Category Archives: Wellbeing at Work

Employee Benefits, Healthcare, News, Wellbeing at Work

Medicash announces new partnership with Vivup to support the mental wellbeing of its policyholders

Medicash, the UK’s largest provider of corporate health cash plans, is pleased to announce its new strategic partnership with the wellbeing and employee benefits experts at Vivup. This collaboration aims to enhance the range of mental health and wellbeing support available to Medicash’s corporate clients and their employees.

Medicash currently provides the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) for over 1,000 organisations covering over 140,000 individuals.  In addition, its helpline and online mental support covers a further 250,000 individuals, including over 45,000 direct customers.

 

Medicash has always been committed to promoting employee wellness through its comprehensive range of health and wellbeing benefits. By joining forces with Vivup, Medicash seeks to further empower organisations to take a more proactive and early intervention approach to mental wellbeing in the workplace. The partnership will see no change to the core services for existing users of the EAP but does bring with it some new proactive and preventative wellbeing benefits.

New features include a menopause support helpline, access to an extended range of online support and self-help guides via the Your Care platform and access to the online mental health peer support community of Togetherall.

 

With around 13 million women in the UK experiencing the physical and emotional effects of menopause at any one time it’s vital to ensure the right education and support is in place. Through this 24/7 menopause support helpline, users can book a one-off menopause assessment with a specialist menopause clinician.

Once assessed users will either be signposted to their GP with clear guidance on what to discuss with their GP, the symptoms to highlight and advice on how to confidently discuss the topic both at home and at work; directed to a suite of dedicated menopause resources and psychoeducation information; or offered up to 8 face to face counselling sessions where appropriate.

 

A highlight of the partnership’s new offering is the Togetherall app, a clinically managed online community designed to improve mental wellbeing through anonymous, moderated peer-to-peer support.

The platform provides anonymous, peer-to-peer support to enable as many people as possible to benefit from instant, easy-access as and when they need it. Clinicians can signpost users back to the Your Care platform and counselling service, as well as providing 24/7 monitoring with intervention where there’s risk. With the option to customise their feed, users can access the topics, categories, and resources that best relate to them and the challenges they’re currently facing.

 

This new partnership comes at a crucial time for Medicash’s half a million customers, with new research by the EAPA indicating that more employees than ever before are turning to workplace wellbeing initiatives for everyday help.

 

Sue Weir, Chief Executive of Medicash said: “We are delighted to announce our partnership with Vivup, reinforcing our commitment to supporting the mental health and wellbeing of our policyholders. With the changing nature of the work environment and demands from businesses to take an earlier, more proactive approach to mental health we searched the market to find what we believe to be the best solution for our customers and their employees.”

 

Vivup’s Chief Executive, Simon Moyle, said: “At Vivup we believe that a healthy and motivated workforce is crucial to an organisation’s success. We are excited about our new partnership as it will enable us to reach even more individuals and make a positive impact on their mental wellbeing. We look forward to working with both Medicash and Health@Work to create even more healthier, happier and more productive workplaces across the UK.”

 

Benefits, News, Wellbeing at Work

Vivup’s EAP Becomes the First in the UK to be EAPA Accredited

The Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) provided by Vivup is the first EAP in the UK to be accredited by EAPA (Employee Assistance Professionals Association).

The EAPA Accreditation standards have been structured to harmonise with and augment existing guidelines and legislative requirements, notably, those by the UKCP (UK Council for Physiotherapy) and the BACP (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy).

The EAP provided by Vivup, also has the prestigious APPTS (Accreditation Programme for Psychological Therapies Services) mark of approval, the highest level of clinical accreditation in the UK. The APPTS is awarded in partnership with the British Psychological Society and the Royal College of Psychiatrists and recognises the wide range of high quality services including counselling, secondary mental health services and wellbeing support offered by Vivup.

