Is wellbeing becoming a top manager perk again?

A survey among 10,000 workers internationally by the Future Forum research group has signalled a “troubling double standard”: a steady decline in the stress experienced by senior staff, but an increase in anxiety among the majority of workers.

The researchers point to a basic divide in terms of work flexibility and conditions post-pandemic. Exec-utives have been given more freedom to work from home and flexibly, while workers have been ex-pected to get back to the office. As a result, the average employee’s work-life balance score was found to be 40% lower than executives. Full-time office workers were found to have markedly lower mental health scores.

The back-to-the-office effect

After a period of more easy-going attitudes to wfh and flexible working hours, the desire among boss-es to see staff back in the workplace is having disproportionate effects. A Microsoft study has suggest-ed that 50% of organisations want to re-instate full-time office working routines.

Future Forum Vice President, Sheela Subramanian, explained the problem: “Executives are embracing flexibility while they’re telling everybody else to come back to the office. What we’re seeing is just a lot more rigidity, more top-down mandates happening and executives are not necessarily setting that model from the top.”

Keep it clear on wellbeing

EAPA UK chair Eugene Farrell said: “Wellbeing among staff is the foundation for productivity and performance across the entirety of organisations, not something that can be seen as a perk. It’s going to be important for HR teams to ensure there’s not a quiet drift in attitudes to seeing work/life balance and flexible routines as something that can only work for the few — the few who are typically in the senior ranks.

“The danger is not so much now, while employers are having to compete for skills, but what happens when there is less competition? Support for wellbeing has to be even-handed.”

Is wellbeing becoming a top manager perk again? – EAPA UK

Why is sexual harassment still such a common part of workplace life?

The 2022 Gender Equality in the Workplace report has flagged how work is still a place of harassment and gender discrimination.

Randstad surveyed 6,000 employees in May of this year. It found that 32% of women had been affected by sexual harassment; 72% had experienced or seen instances of inappropriate behaviour from male co-workers; and 67% had been subject to gender discrimination of different kinds.

Unsurprisingly, higher levels of each of these issues was found in the traditionally male-dominated sectors such as construction and IT — where around half of women said sexual harassment had affected their career.

Safer at the top

40% of board seats in the UK are now taken by women — up from 12% in 2010. But that hasn’t meant widespread change in attitudes.

“Everything has changed and nothing has changed,” said Victoria Short, chief executive of Randstad UK. Gender equality was still very much a problem at lower levels in organisations and in smaller businesses.

Gender discrimination was still believed to be a prevalent force. 68%, for example, argued it wouldn’t be possible for them to return to work after having a baby to a part-time senior role.

More punishments?

EAPA UK chair Eugene Farrell said: “A natural reaction to news like this is to crack down on sexual harassment, to put in place processes for more follow-ups and punishments. But relationships at work are complex, and more severe warnings and attitudes can only serve to unsettle a workplace and drive bullying and harassment underground, into more subtle forms. Making it even harder for people to speak up, because they know the consequences will be serious.

“Instead, it’s all about making women, and staff in general, feel more comfortable about talking. Knowing they will be listened to. A confidential service like an EAP means everyone has the chance to express their fears and talk through constructive ways forward without needing to constantly worry about implications: what their manager will think, what colleagues will say, and what does it mean for their career prospects?”

Why is sexual harassment still such a common part of workplace life? – EAPA UK

Are your managers ready to talk about the menopause

MPs in the Women and Equalities Committee (WEC) are urging government to include the menopause as a protected characteristic — requiring employers to make reasonable adjustments to work condi-tions.

This, they say, will be crucial for dealing with negative attitudes towards women dealing with issues relating to the menopause, and making sure more women are able to stay in employment. “Menopau-sal women have been mocked and maligned for too long,” said the WEC chair.

Going to tribunals

In 2019, 900,000 women decided to leave their job because of a mismatch between their role and menopausal symptoms according to CIPD/Bupa research. More cases are starting to end up in court as people start to see that maybe it’s not their ‘fault’ — an employer is being unreasonable and uncaring.

HM Courts and Tribunal Service figures show a steady increase: 10 menopause-related employment tribunals in first six months of 2021 compared with 5 in 2018. Law firm Linklaters predicts 20 cases will go to tribunal in this coming year based on initial claims.

Listening first

EAPA UK chair Eugene Farrell said: “The WEC’s Menopause and the Work-place report is an important milestone in terms of changing attitudes to women in the workplace. More than ever, organisations need to find ways to keep their talent.

“Legislation provides a backbone — making sure employers have to take notice. But when it comes to the day-to-day experience of women with menopausal symptoms, what matters most is what goes on behind the ‘official’ HR processes and whether there is a feeling of trust and safety when it comes to being themselves. Do women feel they are really being listened to and understood or are they being dealt with in a mechanical way, sticking to the legal requirements?

“EAPs are so important when it comes to making sure people have someone to talk to about their tangles of work and health-related issues.”

Who’s listening to LGBT+ employees?

Around 20% of workplaces have no policy in place to support LGBT+ employees, claims a new TUC sur-vey carried out in time for Pride month (July).

