Category Archives: Wellbeing at Work

Eyecare, News, Wellbeing at Work, Work from Home

Lockdown and home working have caused ‘Dry Eye Syndrome’ to soar

Here’s what Dry Eye is and how to relieve symptoms:

More time indoors with the central heating on and staring at a screen for long periods are both factors that are thought to have led to an increase of Dry Eye Syndrome in the past 12 months.

According to research, around one in four people in the UK (around 13 million adults) currently suffer from Dry Eye, which causes red, itchy and tired feeling eyes. These symptoms can also be exasperated by eye strain – another eye condition that has become more common in tandem with an increase of time staring at screens.

What is Dry Eye syndrome?

Leading optical specialist from essilor.co.uk,  Dr Andy Hepworth explains the signs of Dry Eye syndrome and how take steps to treat dry eyes in need of a bit of TLC.

“While Dry Eye is a fairly common eye condition new research has shown that cases have soared in the past 12 months, much to do with lifestyle changes.

“Symptoms are varied, but most people experience a scratchy, gritty feeling that they just can’t shift, redness and puffiness, fatigued eyes that don’t want to open, even when they’ve had enough sleep, blurred vision, sensitivity to bright light and sometimes excessive watering.

“More severe symptoms can be photophobia (light intolerance), eye pain and deterioration in vision.

“Dry Eye is caused when your eyes don’t produce enough lubricant or tears to keep them moist at all times, or quick evaporation of tears. It is this lack of lubrication which makes yours eyes feel gritty and irritated. Its medical name is keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS).”

 

Causes of Dry Eyes

“A very common reason for this occurring is excessive screen time or not giving your eyes regular breaks – and you only have to look at some of the figures to see how our eyes are taking the strain of ‘virtual living’. UK adults purchased up to 21 million new digital devices – including TVs, games consoles and laptops – during lockdown according to research, with a further study by Zen Internet revealing that internet usage in the UK increased by 78 per cent year-on-year in 2020!

“Prolonged exposure to air conditioning or heating, wearing contact lenses for long periods and as a side effect of some medications are other known causes of Dry Eye.

“It can also be down to hormone imbalances. Women going through the peri-menopause and menopause may also notice their eyes becoming dryer as it can be linked to hormonal changes due to levels of oestrogen decreasing.”

 

Is it serious?

“While uncomfortable and irritating, short term bouts of Dry Eye is not a serious condition. Dry Eye can be managed with drops that lubricate the eyes in a natural way, giving short relief from the uncomfortable symptoms.

“However, if you’re eyes have been dry and irritated for prolonged periods of time then you should visit your optician for an eye test to make sure that there are no other underlying problems. An optician can test for Dry Eye with a fluorescein dye which allows them to measure the time it takes for the dye to start drying.

“The risk of developing dry eye syndrome can also increase chances of other complications such as inflammation of the cornea and conjunctivitis, so it is advisable to visit an optician regularly.”

 

Avoiding Dry Eye

“The key with Dry Eye is to prevent it from occurring in the first instance.

“If screen time is the issue, then reducing this or wearing glasses with lenses that support the eye’s focussing effort when using digital devices can help to reduce the discomfort that occurs from too much time in front of the computer. Essilor’s Eyezen lenses, with first of its kind DualOptim technology, are specialist ‘computer lenses’, designed to reduce eye strain. Wearing these lenses can support your eyes from working too hard especially when using digital devices and can be worn even if you don’t need a prescription.

“Taking regular breaks is also advisable – resting your eyes every 20 minutes and even stepping away from your computer and going outside to give them a proper break will help. Simple eye exercises can also help reduce Dry Eye. Try alternating between lightly closing your eyes and then forcing them to shut with strength. Do this about 20 times a day to increase your blinking, which automatically produces tears in your eyes.

“Contact lens wearers can be particularly susceptible to Dry Eye so if you are a lens wearer then you should make sure that you don’t wear them for longer than recommended and give your eyes a break by wearing glasses instead of your lenses on some occasions.”

Dr Hepworth added: “A fifth of people in the UK believe that their vision has declined in the past 12 months.

“Stress, excessive screen time, poor diet and missed eye appointments can all impact on eye health, so we’re urging people to consider changes that can be made to your lifestyle to support better eye health and to speak to your optician if you have any concerns whatsoever, and make sure that keep up to date with your eye examinations.”