For the EAPA accreditation, the EAP recently undertook an assessment process to provide evidence of adherence and upholding the integrity of these standards, which was facilitated by an independent verification process. The advantages of this process include:

  • Allowing the EAP team to introspectively evaluate and refine their professional services
  • Reinforcing trust and instilling confidence among both individual and corporate clients
  • Facilitating continuous improvement by highlighting best practice

Tracey Paxton, Managing Director of Vivup Employee Assistance Programme, commented:

“We are thrilled to have been awarded the first UK EAPA accreditation. This is further evidence to the fact that we continue to provide innovative EAP and Secondary Mental Health Service care and treatment pathways within a robust Clinical Governance Framework. A huge well done to all the team who deliver this important and much needed service.”

News, Wellbeing at Work

Private sector ready to deliver 1+ million COVID vaccines – leading industry medical expert

Responding to reports that COVID vaccinations may soon be available to buy privately in the UK, the Founder and Medical Director of the first British company to provide flu vaccination campaigns has estimated that over one million people could benefit from allowing private providers to deliver COVID vaccinations.

 

Dr Charles Levinson, Doctorcall Founder and Medical Director, commented:

“Millions already receive their flu jab privately and mobilising that existing network to provide COVID vaccinations is a quick and easy win. Companies can offer wide scale programmes for their employees and individuals ineligible for an NHS jab can choose to pay a relatively small fee.”

“We see great quality in the choices made by employers and individuals – they self-select to ensure the right people get the vaccine, with companies keeping critical staff at work and with individuals on whom others depend putting themselves forward.”

“We have been calling for this as it will help alleviate pressure on NHS services by reducing spread and illness. It can be delivered through a combination of workplace clinics and electronic vouchers that could be redeemed at local pharmacies – the same as Doctorcall’s existing flu network.”

“Boosting capacity to add COVID vaccination is relatively straightforward as the vaccinations can be administered at the same time. The existing network could be immediately deployed to give over one million people protection in time for the challenging winter season.”

“Before any doses are administered, details will have to be addressed on storage, pricing and licensing. I urge officials to open discussions with the private sector, allowing us to take the relevant steps to prepare for an organised campaign.”

“Doctorcall is the longest-established provider of private flu vaccinations and demand is currently at a record high. Companies of all shapes and sizes recognise the benefits, why not use the same template for COVID vaccinations? Providing greater protection to those who choose to accept it.”

 

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References:

‘Record early demand’ announced for private workplace flu jabs following NHS vaccine drawdown report

https://doctorcall.co.uk/archives/news/record-early-demand-announced-for-private-workplace-flu-jabs-following-nhs-vaccine-drawdown-repor

Ihttps://www.itv.com/news/2023-08-18/private-covid-booster-jabs-could-be-for-sale-in-uk-for-first-time-next-year

 

Doctorcall workplace flu jabs:

https://doctorcall.co.uk/workplace-flu-jabs

 

 

 

Menopause, Menopause at work, News, Wellbeing at Work

Holland & Barrett Achieves Menopause Friendly Accreditation, Demonstrating Ongoing Commitment to Colleague Support

Holland & Barrett, the leading health and wellness retailer, is delighted to announce that it has been accredited as a Menopause Friendly Employer. This is the latest accreditation as H&B evolves its colleague support, creating a positive and inclusive working environment for all.

 The Menopause Friendly Accreditation, established by Henpicked: Menopause In The Workplace (www.menopausefriendly.co.uk), is industry-recognised and the only accreditation that sets clear standards which must be met. As such, it is truly meaningful and considered by many as a mark of excellence for menopause in the workplace.

Holland & Barrett’s colleagues have undergone extensive health training, which includes menopause education. Over 4,000 colleagues have received this training, and an eLearning module on menopause has been made available to all staff across the business. This initiative aims to educate and raise awareness about this important stage of life.

In order to achieve The Menopause Friendly Accreditation, employers are assessed by an Independent Panel and must demonstrate evidence of their effectiveness in six key areas, namely: culture, policies and practices, training, engagement, facilities and evaluation.

 

Maria Anderson, Chief People Officer at Holland & Barrett, commented, “We are incredibly proud to have achieved the Menopause Friendly Accreditation. At Holland & Barrett, we believe in supporting our colleagues throughout all stages of their lives and menopause is no exception. We understand the impact that menopause can have on individuals, both physically and emotionally, and we are committed to providing the necessary support and resources to help our colleagues navigate this time with greater ease.”

