Tag Archives: workplace wellbeing

News

Cleaning Concerns: Over half of British workers would happily never go back to their office

More than half of British workers would be happy to never return to the office due to fears of germs, a lack of social distancing and being in a room with lots of other people.

A study of 1,000 employees who are currently working from home, carried out via OnePoll for ICE Cleaning, the UK’s cleaning experts, found two thirds would also feel uncomfortable about going back into their workplace full time.

Worries include lack of personal space (39 per cent), colleagues not using hand sanitizer or soap (27 per cent) and not enough communal cleaning (27 per cent).

Zac Hemming, Founding Director for ICE Cleaning, which commissioned the study, said: “There is clearly some fear around going back to the office after settling into working from home during this past year.

“Hygiene is going to be at the front of people’s minds more than ever and seemingly normal things from ‘previous’ life, such as making tea rounds, sharing desks and using communal toilets might feel daunting.

“It’s important both employees and employers feel supported in making the journey back to the office as smooth as possible. Cleaning is going to become much more of a priority for workplaces.”

Nearly six in 10 (56 per cent) feel anxious at the thought of being back in the office and 46 per cent are apprehensive, while 24 per cent are even feeling stressed.

The study also found that to combat their anxieties, new habits workers vow to take on include carrying hand sanitiser (47 per cent), wearing a mask (45 per cent) and cleaning their own desk daily (41 per cent).

They would also like their employer to implement sanitising pumps around the building (56 per cent) and have a daily cleaning regime for communal areas (51 per cent). Half of those polled also want social distancing between desks (50 per cent), with four out of 10 also wanting a monthly decontamination deep clean as part of their office cleaning regime.

It also emerged seven in 10 would only feel comfortable returning to work if strict cleanliness rules were in place, with a quarter (25 per cent) wanting their offices professionally cleaned daily to feel safe. And upon reflection, 45 per cent do not think their office was clean enough prior to the pandemic.

In an ideal world, employees would only be based in the office on two days out of the five-day working week, with 70 per cent only wanting themselves and their colleagues to return to work once they have been vaccinated.

Zac Hemming added: “After a year of working from home and adjusting to a new routine, it’s normal that people will have worries about returning to work.

“What’s important is giving employees the reassurance and peace of mind that this is being taken seriously, easing any concerns that people might have whilst also creating a positive, clean and safe workplace.”

News

MYNDUP launches personalised mental health service for businesses

MYNDUP aims to end “one-size-fits-all” approach to workplace mental health support, helping nurture happier and healthier employees

Mental health startup MYNDUP has launched its service for businesses, through which employees can access live one-to-one video sessions with mental health professionals. The service covers all facets of the mental health spectrum, from therapy and counselling through to life coaching and meditation, and is designed to replace the “one-size-fits-all” approach that remains common at many organisations.

MYNDUP works by assessing the mental health needs of a user, before pairing them with an industry expert drawn from a network of practitioners, all of whom are vetted by a team of professionals with a combined experience of over 35 years in the mental health industry, before being approved to appear on the service.

MYNDUP was founded in February 2020 and since then has rapidly built its reputation by providing consistent ROI for clients and changing the mental health culture within organisations. It now works with a range of firms operating in over 20 countries across 3 continents, servicing over 20,000 employees. These companies vary widely in size and sector, from small startups and wealth management firms, all the way through to large investment banks and global real estate enterprises.

MYNDUP has received backing from the London Stock Exchange Group as part of its ELITE programme, which has been instrumental in helping the company roll out its service more widely. Furthermore, MYNDUP has recently partnered with private equity firm CVC, whose charitable foundation has provided a donation to roll out MYNDUP’s services free of charge to NHS staff over the next 12 months. This is part of MYNDUP’s wider commitment to help as many people as possible on their mental health journeys.

The decision to create the company was inspired by founder and CEO Joel Gujral’s own mental health struggles and his difficulty finding tailored support through his employer.