 

Mental Health, News, Wellbeing at Work

New report reveals how a year of Covid-19 has seen employees embrace stress management

  • More than a third of people opted for mental health support when they checked in to the Gympass platform
  • There was a switch from anxiety support to stress management over the year
  • With the spotlight on health, Gympass saw increases in physical activity for both those already active and those new to exercise

Employees have adapted to the changing pressures of the Covid-19 pandemic by embracing a range of mental health support, according to a global report by the world’s largest wellbeing platform, Gympass.

The report, ‘What a year of Covid-19 has taught us about stress and adaptability’, features data from nine countries around the world, including the UK, USA, Spain and Germany, on use of thousands of fitness and wellbeing activities and apps available on the Gympass wellbeing platform.

Having previously been known for their support for physical wellbeing, Gympass identified the need for mental wellbeing options to support people through the pandemic, with the offering being well-received by customers.

More than a third of people opted for mental health support when they checked in to the Gympass platform, and 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. Calm also reported more parents with their kids at home using the app, underscoring the additional stress due to Covid-19 lockdowns.

Luke Bullen, CEO UK & Ireland at Gympass explains: “Over the last year, companies have stepped up to provide wellbeing programmes for staff, including access to the Gympass platform. Our global report showed a shift over time in the type of support being sought; in the early days it was to help with anxiety but as time went on, more people engaged with meditation and stress relief. This reinforces the importance of having expert advice and evidence-based digital solutions readily available to help people move from anxiety interventions through to coping strategies. Companies such as Bupa, Centrica and Admiral started offering Gympass to their employees during the pandemic, with them valuing our mental wellbeing support as well as our physical activity offering. It is really positive to see that people are using Gympass to find healthy, productive ways to manage the emotional impact of the pandemic.”

It wasn’t just mental wellbeing activity that people turned to during the pandemic.

Gympass’ data showed that highly active users stayed as active as they had been prior to the pandemic, if not slightly more. When compared to that of March-December 2019, highly active users’ activity level was nearly identical (and was actually +0.7%).

Less active individuals saw a 20.8% increase in their average weekly check-ins on Gympass after the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. There’s no doubt that fitness comes with its share of health benefits, and the sudden focus on health as a whole solidified that message for groups of varying fitness experience.

The pandemic has also impacted on the way people are getting their workouts in. With working from home becoming the norm for many, exercise sessions are no longer confined to early mornings or after the office closes.

The report found that a mid-morning exercise session was popular as it provided a break for people who had been online for an hour or two, with bookings at 10am increasing by 43%. At the opposite end, later evening workouts, likely after dinner, also increased, and the lack of social, sports, and entertainment events led to a significant increase in weekend workouts, with an 111% increase in Sunday workouts.

“This report shows that around the world people have taken positive steps to safeguard both their physical and mental health during this unprecedented year. By prioritising our wellbeing, we become more equipped to effectively adapt to the challenges and stress that characterise life in the 21st century, and Gympass is committed to supporting people achieve this,” adds Luke.

Awards, News, Wellbeing at Work

Northampton General Hospital named Health and Wellbeing Employer of the Year at national awards

Northampton General Hospital (NGH) has been crowned Health and Wellbeing Employer of the Year, at the fifth Our Health Heroes Awards, for its staff wellbeing services that have supported the workforce, both physically and mentally, during COVID-19 and beyond.

Delivered by Skills for Health, the annual Our Health Heroes campaign shines a light on the efforts of healthcare support staff. Over 600 nominations across nine award categories were received for the awards, including those in the Health and Wellbeing Employer of the Year Award, judged by NHS England and Improvement.

Bronwen Curtis, Director of HR and OD, NGH said about winning the award: “Providing support to our staff is our shared passion and their health and wellbeing is our focus. Our team practices of sharing insights, researching evidence, innovative thinking and collaborative working mean we can provide a wide range of services that meet the diverse and changing needs of our staff. We feel extremely proud that our contribution has been valued.”

The award was presented by Prerana Issar, Chief People Officer at NHS England and Improvement. On announcing the winner, Prerana said: “The focus on health and wellbeing is crucial for all employers and staff, now so more than ever, with the additional challenges faced by our NHS people due to the pandemic. And it is a key focus within our NHS People Plan. By recognising those who are going above and beyond to implement wellbeing strategies that are making a real difference to staff, we will hopefully inspire other organisations to do the same.”