 

To further support colleagues, Holland & Barrett has developed a comprehensive Guide to Menopause. This guide serves as a valuable resource, signposting internal support available to colleagues. It includes information on how to request extra uniform, access to portable desk fans and guidance on how to have a wellbeing conversation with their line manager. By providing these resources, Holland & Barrett aims to ensure that colleagues feel supported and empowered to manage their menopause symptoms effectively while at work.

In addition to the Guide to Menopause, Holland & Barrett offers a range of support services. Colleagues can book a free 15-minute consultation with a menopause health nurse, who can provide expert advice and guidance. Furthermore, the company has trained 50 mental health first aiders who are available to provide support and assistance. Colleagues can also access free counselling through Holland & Barrett’s 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme, ensuring that they have access to help to maintain their mental wellbeing.

Holland & Barrett has supported its customers with access to menopause products and advice for over 50 years, and it is now also offering its highly trained colleagues to run free menopause information workshops in workplaces and at community groups across the UK. Fifteen colleagues who have the highest level of H&B’s accredited health and wellness training are equipped with additional training and resources so they can offer menopause talks free of charge – helping others to improve menopause awareness and education.

 

“Holland & Barrett has undertaken a huge amount of work in order to be accredited as a menopause friendly employer and I congratulate the whole team for its focus and dedication,” says Deborah Garlick, CEO of Henpicked: Menopause in the Workplace.  “I also applaud the way that Holland & Barrett is actively cascading its knowledge and expertise to customers and the wider community. This is admirable and will no doubt help many other people speak up and seek help to manage their menopause symptoms.”

 

Healthcare, Menopause, Menopause at work, News, Wellbeing at Work

CNWL awarded The Menopause Friendly Accreditation

Central and North West London (CNWL) NHS Foundation Trust has been awarded The Menopause Friendly Accreditation. Uniting a team of over 8,000 people, CNWL offers more than 300 services providing integrated healthcare to a third of London’s population, Milton Keynes and beyond.

The Menopause Friendly Accreditation established by Henpicked: Menopause in the Workplace, recognises high standards and proven practices that embrace menopause in the workplace.

In order to achieve accreditation, employers are assessed by an independent panel and must demonstrate evidence of their effectiveness in six areas: culture, policies and practices, training, engagement, facilities and evaluation.

We are proud of this success, seeing it as an important commitment to every single person in our Trust with menopause education as part of our aim to build a more inclusive culture.

 

Laura Knight and Rebecca Dunkerley, Co-Chairs of CNWL’s Women’s Staff Network said:

“We’re really proud of this work highlighted by our staff and given a voice initially through the Women’s Network and 50plus groups. It’s often hard to talk about health and wellbeing issues at work, and we’ve heard in our forums the relief of having spaces to recognise this issue.

“It’s so important to not just talk, but to have permission, structures and education to move forward that this accreditation give us as at CNWL. Making it clear that we value all our staff throughout their careers at CNWL.”

 

Nick Green, Chief People Officer at CNWL said:

“The Menopause Friendly Accreditation demonstrates our commitment to supporting our staff’s health and wellbeing. Being a menopause friendly employer aligns with our Trust values, our ‘Wellbeing for Life’ vision and our NHS People Promise.

“We want our staff to be able to bring their whole self to work but realised that speaking openly about perimenopause and menopause had been far too infrequent.

“National workplace statistics show that many women were struggling on their own and were leaving jobs, reducing their hours or forgoing opportunities for promotion. If this is happening nationally it is likely to be happening at CNWL and we wanted to support our staff and be truly inclusive.”

 

There are three key areas that have generated the most impact in terms of both support and engagement, namely:

  • Introducing an internal menopause resource page for staff and managers
  • Implementing a Peer Support Group for staff
  • Occupational Health monitoring of menopause related referrals

 

Nick continues:

 

“We found that our staff were keen to speak up, share their lived experiences, engage fully and express what improvements and support they would like to see in their workplace. In addition, our menopause staff survey highlighted areas of strength and weakness, allowing us to bring about positive improvements across all levels of our organisation.”

