift for responding to emails and a creative shift for brainstorming or analysing
Block time for deep work sessions where you can give large projects your full attention
Plan each day with care and watch it translate into long-term gains.”
Make the journey count
Luke encourages people to use the commute time for some simple well-being activities: “If you take public transport to work, all you need is a set of headphones and a smartphone to engage in a meaningful activity to help kickstart your day, or relax and unwind after a busy 9-5. Mindfulness, meditation, stress relief – try a few to find what suits you best.”
Andrew urges people to engage: “As life begins to return to normal, many of us will be going back to the workplace. If you commute to work on a regular basis it can be easy to fall into automatic mode where you tune out. I see this a lot whenever I’ve visited London. Try to engage in the present moment. Tune into your senses and find things to be grateful for. You’ll be amazed at just how effective this can be in boosting your mood.”
Water cooler wellbeing
Luke emphasises the benefits of being back with colleagues again: “A recent poll revealed that the number of Britons who want to work from home for good has fallen sharply since last year, from 50 per cent to just 24 per cent. Undoubtedly, a significant benefit of being in the workplace is the interaction with colleagues – a quick catch up over coffee, supporting a colleague who you can see is having a difficult day, and with wellbeing in mind, the pleasure of company on a lunchtime run, yoga class or simple walk in the park. Make the most of being part of the workplace community again and use those ‘water cooler’ moments for wellbeing.” Andrew agrees: “Help others and remember you don’t need to go at it alone. Having support from people around you will only solidify your chances of finding a life of wellbeing. However, it is important to focus on your own journey. If you have the vision for where you want your wellbeing to be then use that as your own inspiration. Don’t concern yourself with others who may be further ahead than you.”
Experts are warning of the risks employers pose on workforces by underestimating the need for well-rounded health benefits. It comes as recent findings show that just one-fifth of organisations have wellbeing initiatives that integrate mental, physical, financial and social issues whilst linking closely to business strategies.
Though the report from REBA also shows that 92% of employers now have a wellbeing strategy in place, experts at Tictrac, a global employee wellbeing company, advise that more must be done to aid staff health as the majority of organisations are struggling to provide comprehensive support.
Martin Blinder, Founder and CEO of Tictrac, a global health and wellbeing platform, said:
“While it’s positive to see that more organisations are committing to wellbeing programmes, it’s not enough to provide one area of support or siloed, tick-box initiatives.
“The four pillars of wellbeing – mental, physical, social and financial – are all interlinked, meaning that integrated and tailored health plans that target all areas are vital. Employers whose strategies cannot deliver well-rounded insights run the risk of creating ineffective wellbeing programmes.”
Blinder advises that limited initiatives can lead to problems for organisations:
“Firstly, basic initiatives can be disengaging for workforces. Individuals are increasingly selective about the apps and services they use, therefore, wellbeing plans that don’t appeal to a range of employee health concerns or provide seamless user experiences may have lower staff engagement rates.
“Problematically, when workforces are disengaged with wellbeing initiatives, it makes it harder for employers to collect aggregated insights on workforce health data. This information is key so that strategies can be analysed, adjusted and tailored to staff needs.
“Gaining this data is also harder when wellbeing strategies don’t cover all pillars. This is because less-extensive programmes will struggle to provide a complete picture of employee health. On the other hand, organisations that have comprehensive data are enabled to spot exactly where employees are excelling or struggling, after which targeted support can be offered.
“Understanding and recognising these issues in wellbeing programmes is essential in overcoming them. Ultimately, organisations that provide employees with well-rounded health benefits will ensure their wellbeing, productivity and satisfaction so it’s in an employer’s best interest to do so”.
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