The award-winning Health and Wellbeing Collaborative; comprised of a Staff Psychology Service, Health and Wellbeing Service, Occupational Health Service, Support our Staff (SoS) Service, Organisational Development (OD) and Human Resources (HR) Team are truly multidisciplinary in their approach; applying the skills of experienced clinicians alongside those of non-clinical and voluntary staff, to deliver exceptionally diverse, preventative, and responsive effective outcomes for the entire workforce.

The numerous initiatives offered by the Health and Wellbeing Services focus on maximising the emotional, physical, and practical resources available to care for all staff, at every stage of their NGH journey.

One Health and Wellbeing Service user commented: “The mental health awareness workshop was the start of me really realising I need to look after myself, I’m no good to others if I’m not managing myself.”

John Rogers, Chief Executive at Skills for Health, said: “The continuous and effective joint working and integrated approach the Health and Wellbeing Services team take to improving staff outcomes demonstrates why they are such worthy winners of the Health and Wellbeing Employer of the Year title. This award is a testament to their hard work and commitment to the entire NGH workforce, at such a crucial time.”

News, Wellbeing at Work

Lockdown learnings for long-term employee wellbeing

Over the last year, many companies across the UK have responded to the need for wellbeing support; adapting their offering and implementing new strategies that, as well as helping to safeguard employee wellbeing at the time, are fit for a post-pandemic world.

We don’t often read the words ‘positive impact’ and ‘pandemic’ together in the same sentence but for some companies, much needed wellbeing strategies and processes put in place to support staff during an unprecedented year are now embedded for the long-term because of the positive impact and uptake.

Here, Luke Bullen, CEO, UK & Ireland at Gympass, the world’s largest corporate wellbeing platform, shares his insight on what learnings we can take from lockdown. We also hear from Gympass partners, Co-op and Santander, about how the pandemic has influenced their future wellbeing strategies.

“As well as new thinking on working remotely, the pandemic has brought about a welcome change in views on the importance of mental wellbeing in the workplace,” says Luke.

“A recent report revealed that Covid-19 has brought about a change in business leaders’ attitude towards mental health, and research earlier in the pandemic showed that more than 90% of employers have introduced measures to support employee wellbeing. For example, our corporate partners see the value in Gympass for their employees as our digital platform is designed to nurture all-round healthy habits, and includes mental health, tailored nutrition plans, meditation and relaxation programmes alongside a diverse range of online workouts.”

For Gympass partner, Co-op, one of the world’s largest consumer co-operatives, colleague wellbeing has always been a priority, and support put in place both before and during the pandemic has provided insight for the future, Paul Caudwell, Co-op’s Health Wellbeing Manager, explains:

“The basic principle is that what we do needs to be responsive to the emerging and changing needs of our colleagues. Communicating to personal email addresses was previously not allowed but the Covid-19 pandemic helped to unlock this ability and it’s something we will continue. We have a great product offering and will keep talking to colleagues about it. The pandemic has also reinforced that we need to be flexible in general. We accept that whilst we sign-up to a 12-month budget, underpinned by a clear plan, this has to have the flexibility to adapt, and we shouldn’t be afraid to change direction if colleagues need it.”

Gympass partner, Santander UK, also puts employee wellbeing at the heart of its operations; achieving “Excellence in Wellbeing” accreditation from Great Places to Work for the support offered to its 21,000 colleagues. The company will continue to offer a number of its wellbeing solutions brought in ahead of the first lockdown.

Damien Shieber, Santander’s Head of Culture and Experience and a member of Business in the Community Wellbeing Leadership Team, explains: “Our support covers physical, mental, financial and social wellbeing. For example, our Wellbeing Hub, provides information on looking after your mental wellbeing when working at home, wellbeing webinars and a direct link to our employee assistance programme. It has been used by colleagues over 95,000 times. And our ‘wellbeing hour’, led by our executive committee and senior leaders, promotes a meeting-free hour, between 1-2 pm each day. This is to help colleagues focus on their wellbeing, away from their screens. These are just two of the initiatives we implemented to support colleagues.”

Over the last year, like a number of companies, Gympass has adapted its offering to meet the needs of both customers and employees: “For customers, we moved to a digital model so people could still benefit from fitness and wellbeing solutions, and for the Gympass team, we kept that sense of community through remote sessions where we discussed wellbeing and shared activities that we could do to stay well and motivated during lockdown.