 

Deborah Garlick, CEO of Henpicked: Menopause in the Workplace said:

“I’m greatly encouraged to hear CNWL talk about the importance of having a culture where employees can speak openly and share their experiences as this is a vitally important aspect of being menopause friendly. It is patently clear that the staff at CNWL feel supported, cared for and valued, knowing their concerns will be listened to, understood and acted upon.

 

Offering advice to other NHS trusts and employers looking to be menopause friendly, Nick says:

“Be sure to listen to the needs of your staff and never underestimate the benefits of collaboration. Through collaboration, we have worked hard at listening to and communicating with everyone to ensure true diversity and inclusivity and achieve goals set by our staff.”

 

Awards, Health, Menopause, Menopause at work, News, Wellbeing at Work

Medtronic awarded The Menopause Friendly Accreditation

Medtronic – the global healthcare technology organisation – has been awarded The Menopause Friendly Accreditation.  With a business goal of ‘alleviating pain, restoring health and extending life’, Medtronic boldly confronts the most challenging health problems facing humanity by searching out and finding solutions.

Medtronic unites a global team of 95,000 people in a desire to provide innovative technologies which transform the lives of two people every second of every hour of every day.  Within the UK and Ireland it employs 1,234 people in its Watford and Dublin offices.

The Menopause Friendly Accreditation, established by Henpicked: Menopause in the Workplace (www.menopausefriendly.co.uk), recognises high standards and proven practices that embrace menopause in the workplace.

In order to achieve The Menopause Friendly Accreditation, employers are assessed by an Independent Panel and must demonstrate evidence of their effectiveness in these six key areas:  culture, policies and practices, training, engagement, facilities and evaluation.

Medtronic is proud of its success in achieving accreditation, seeing its commitment to menopause education as part of its aim to build a more inclusive culture.

“We wanted women to see Medtronic as a place for their career throughout all the stages of their life while also wanting men to feel included, and a part of our learning experience to allow them to support their partners, families and colleagues,” says Jacqui Godfrey, Women’s Health Team Member at Medtronic.

“Being menopause friendly has brought a very positive experience which is uniting our workforce: our work is ongoing as we continue to learn and to support in new ways,” adds Women’s Health Team Member Beverley Herrick. 

Three key menopause friendly actions of which Medtronic is most proud include:

  • Banishing the stigma around both menopause and other areas of women’s health
  • Creating a network where passionate and caring people learn together and support each other
  • Witnessing the growth from a few tiny voices asking for change into building a strong foundation for every single one of our current employees and benefitting employees who have yet to join us

“Looking at how we have grown together, we are especially proud of our community of champions who are always keeping the conversation going,” says Stephanie Barlow, Women’s Health Team Member.  “This is so important as colleagues are able to talk openly, and confident that they are not only being heard but actively being listened to.

“Going the one step further to gain Menopause Friendly Accreditation has been so worthwhile.  This commitment is the right thing to do all of our employees and is central to our overall wellness strategy at Medtronic,” says Samantha Hall from the Medtronic Senior Leadership Team.

Women’s Health Team Member Colin Simpson was eager to be part of the menopause project group as part of his role as the Disease State manager for Gynaecology for the UK and Ireland.  “I was having daily conversations regarding women’s health and what more we could do as a company to improve education, knowledge and access to treatments,” he says. “Menopause has long been a topic of importance and it was abundantly clear to me that we had to come together to support the women within Medtronic as much as we could with education and resources to help when it came to menopause and its associated symptoms.”

“The commitment to educate and support all their staff really shines through at Medtronic,” says Deborah Garlick, CEO of Henpicked: Menopause in the Workplace. “The enthusiasm with which the organisation and workforce has embraced Menopause Friendly Accreditation clearly demonstrates how important this issue is and how much of a difference to people’s lives it is making.”

 

Menopause, Menopause at work, News, Wellbeing, Wellbeing at Work

Medical Protection Society proud to achieve Menopause Friendly Accreditation

MPS serves and supports the healthcare professions, including looking after the physical health and emotional wellbeing of its members and people, most of whom are female. Committed to understanding the various factors which can negatively affect a woman’s wellbeing and ability to flourish at work, MPS recognised the need to talk openly about menopause and put the right support in place for those who need it.