Joel said: “A few years ago, I spent eight months in and out of hospital with an undiagnosed physical illness, which took a severe toll on my mental health. I reached out to occupational health at my corporate company, but found the approach was very much ‘one-size-fits-all’, with little attention given to the very different challenges people face. I then invested in private counselling, which wasn’t suited to my needs either.

After a few weeks of independent research, I found Jermaine – a fantastic life coach who helped turn my life around. From that point, I set out on a mission to help as many people in my situation as possible, and show the world that there’s no single solution to mental health. At MYNDUP, we want everyone to be happy and fulfilled by developing a better relationship with their past, present and future – having access to a personalised service that covers the whole mental health spectrum is key to this.”

Since its introduction last year, MYNDUP’s users have rated the service at 4.8 out of 5, with 96% stating the service has reduced their overall levels of stress, anxiety and depression, and 99% reporting improved levels of confidence, motivation and productivity. MYNDUP was able to produce a 280% ROI for a global asset management firm, measured by directly correlating increased productivity and reduced stress with the investment made by the client. Similarly, a global real estate customer experienced an ROI of 101%, alongside an engagement rate that is four times higher than the industry average for similar services.

MYNDUP has been able to transform the way companies view mental health, and has achieved industry-leading engagement rates of over 48%, compared to an industry average of just 1-4% for similar mental health services. Furthermore, up to 45% of bookings from some clients come from senior management, illustrating MYNDUP’s appeal to employees of any seniority.

Joel added: “Much of the stigma around mental health has been reduced in recent years, but there’s still a long way to go, especially in the workplace. As a business, opting for mental health services managed by a third party very often leads to better results, as employees find it more flexible and accessible than internal resources.”

He concluded: “We’re extremely proud to be supporting businesses in nurturing happy, healthy employees through mental health support, and look forward to engaging with more companies as we continue our growth.”

For more information on MYNDUP for businesses, visit https://www.myndup.com/business.

Engagement, Flexible Working

Wildgoose launches remote team building to help colleagues working from home

Best known worldwide as the leading provider of digital team building events and activities, Wildgoose is proud to announce three pioneering virtual experiences that can help businesses prepare for a leap into the unknown.

Over the past week, Wildgoose has developed a new suite of products to support companies and their remote and isolated colleagues and teams, a move that responds to World Health Organisation concerns about employee wellness and mental health during the current crisis. The WHO has said staying connected and engaged with colleagues and networks is vital for mental health in stressful and worrying times.

Wildgoose is proud to have launched three pioneering virtual experiences that can help any business support remote and isolated colleagues and boost much-needed morale. These include:

The Daily Kick-Off – a creative self-led challenge that will set teams on the right track each morning by encouraging employees to shoot their own short motivational videos for one another.

In the absence of work socials, The Team Quiz is a virtual pub quiz that enables teams to have a laugh and get competitive via video conferencing, keeping that feeling of unity firmly in place.

With The Virtual Away Day, teams work together from home to answer questions and complete challenges, developing the same brilliant communication and collaboration skills that they would on a regular team building day.

Jonny Edser, Founder and MD of Wildgoose, said:

“Virtual team building and support has never been more important for employee wellness and mental health. The prospect of prolonged isolation over a long period of time is not good for anybody. We are committed to helping businesses motivate, inspire, connect and engage with remote colleagues and teams. We want to do everything we can to put a smile back on the face of colleagues, make isolation less painful and make the working week work better at home.”

HR News

How can workspaces help improve employee productivity and wellbeing?

With research underpinning the idea that artwork can relieve the stress patients face in hospital, Clare Wilson, Creative Director at The Team took a look at how workspace design can help improve employee productivity and wellbeing.

The power of design in hospitals

Research by CW+, the official charity of Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, has found that filling the hospital with art has helped to improve patient wellbeing, decrease hospital stays and reduce anxiety, depression and pain.