“We will certainly continue a number of the initiatives we brought in over the last year because of the level of engagement and the benefits of bringing people together that even in ‘normal’ times may not meet,” says Luke.

Luke recognises the significant efforts companies are making to support employee wellbeing but warns of complacency: “Whilst the majority of employers offer some form of wellbeing support, less than half have a dedicated wellbeing strategy in place, according to recent research. As workplaces start to open up in the near future, and people’s work patterns change again, it is vital that employees have access to a robust programme to help safeguard wellbeing and aid productivity.”

 

Research/surveys

  1. The Covid-19 pandemic has been responsible for a generational shift in executives’ attitudes to mental health. Bupa Global, Executive Wellbeing Index
  2. 94% of employers have introduced measures to support employee wellbeing. Wade Macdonald and Doyle Clayton
  3. Less than half of businesses (44%) have a wellbeing strategy in place. Aon, UK benefits and trends survey 2021 

About Gympass
Gympass is a complete corporate wellbeing platform that ignites and fuels every journey to feel good. We do this by reinventing wellbeing, making it universal, engaging and accessible. Worldwide companies rely on Gympass’ unmatched variety, convenience, and flexibility to support their employees’ health and happiness. With over 50,000 fitness partners, 1,300 on demand classes, 2,000 hours of meditation, 1000 healthy recipes, weekly 1:1 therapy sessions, and hundreds of personal trainers, Gympass supports every wellbeing journey. We partner with best in class wellbeing providers in multiple markets across North America, Latin America, and Europe.

 

Employee Benefits, HR News, News, Wellbeing at Work

Cheryl Brennan: Why Employers need to proactively promote women’s health and wellbeing at work

On International Women’s Day, Cheryl Brennan, Executive Director for Health and Benefits at Howden Employee Benefits & Wellbeing, is highlighting why women’s health needs to be more of a priority for employers.

Common conditions such as endometriosis[i] which affects 1 in 10 women in the UK; the menopause; mental health including post-natal depression and peri-menopausal anxiety and fertility issues are frequently unrecognised in the workplace and there is often a stigma around talking about female health issues despite the rising number of women in the workplace.

The Office for National Statistics[ii] estimates that more than two-thirds (72%) of women aged 16-64 are employed (September to November 2020), this is an increase from 52.8% in the first quarter of 1971 when ONS first began recording this data[iii].

Cheryl Brennan says, “Women have made great strides in the workplace, but there are still barriers to overcome and health issues can be one of them.  Many common conditions that impact women are still not talked about in the workplace, which can leave them suffering in silence and reluctant to turn to their manager because they are not sure of the reaction they will receive.

“Women’s health issues can be embarrassing for both men and women to talk about, and women may feel self-conscious raising them, especially if their manager is male. This could negatively impact their productivity and hamper their careers and future development.’’

“Women can have added pressures from managing caring responsibilities too. With some choosing to have children later in life, they are often juggling a young family, whilst caring for elderly parents and relatives. This could also coincide with the onset of menopause, adding additional physical and emotional challenges.”

“For companies this can mean they are not getting the best out of a large proportion of their workforce; it may lead to increased absenteeism or presenteeism with the additional costs this involves as well as developing a reputation as an employer that doesn’t care about its female staff.’’

“In the end this could mean they lose valuable female talent from the business and have difficulty recruiting. It could also further widen already established gender pay gaps. This is not good for business or reputation. On International Women’s Day we are calling on employers to offer more support for women’s health and create a culture where there is no stigma to discussing issues such as menopause, mental health and fertility.”

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted other health risks for women. Before the pandemic it was reported that cervical cancer was on the rise in young women[iv] and deaths from breast cancer are set to rise[v] by 2022. However, the pandemic has caused almost 1 million women to miss breast screening[vi] and almost a third to miss cervical screening[vii]

Cheryl Brennan adds, “Women’s cancer could rise more than predicted in the next few years because of screening delays or the reluctance of women to see their GP if they were experiencing symptoms because of the pandemic. Men will also be affected for some cancers so employers should take action now and consider offering cancer screening programmes as part of their overall benefits strategy.”