MPS became a Menopause Friendly member in 2022 and embarked upon implementing operational and cultural changes to support its colleagues.

 

A wide range of interventions created and led by colleagues include:

  • Establishing a MenoChat group, which provides amazing peer-to-peer support and has been instrumental in helping people to manage the symptoms of menopause in a safe, friendly environment.
  • ‘Ask me anything’ sessions (run by in-house MPS medics) which have been significant in normalising the conversation.
  • The formation of a Menopause Network which seeks to understand the wider impacts on colleagues and the business, build awareness and smash taboos.
  • Training and supporting Menopause Advocates.
  • Conducting Menopause Awareness training for senior leaders, managers and colleagues.
  • Calling for more training, support and flexible working arrangements for doctors and dentists going through the menopause, to reduce the risk of a potential exodus of passionate and skilled clinicians from the workforce.
  • Providing free, confidential counselling for their members who are struggling with menopause symptoms at work.

 

“We’ve seen perceptions change and know people now feel confident to open up and talk about menopause with their peers and manager,” says Professor Dame Jane Dacre, MPS President. “We decided to apply for the Menopause Friendly Accreditation to show our members, colleagues and stakeholders that we take this very seriously as a long-term commitment and aren’t simply following the media trend or ticking a box,” she says.

 

High standards

The Menopause Friendly Accreditation, established by Henpicked: Menopause In The Workplace (www.menopausefriendly.co.uk), recognises high standards and proven practices that embrace menopause in the workplace. Employers are required to demonstrate evidence of their effectiveness in six key areas, namely: culture, policies and practices, training, engagement, facilities and evaluation. As such, the Menopause Friendly Accreditation is truly meaningful and considered by many as a mark of excellence for menopause in the workplace.

“Working with Henpicked and Menopause Friendly Accreditation has given MPS an excellent opportunity to learn best practice from, and benchmark ourselves against, other inclusive organisations,” says Lisa Davis, Executive Director of People and Culture at MPS.

 

Cultural change

“Our Menopause Network and monthly support groups have seen a high level of engagement in the topic – in team meetings, blogs and colleague forums,” continues Lisa. “Particularly good to see is that we have people from across the business, many of whom are not directly affected, asking what they can do to support their fellow colleagues, family members and friends.”

 

Being menopause friendly enriches an organisation’s culture and MPS believes an important first step is to assess where an organisation sits culturally and to what level people are aware of menopause and how the symptoms can add additional challenges to working.

 

“We have a diverse workforce spanning four continents,” says Jane. “We recognise menopause and the associated symptoms vary widely, and regional and cultural differences may further affect a woman’s experience.  Therefore, we took onboard feedback from our colleagues to ensure our support is fully inclusive and respectful of different views.

“One highlight for me was to learn from some colleagues that menopause is seen as a time to focus more on one’s spiritual and inner life and is something to be embraced. This refreshing and positive view is certainly one we share and encourage.”

 

To find out more about The Menopause Friendly Accreditation, visit www.menopausefriendly.co.uk

To find out more about MPS’s Supporting doctors through the menopause, click here.

 

About MPS

MPS works to protect the careers, reputations and financial security of doctors, dentists, healthcare professionals and organisations from the risks arising in delivering patient care. It has more than 300,000 members around the world, and has offices in the UK, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. The majority of colleagues are based in Leeds, while others work in London, Ireland, the Caribbean, Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia.

Mental Health, News, Wellbeing at Work

UK’s Largest Companies Sharpen Focus On Workplace Mental Health And Link Between Financial Wellbeing And Mental Health Strengthens

  • Investor benchmark shows 24 out of 100 companies move up the rankings as performance on practice and disclosure on mental health improves
  • 43% of companies recognise link between fair pay, financial wellbeing and workplace mental health
  • Nearly two-thirds of company CEOs still to signal leadership
  • Centrica, Experian, HSBC and Serco Group perform strongest overall with Weir Group biggest improver

 

Almost a quarter of the UK’s largest listed employers have improved their performance on workplace mental health overall in the past year, and almost half now recognise the link between financial wellbeing and the mental health of their employees, according to the second annual CCLA Corporate Mental Health Benchmark- UK 100, published today.