For the last 25 years, the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital has been looking at ways to improve the healing process through the environment. They have found that mental health and experiences of those receiving intrusive examinations, surgery, chemotherapy and emergency care are improved when visual art is installed. And, it is not just imagery that has the power to have a healing effect, there are other factors including temperature, lighting, acoustics, air quality, closeness to nature, way-finding, privacy and technology, as well as the arts.

Could the same tactics be successfully applied to workspaces to improve employee wellbeing and productivity?

Earlier this year, the World Health Organisation announced that “burnout” can be diagnosed as a legitimate medical condition. According to last year’s statistics, 74% of British workers felt so stressed that they were “overwhelmed or unable to cope” and 67% of people believed stress caused them both mental and physical ill-health. Therefore, it is no surprise that businesses are more attuned to using workspace transformations and design as opportunities to create positive cultural change and improve employee wellbeing.

The power of design in workspaces

Technology as well as digital tools and platforms are transforming traditional ways of working. They are changing how companies think about – and use – their office space. At The Team, we can attest to it.

Last September, we went through workspace changes and downsized to half the space we used to have. The consequence of which has been positive, but it’s interesting looking at projects like this as a way to improve staff wellbeing and embrace change. The renovated space now allows us to work in a way that’s a lot more flexible and collaborative. For instance, by choosing to opt for laptops over iMacs, designers have the freedom to move around and interact not just with the space but with employees far more than before. Another key element of our new workspace is the addition of more flexible meeting room spaces which we repurpose into design sprint rooms – successfully allowing our clients and designers to collaborate on projects. We have seen and helped several clients, including NS&I and Natwest, with workplace design during similar office transformations like our own, using it as an opportune moment to create positive cultural change and improve wellbeing.

As designers, we can help create environments where people love to live and work. It’s not just about designing spaces that support people’s individual wellbeing. It’s also about encouraging a positive working culture to sustain a healthy, stress-free workplace in the long term. If you have this, you have a culture people are far more invested in.

We see this more and more as workspaces are moving away from corporate settings, opting instead for a blend of residential and hospitality design to provide a richer, hybrid environment. Integrating exercise spaces, chill-out areas and treatment rooms into workspace designs are ways businesses are helping to reduce stress at work and improve wellbeing – even helping to change workplace culture. We are now taking design cues from non-corporate settings, selecting furniture, finishes, fabrics and lighting to create comfortable and enjoyable spaces to be in.

How to design imagery for a workspace

The key to designing workspace imagery is to start with an overarching theme. The theme could come from anywhere. It could be inspired by the building itself, the way light moves around it, or by a company’s ethos. Imagery serves to create a mood, and that mood can change depending on the space – from a wow factor moment at the entrance to calm and tranquillity in the staff room. It is perhaps no secret that, gone are the days when office walls were plastered with giant company logos, framed portraits of Board members or – worse still – a swathe of magnolia paint. Imagery can play an important role in creating a calming and welcoming environment, improving wellbeing, so it is crucial to carefully consider the placement of these on your walls.

During Workplace Week I had the opportunity to see property company ZPG’s office space. They themed every single room into a replica version of what would be in your home. This for me brings up a common pitfall where form overshadows function. We should be wary of letting design inhibit the functionality of the space, it should instead, serve to enhance it. Of course, if a theme’s too ambitious, it can be quite costly and a strain to maintain these high standards. It should always be about allowing your design to have the flexibility to evolve with the needs of your employees and your business.

Any employer considering artwork and design in their own space should think about how they want the space to perform. Visual merchandisers do exactly this in capturing their customers attention in retail stores. But you also have to think about your employees’ needs. Their ways of working will be different depending on their job, so factor these nuances into the design of your space.

Remember, less will always be more as adding to the design of the space is part of the growth process. Let it sit for a while, let people start to feel at one with the space and then see where things need to be tweaked or changed. Over designing will always mean a pitfall. People are never 100% happy and businesses never stay the same, so ensure that future proofing is part of the design process from conception to delivery. Allow for the design to have some flex so that your employees and your space can evolve with the business.