Here Cheryl offers some top tips on how employers can help:

  • Remember women have a unique set of health and wellbeing requirements and a one size fits all approach is unlikely to help
  • Review existing policies and processes – around sickness, maternity leave, flexible working and health and safety to ensure that women’s health conditions are considered
  • Train and educate line managers in the different types and the potential impact of health conditions women face. This will enable them to have supportive conversations and ensure women can raise and discuss their symptoms/concerns
  • Consider flexible working, condensed hours and working from home to help women if they have a health issue or are struggling with childcare
  • Provide equal pay – while this may not happen overnight, where gender pay gaps have been identified, a clear action plan is required to redress the balance
  • Provide healthcare information covering women’s health issues and the treatments available
  • Remind women of support available – whether through benefits such as EAPs, virtual GPs and PMI cover or other sources, such as charities
  • If you offer health assessments for employees, include gender specific tests
  • Ask female employees what healthcare support and benefits they would like

Christine Husbands, Managing Director of RedArc adds, “As well as looking after women’s physical health, employers also need to provide emotional support. Employers may have support services in place, but they should check these can be tailored for women around what can often be very personal and sensitive subjects. General counselling is unlikely to help.”

“We provide specialist services for employers and our nurses give practical advice and emotional support in dealing with the many symptoms and implications of women’s health conditions. Having somewhere to turn to for emotional help, before or after a diagnosis, can be hugely valuable for female employees.”

RedArc is part of Howden Group Holdings alongside Howden Employee Benefits and Wellbeing Limited.

HR News, Wellbeing at Work

Aon Survey reveals less than half of UK employers have a wellbeing strategy in place

Aon plc (NYSE: AON), a leading global professional services firm providing a broad range of risk, retirement and health solutions, has released research which provides an in-depth look at the health and wellbeing provisions offered by employers across the UK. According to Aon’s UK Benefits & Trends Survey, only 44% of employers have a formal wellbeing strategy, despite significant investment in health and benefits by employers. In addition, 22% said they did not intend to have a strategy within the next 12-18 months.

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

“The fact that less than half of the employers we surveyed have a comprehensive wellbeing strategy in place is perhaps one of the key observations from this year’s survey. 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 all too often lacks strategic focus.

“In light of COVID-19, it is encouraging to see that a third of respondents said they expected to make a greater investment in employee health in 2021. Research shows, however, that investment in services and benefits alone will not generate required outcomes. Our Rising Resilient study showed that resilience triples when employers adopt a well-rounded health and wellbeing programme supporting physical, social, emotional, financial and career needs. It’s therefore encouraging to see that 33% of respondents intended to have a formalised health and wellbeing strategy in place in the next 12-18 months.”

The survey also showed that only 9% of employers are actively measuring the return on investment from their wellbeing programmes, despite it being a crucial way to assess and tailor them to their employees’ needs. According to Aon, this can make it harder to justify investment and secure maximum value, and may explain why 70% of employers do not have a designated budget for health and wellness.

Of the employers that have a well-rounded strategy, 55% are using employee engagement surveys to drive their health and wellbeing programmes. These have overtaken more traditional markers such as Employee Assistance Programme utilisation and absence data as the main metric for informing employers’ strategies.

Wellbeing has also moved up the corporate agenda, with more than half of employers (56%) already having or planning to have Board-level sponsorship for their wellbeing initiative. According to Aon, this shows the level of importance placed on wellbeing and what it can offer organisations in terms of improved health, engagement and productivity.

Looking ahead, employers plan to focus their 2021 healthcare spend on education and prevention, with 78% of respondents looking to focus on this area. There has, however, been a notable shift in the number of employers looking to provide access to treatment, which ranked least important 12 months ago but is now second in importance, with 39% of employers planning to focus on this offering.

The survey also illustrated the wellbeing pillars employers see as priorities.

  • Most employers (76%) now have emotional/mental wellbeing strategies in place, which is up 8 percentage points from 2020 (68%). Nearly two thirds (59%) of employers have a specific strategy in place for mental health.
  • When it comes to financial wellbeing, 41% of employers have a strategy in place, despite 61% of employers agreeing that they are responsible for influencing employee financial wellbeing. The number of employers with ‘no plans’ to implement financial wellbeing solutions has increased from 30% in 2020 to 39% in 2021.
  • Career and Social wellbeing also stayed lower on the agenda, with only 32% and 30% of employers, respectively, having defined strategies in place. These have changed in the last year: Career wellbeing has lowered as an employer priority – 36% of employers had a defined strategy last year – yet Social wellbeing has risen by 2 percentage points, up from 28% in 2020.
  • Sixty-one percent of employers have a defined strategy in place for employee physical health, a marginal decrease from 65% in 2020.