In an environment where UK employers in the private sector lose £43-£46 billion each year to poor workplace mental health,[i] the benchmark assesses 100 of the UK’s largest listed companies with more than 10,000 employees each, representing a combined workforce of 5 million employees[ii] on their global approach to workplace mental health. It ranks companies across five overall performance tiers to encourage companies and investors to think seriously about mental health as a systemic risk, and to develop robust management systems so that companies and their employees can thrive.

 

Centrica, Experian, HSBC and Serco in top tier, and 24 names move up

Since the inaugural benchmark in 2022, 24 companies have moved up at least one tier, including 10 firms who have moved out of tier five and almost a fifth of companies (19) ranking in the top two benchmark tiers, doubling the number from 2022. Of the 100, four companies have made the top tier, with Centrica, Experian, HSBC and Serco Group performing strongest overall. The biggest improver, however, was Weir Group, climbing from tier four in 2022, to tier two in 2023.

 

Fair pay, financial wellbeing and mental health

In the aftermath of the pandemic and with the UK facing a continuing cost-of-living crisis, 43% companies in this year’s benchmark published a formal policy explicitly acknowledging the link between financial wellbeing and mental health.

Compared to 26% in 2022 this 17 percentage points increase is the most marked year-on-year increase across the benchmark’s 27 performance indicators.

 

Amy BROWNE, Stewardship Lead, CCLA said:

“Covid-19 and the cost-of-living crisis have only served to compound our belief that poor mental health is a systemic risk. Companies have an economic and moral imperative to manage this risk. The huge increase in companies acknowledging the link between fair pay and financial wellbeing, and the mental health of their employees, is encouraging. It demonstrates that employers have an increasing awareness of their own responsibilities in ensuring good mental health in the workplace.

 “Over the last 12 months, we have been bowled over by some of the feedback we have received from UK 100 companies. Many have used our recommendations to strengthen their own approaches, while others have used our insights to initiate and escalate internal conversations on mental health to the highest level. While it’s encouraging to see solid progress from many, it is early days and we’ll be monitoring companies closely over time.”

 

Companies have further to go

Despite encouraging improvements, there are also areas that need close attention. While 93% of companies recognise mental health as an important business issue, 34% are yet to formalise their commitment to mental health in a policy statement. Similarly, 89% of UK companies are clearly investing in mental health programmes and initiatives, yet only 33% of companies report on their uptake.

One of the biggest areas needing improvement is in public leadership on workplace mental health. While 57% of companies have committed to removing the stigma associated with mental health (up from 44% in 2022), few leaders are publicly championing the issue. For investors who believe that CEO leadership is a key driver of change, the finding that fewer than 1 in 4 CEOs (37%) are formally signalling their leadership on mental health, is a potential cause for concern.

 

Paul FARMER, former CEO of Mind, co-author of ‘Thriving at Work’ and member of the expert advisory panel for the CCLA Corporate Mental Health Benchmark UK100, said:

“Workers in the UK have been caught in the challenges of the post-pandemic recovery and cost of living crisis and there are now a clear range of ways that employers respond. With approximately 15% of the world’s working population experiencing a mental disorder at any given time, business leaders have a critical and hands-on role to play to step up to this new challenge.

“Leadership must be visible and it must be intentional. The marginal improvement we’ve seen this year in CEOs publicly signalling their support for workplace mental health could indicate that leadership efforts needs extra energy. This is an area of corporate practice that has significant moral and financial implications and which companies and investors alike should be monitoring closely. The positive lessons from Covid of a more compassionate leadership must not be lost at this crucial time.”

  

Peter HUGH SMITH, Chief Executive, CCLA, said:

“Healthy financial markets need healthy communities and the cost of mental ill-health among the corporate workforce is significant.

“For companies, employers play an important role in improving the mental wellbeing of their workers. This includes paying people enough and fairly, offering secure, good-quality jobs, and providing benefits that extend the value of their pay.

“For investors, it is very straightforward, we want to see companies taking positive steps to address this issue and we are confident that this will deliver a triple win – for employees, for employers and for investors. The risk of not doing so is too financially punitive. We have started the journey, the early results are positive, but it’s a long road ahead. Collectively as an industry we need to help companies to do more.”