Witte added:

“Having a robust wellbeing strategy in place will contribute to employee resilience, which we can all agree is a valuable asset to have now. But as our survey highlights, it is important for employers to ensure that their strategy is inclusive of all five pillars of wellbeing; Emotional and Mental, Physical, Financial, Career and Social. There is a danger that the impact of the pandemic means employers focus the majority of their efforts on emotional and mental initiatives, and whilst this is vitally important, we urge employers to ensure the other pillars of wellbeing are not forgotten.

“The events of the past 12 months have elevated the importance of employee health as a business-critical issue. This year will undoubtedly see continued focus on wellbeing activity with a greater demand for data and insight to help not just strategy design, but also better measure value and return on investment.”

Find out more about the Aon UK Benefits and Trend Survey 2021 and download a copy of the report here.

News, NHS News, Wellbeing at Work

Health Assured to offer free access to mental health and wellbeing app to all NHS workers

Health Assured, the UK’s largest award-winning health and wellbeing provider, is exclusively offering all NHS staff including Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust free access to their innovative mental wellbeing app, My Healthy Advantage, to support them as they deal with the trauma of the COVID pandemic which is driving up levels of stress, anxiety and depression among frontline staff.

Health Assured currently supports over 50 NHS trusts and is always looking for new ways to help support NHS heroes as they work tirelessly to protect the nation’s health. In 2020, Health Assured saw a 34% increase in the amount of support they provided to the healthcare industry. Considering this key finding, the organisation hopes that free access to their app will provide in-the-moment support to individuals wherever and whenever they need it and give them a healthy advantage in the coming months.

The My Healthy Advantage app extends Health Assured’s propositions beyond their employee assistance programme (EAP), offering individuals an opportunity to access free, personalised health information and data to make informed decisions about their health and wellbeing. The app provides industry-leading features across four key categories – user wellbeing, user engagement, wellness and reward & recognition.

Each feature has been carefully built with the user’s wellbeing in mind and designed to improve the user’s mental health, financial wellbeing, social wellbeing and physical health, using personal metrics to set bespoke goals and achievements. Users will be able to identify and target their health and wellbeing priorities, such as quitting smoking, managing anxiety and stress, or simply being more active. The app is available via Android or IOS. Some of the key features of the enhanced and industry-leading app include:

  • A weekly interactive mood tracker, which allows users to track their mood in relation to their emotional, physical and financial, wellbeing and breathing.
  • Mini health checks for body mass index, waist measurements, sleeping patterns, alcohol, mental health and fatigue.
  • Access to BrightTV – powered by Health Assured. A monthly series featuring well-known personalities talking about their personal experiences with mental health including Dame Kelly Holmes and Ruby Wax.
  • Four-week plans aimed at improving employee health by focusing on areas like quitting smoking, losing weight and coping with pressure.
  • A perks portal, allowing access to great offers from leading high street health and wellbeing brands
  • Health hub & goals, which can track, sleep, steps, water, and smoking. The user can set daily and weekly goals, which can be reviewed at any time.
  • Leaderboards where users can create leaderboards and share their unique codes with colleagues for them to participate.
  • Users will receive achievements for completing four-week plans, wellbeing goals and placement on leaderboards in challenges such as water and steps.

David Price, CEO of Health Assured, said:

“During this stressful and uncertain time, NHS staff are facing enormous challenges while also managing their mental health, maintaining a work-life balance as well as family and health concerns. Health Assured’s smartphone app, My Healthy Advantage, provides support and resources to help manage these issues and ensures the right support is all available in one place. We aim to enable each individual to take control of their health and wellbeing on their terms. We want to do all we can to support our NHS heroes through these difficult times, and we hope access to our cutting-edge app will provide some essential help.”

For more information on how to access the app, visit https://www.healthassured.org/nhs-app-offer/

Employee Engagement, News, Wellbeing at Work

Air France KLM European Sales and Service Centre continues strong employee engagement partnership with Thrive

Air France KLM ESSC has continued its partnership with Thrive, which has involved the development of an employee engagement and communications app, ‘My Wem’.

Air France KLM is one of the world’s leading airlines, employing over 80,000 staff.  The company’s London based European Sales & Service Centre (ESSC) plays a crucial role in the success of Air France KLM; with now 200 of their employees working remotely, handling thousands of enquires each day from travellers around the world.