 

The CCLA Corporate Mental Health benchmark is also starting to serve as an important engagement tool and accountability mechanism for a growing global coalition of investors and asset owners. Signatories to the Global investor statement on workplace mental health [link to] now number 45, representing in aggregate more than $8.5 trillion in assets under management.[iii]

 The sister benchmark to the UK 100, the Global 100+, will be released in October 2023.

 

[i] https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/uk/Documents/consultancy/deloitte-uk-mental-health-report-2022.pdf

[ii] Bloomberg as at 12.01.23

[iii] Global investor statement on workplace mental health (ccla.co.uk)

Absence Management, Diversity & Inclusion, Gender Disparity, News, Wellbeing at Work

Aon and Vitality find gender wellbeing risks challenge DE&I progress among UK employers

  • Women more likely to feel fatigue
  • Men more likely to drink over 14 units of alcohol per week and smoke more

Analysis of new employee data from Vitality, in collaboration with Aon plc (NYSE: AON), shows key imbalances between genders at work in the UK, which, if left unchecked, can challenge employers’ Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) progress. The findings come from a survey of more than 8,500 employees in organisations across the UK to determine Britain’s Healthiest Workplace.

The research shows gender imbalances in employee wellbeing across all groups – men, women and those who identify as “other”. For instance, the average amount of time lost due to absence was similar for men and women (6.4 vs. 7.2 days). However, when asked to self-report on productive time lost due to presenteeism, women felt they lost more time (47 days per year vs. 39 days per year for men).

When lifestyle data was examined, 32.5 percent of men self-reported drinking over 14 units of alcohol a week compared to 19.5 percent of women. Men also reported smoking more (9.2 percent vs. 8.3 percent women). By contrast, 29.4 percent of men said they had their blood pressure, glucose and cholesterol measured in the past 12 months, compared to 20.1 percent of women. Conversely, women reported undertaking less physical exercise compared to their male colleagues (42.8 percent vs. 33.4 percent) but were more likely to eat five portions of fruit and vegetables every day (52.2 percent vs. 42.1 percent).

In addition, more women reported having one or more chronic health conditions compared to men (45.3 percent vs. 36.4 percent), while also having more musculoskeletal conditions – at least two types – than men (64.4 percent vs. 52.2 percent). Feeling fatigued or very tired at least once a week was self-reported more often by women than men (57.3 percent of women’s to men’s 48 percent), as was the likelihood of experiencing burnout (22 percent to men’s 18.5 percent).

In the workplace, men reported that they were less likely to share the values of their employer (76.5 percent vs. 81.9 percent for women) and felt more dissatisfied with their job than women (31 percent to women’s 28.4 percent). There was a wide variance between men (50.8 percent) and women (33.6 percent) who said that their employer provides them with volunteering opportunities and supports them financially to do so.

Britain’s Healthiest Workplace Survey also recorded responses from people who identified their gender as “other”; however, there weren’t sufficient figures to derive statistically significant conclusions.

Dr Jeanette Cook, principal strategic consultant for Health Solutions at Aon in the UK, said:

“There is a clear imbalance between genders across most metrics in this survey with the data suggesting that a lot of employers are not yet in the right place to manage the differences. Many studies have shown the benefits of having a diverse workforce – not least gains in productivity, performance, innovation and reputation. Companies cannot afford to be wrong-footed regarding gender variations in health and wellbeing needs.

“From a prospective candidate’s perspective, a future employer having a meaningful Employee Value Proposition is an essential consideration when choosing their next job. The balance for employers, then, is to ensure that DE&I and health and wellbeing programmes support retention and recruitment.”

Dr Jeanette Cook continued:

“These results show the challenges employers need to understand and overcome. For instance, we can see women self-reported losing more productive days due to presenteeism but is this due to different interpretations of presenteeism between genders? Women also experience more stress and exercise less. Men report a higher rate of alcohol consumption, but this may be a coping strategy for managing stress. What barriers might they be facing that makes this the case?

“A one-size-fits-all approach does not work with health and wellbeing. Employers need to look at their own data in context with industry insights to gain greater understanding of the issues that are present within their workforce and to build resilience. While there are some basic and common wellbeing needs, to be most effective, organisations will need to develop flexible wellbeing programmes specifically tailored to their unique business sector and workforce.”

Aon is the consulting partner to Vitality’s Britain’s Healthiest Workplace survey, which is available here.

More information about how Aon helps businesses build resilient workforces is available here.

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References

Vitality surveyed 8,500 employees whose companies took part in Britain’s Healthiest Workplace research from 29 March to 30 September 2022.

Presenteeism is defined as working at less-than-optimal levels, which can only be assessed by asking individuals. The challenge for researchers – as well as employers – has been how to measure presenteeism. A consensus has emerged around a range of survey tools that can generate proxies. One widely validated tool for self-reported absence and presenteeism is the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment (WPAI) questionnaire. The WPAI has been used in a wide range of studies to measure the loss of productivity from both general health problems as well as from specific conditions. In the Britain’s Healthiest Workplace survey, the general health WPAI (WPAI-GH) has been used.

Under the WPAI-GH, the determination of presenteeism is made using the following question, on the basis of a seven-day recall period:

During the past seven days, how much did health problems affect your productivity while you were working? Think about days you were limited in the amount or kind of work you could do, days you accomplished less than you would like, or days you could not do your work as carefully as usual. If health problems affected your work only a little, choose a low number. Choose a high number if health problems affected your work a great deal. 

This is a 0 to 10 scale, where 0 means health problems had no effect on your work, and 10 means that health problems completely prevented you from working. If you choose a presenteeism level of 2, for example, it means that you were fully productive for 80 percent of your working time, and that you had no productivity for 20 percent of the time.

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Health, HR, HR News, News, Wellbeing at Work, West Wales

How Your Workplace Can Help Prevent Breast Cancer: The JG HR Pledge

Breast cancer is more common than many realise – and with around 55,000 women and 370 men diagnosed each year, it’s almost certainly something that UK employers need to know about, because the way in which you support your team can make a massive difference to whether they attend the routine screenings that detect the disease early.  A new initiative by Breast Cancer Survivor and multi-award winning HR Consultant Julie Grabham, founder and owner of JG HR, seeks to help employers deliver the workplace support needed to reduce breast cancer deaths  – and asks them to sign the JG HR Pledge.

The importance of supporting employees to attend screening appointments

In November 2022, Julie was diagnosed with breast cancer. The diagnosis was discovered by a routine mammogram as part of the breast screening programme and Julie’s invasive tumour was removed in February 2023.  Julie had no signs, symptoms, or reason to think she may have breast cancer and undoubtedly without attending this routine screening, Julie’s future would be very different.

Julie is not alone; breast cancer is picked up through routine breast screening for a number of women and it shows how vital this free screening service is.

Sadly, many women do not attend routine screening appointments – and one of the reasons for this is that employees will not ask or can’t afford to take time off from work to attend the screenings.  Even if an employer says they will support an employee to attend routine breast screening, that message is not being heard in workplaces.

We need to change the message!

The JG HR Pledge

Through her business, JG HR Solutions Limited, Julie is hoping to get employers to sign up for free to The JG HR Pledge, with employers getting on board to help reduce the number of appointments missed for work reasons.

The JG HR Pledge will get employers to actively support employees to attend breast screening by:

  • Giving paid time off to attend routine breast screening appointments.
  • Talk about cancer in the workplace with the support of professionals, e.g. Macmillan, Breast Cancer Now, Maggies.

How to sign up

Any business in the UK  can sign up to the JG HR Pledge – it is completely free and simple to sign up – just send Julie a message with the company logo. Employers  will then receive a certificate to show they are part of the JG HR Pledge.

Julie advises employers to update their workplace polices to reflect the paid support for routine breast screening – and if you need help to do this, Julie will provide an update / new policy for any business that signs up to The JG HR Pledge, in exchange for a donation to any cancer charity.

Watch #HRFrommyshed for more details – and if you want to have a chat, support the campaign or sign up to the JG HR Pledge, please contact Julie via julie@jghrsolutions.co.uk

Let’s make a difference.