The ESSC needed to streamline communication, reduce the use of email and create a community to keep colleagues connected and the ‘My Wem’ app was launched to achieve this.

Internal Communications Officer at Air France KLM ESSC, Georgina Gray says; “We needed a cost-effective platform to keep our people engaged and connected. We could see that remote working could potentially leave our colleagues disconnected, especially now with the current Covid conditions and we wanted to break down department silos. We also wanted to future-proof our communication channel and thought an app-based solution would be the best choice.

The ‘My Wem’ app which is available on our team’s desktop and mobile phones has created a ‘virtual campfire’ for all of our employees. It has shaped our company culture, increased morale, and employee recognition. The app has aligned to our company values, it has simplified communication and increased the voice of the employee which is key to successful communication strategy. “

Since its launch, the ESSC has seen 120% increase in its employee’s engagement in the app. They have also seen an increase in productivity, reducing time spent with a more streamlined approach to HR procedures and information sharing.

James Revell, ESSC General Manager mentions “It has been so satisfying to see colleagues’ opinions on and interactions with internal communication improve so much since the roll out of My Wem”.

Georgina Gray adds – “Previously colleagues had to go through several steps to locate HR information that is now readily available for them on their app which immediately saves us time for colleagues to dedicate and focus on their role. Successful communication should be two-way and not just top down. We have the possibility for each colleague to participate in communication with the UGC (user generated content) feature as well as being able to like and comment on content”

James Scott, CEO, Co-Founder of Thrive adds;  “We sincerely value our partnership with Air France KLM European Sales and Service Centre and hope to continue to support them through these challenging times and beyond. Their employee app has been embedded across their organisation and its success is attributed to the Air France KLM ESSC team. Our goal is to help as many organisations as we can in shifting from traditional methods of employee communications and engagement such as team briefings, printed newsletters, notice boards, printed payslips and forms to instant, modern, secure, engaging mobile apps that their employees love.”

 

About Thrive

Thrive provides the technology and support to assist organisations in igniting their internal communications through the successful launch of employee apps. With the Thrive app, every employee can easily access real-time information they need to support their role, organisational updates across all areas of the business and feel supported and recognised as they carry out their duties.

The Thrive App brings everyone together, including desk-less workforces with limited or no access to corporate emails or intranets. Its client-base includes councils, healthcare companies, manufacturing businesses, food firms, retailers and other organisations across the UK, Ireland and internationally.

This software as a service solution enables HR, Marketing, Internal Comms, Corporate Comms, IT, Operations and other professionals to create and promote important, relevant, timely and customised information. Reaching everyone, everywhere, every time with an engaging, secure mobile app that is ridiculously easy to use. https://www.thrive.app/

About Air France KLM  

Air France KLM is a major global air transport player. Its main businesses are passenger transportation, cargo transportation and aeronautical maintenance. Together, Air France and KLM carry more than 77 million passengers per year*pre COVID. They operate 548 aircraft, enabling them to fly to 318 destinations in 118 countries. Members of the joint Air France KLM frequent flyer programme Flying Blue earn Miles and claim rewards on SkyTeam routes. Air France KLM makes every effort to answer questions and accommodate customer requests, all of which is assisted by the European Sales & Service Centre.

Benefits, HR News, News, Wellbeing at Work

Aon UK Benefits & Trends 2021 Survey: Employers prioritised employee mental health and communications as a result of COVID-19

Aon plc (NYSE: AON), a leading global professional services firm providing a broad range of risk, retirement and health solutions, has released new research showing the impact of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) on employee benefit programmes.

According to Aon’s UK Benefits & Trends Survey, 86% of employers said they prioritised employee communications as a result of the pandemic. In addition, 71% of employers said they now conduct research among their employees to understand their needs, an increase of 9 percentage points on last year. However, this still shows a concerning number of employers who are not tapping into employee opinion.

Colin Barnes, director, proposition and development, Aon, said:

“The humanitarian and economic challenges of 2020 created a catalyst for long-lasting change in the workplace. The pandemic has accelerated new approaches needed for businesses to survive or thrive. Surrounded by these challenges, employees needed clarity and confidence in the messages they received from their employers. Where communication had long been a priority, last year it become even more important.

“Indeed, wellbeing has been an increasingly relevant boardroom topic as employers connected productivity and profitability to engagement, resilience and the underlying health of their workforce. It is overwhelmingly positive to see the number of employers recognising and responding to this need.”

A majority of employers (92%) indicated a focus on mental health. Since the impact of COVID-19, 87% of respondents said they are focusing on wellbeing for homeworking, 83% on general wellbeing and 68% on emotional support. Over half (56%) have targeted their wellbeing initiatives to improve employee resilience.

When it comes to physical health, 66% of employers now provide a digital GP service, either available to staff on a voluntary or flexible basis (12%), fully company funded to all staff (40%) or fully funded to some staff (14%). Less than half (48%) provided this benefit in 2020.

The number of respondents who said that value-added services such as Employee Assistance Programmes, rehabilitation support and educational content are now very important to them and a key part of their strategy has increased 14 percentage points from 31% in 2020 to 45% in 2021.

The pandemic also impacted employers’ views on their Employee Value Propositions (EVP), with 41% stating they are being re-evaluated. Additionally, 28% said they have a clear EVP, up from 23% last year, while 43% planned to develop one this year. There has also been positive movement in the number of organisations that explain their EVP to employees; two years ago, approximately one third of respondents did not communicate their EVP, but now this figure has fallen to just 14%. According to respondents, the benefits of having an EVP are increasingly clear: 87% said it has a positive impact on recruitment, 85% reported a positive impact on employee engagement and 78% said it improved retention.

Colin Barnes added:

“In the last year, organisations had to react incredibly quickly to changing situations. The pandemic made us all acutely aware of volatility and the global nature of such threats. The unfortunate reality is that future global risks may not just include more health pandemics, but also other long-tail risks such as cyber threats or natural disasters. Any one of these will test an organisation’s strategy and endurance. What is important is acting on what we’ve learned so that both employer and employee are ready and resilient to future disruption.”

To find out more about the Aon UK Benefits and Trend Survey 2021 visit here.

Download the report here.

Benefits, News, Wellbeing at Work

Gympass Covid-19 Impact Report reveals clarion call for flexible employee wellbeing support

Gympass, the world’s biggest corporate wellbeing platform, has released its Impact of Covid-19 in the Fitness & Wellness Universe report. Showing how COVID-19 will continue to impact the fitness industry, it also reveals how corporate wellness is top-of-mind among employers and employees to support people’s health and productivity in the now-normal blended home/office work practice.

The study surveyed 9,000 employees from across the UK, USA, Brazil, Germany, Mexico, Spain Italy, Argentina and Chile.

A resounding 94% of employees said wellbeing is important for their workplace productivity and 77.4% of employers concur with this view. An overwhelming 77% of employees believe their employer should support them in this by providing access to wellness options.

As employers start to plan for post-lockdown work life, 44.95% say some form of home office will remain post-Covid. This means that continued flexibility in corporate wellness programmes must remain to support employees, whether based at home or the office.

A picture of ‘omnichannel fitness’ has formed during the pandemic with people seeking to combine the best of both worlds dovetailing online workouts with offline activity. Empowerment to work out is another key finding of the Gympass research with people now having higher expectations for fitness products with 49.12% enjoying an activity routine without a traditional gym membership.

There has been a significant shift to online workouts with a 36% rise in people trying these and the majority of 42.06% favouring YouTube for their content.  This is not the end of offline workouts however, as 40% of respondents believe these give them better results, indicating demand will rise once fitness facilities’ timetables are back up and running.  Confidence is quite high among consumers with 37.3% saying they consider gyms that follow the correct protocols to be safe.

This blended approach of online and offline activity will continue after the pandemic. In addition, the rise in outdoor exercise looks set to stay with 16.4% saying they want to keep their new-found habit after social distancing restrictions end.

The impact report shows an increased interest in personal training and classes at a gym or studio as people seek the support and motivation of in-person instruction and a decreased interest in on-demand programmes as the need for these diminishes.

“This is the largest survey we’ve created of its kind, that could be helpful in understanding the complex outcomes following the impact of COVID-19 on people’s fitness and wellness preferences,” says Luke Bullen, CEO, Gympass UK/IE.  “Flexibility and support are both key requirements for a corporate wellness platform going forwards to allow people to combine online and offline activity, engage with in-person instruction and fit their activity choices around a blended home/office working environment.

“We hope that by mapping the main barriers and behaviours of customers around the world, we can help employers make decisions to enable their workforce to fulfil their health and career aspirations post COVID-19.”

See the survey here:

https://hs.gympass.com/en/ebook-future-of-fitness-and-wellness-universe