Less than half of the 1,000 HR decision-makers said they had clear guidelines for reporting concerns about discrimination. Meanwhile, 15% agreed they had needed to deal with a discrimination case in-volving one or more LGBT+ employees.

A world of difference

51% said they had a policy that prohibited LGBT+ discrimination, bullying and harassment — but only 34% had reviewed the policy in the last year (and 28% that they couldn’t remember when the policy was last updated). Fewer than half those HR professionals surveyed said that family policies around adoption, maternity/paternity and shared parental leave applied equally to LGBT+ employees.

Only 13% monitored the pay gap – estimated by the TUC to be around 16%, meaning that LGBT+ staff earn £6,703 less than their non-LGBT+ peers.

In response, the TUC has called for the Government to legislate to introduce a new duty for employers to “protect all workers from harassment by customers and clients”, along with providing statutory pay gap reporting.

EAPs always listening

EAPA UK chair Eugene Farrell said: “Pride month is an opportunity for communities and employers to show their solidarity and support. But what does that mean in practice? Fair and equal treatment in terms of pay and people policies should be a given.

“There’s also the question, though, of everyday conversations and issues, the little incidents that make LGBT+ employees feel uncomfortable and isolated. The ways in which LGBT+ lives can be more complicated than non-LGBT+, and it’s not always easy or possible to talk to managers without making a big-ger issue of things. That’s when EAPs and confidential advice from a professional becomes such a valuable source of advice and reassurance.”

Is it healthy for 8 million adults in England to be taking antidepressants?

According to data on NHS prescriptions, 8.3 million adults in England took antidepressants in its 2021-22 reporting period — up from 7.9 million in the previous year (a 5% rise).

This is now the sixth year in a row that the numbers have risen. Women are twice more likely than men to be prescribed antidepressants.

There was a larger proportional increase among young people: 8% among 10 to 19 year-olds.

Talk or medicate?

The debate continues over the value of therapies vs medication in treating cases of depression and anxiety. NICE (the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) has recommended exercise and therapy over antidepressants for milder cases, as well as group classes in meditation, CBT and individual counselling.

But other mental health groups have argued that it’s important for there to be a range of options to suit different circumstances, seeing antidepressants as a vital part of the support offering: drugs shouldn’t be stigmatised as the ‘quick fix’ option, they say.

Early interventions

EAPA UK chair Eugene Farrell said: “The rise in antidepressant prescriptions may well reflect changing attitudes and more awareness and openness in society generally. People feel more able to go to their GP and admit they’re having problems.

“But we also have to take into account the pressures on the NHS. Access to therapies is limited and involves waiting lists that just don’t work for people experiencing a psychological crisis.

“There needs to be more attention to how so many of us get to that stage in the first place. People need to be able to access support, have someone to talk to much earlier rather than waiting until mental health is a problem needing immediate action. This is the next step in improving the mental health of the nation — making it normal to talk about worries and problems, getting support from professionals like those working for EAPs whenever needed.”

Can employers afford to buy their way out of financial stress?

Around 70% of employees at Rolls-Royce Holdings have received a big helping hand in dealing with financial worries caused by high inflation: a bonus and a backdated wage increase that adds up to a 9% rise. Thousands of other staff are to be given a one-off cash lump sum.

The extra staff payments are expected to cost Rolls-Royce more than £40 million.

Bills, bills, bills

The financial intervention comes at a time when all UK employees are facing a challenge to their household budgets, from sky-high energy and petrol bills, higher National Insurance payments and a general increase in prices. As a result, more people are switching jobs for higher pay, taking on more hours and working through periods of sickness.

Research by software firm CIPHR among 1,000 UK workers showed 12% had moved to better paid roles; 31% had worked longer hours or shifts because of financial worries; 12% had taken on a second job. 26% of men and 18% of women had asked for a pay rise to help cope.12% had asked for improved benefits.

How much for advice?

EAPA UK chair Eugene Farrell said: “In this new crisis for the world, every extra piece of financial support from employers is going to be a relief, particularly for staff on lower incomes. But it’s not the long-term solution. Bigger payouts only fuel inflation and the cycle goes on.

“Few employers are going to be in a position to keep up with inflation this year. And what happens next year, and the year after if levels are still high?

“Retention shouldn’t be reduced to a matter of cash. HR has to find ways to be smarter about helping people with their financial stress, encouraging engagement and loyalty. EAP services don’t involve any new costs for employers. They are an obvious and practical means of supporting people in the right ways, helping them come to terms with changes in finances, appreciate the implications, and be stronger for the long-term.”

How financial stress is changing employee priorities

The 2022 Wellness Barometer Survey by BrightPlan shows that 72% of staff report being stressed about their finances, affecting their mental and physical health — up 11% on 2021. Top causes of worry are rising inflation, retirement planning and market volatility.

In terms of benefits, the survey claims that finance-related benefits are now the most sought after, leaping ahead of mental health and flexible time off since last year. 88% expect their employer to be actively helping them deal with the cost of living crisis.

Package up

UK software firm IRIS is an example of how some employers are stepping up with a new package of support.

The company has ensured a broad range of benefits to meet the diversity of situations. At the core of the offering is an EAP, alongside a team of mental health first aiders and new web pages giving advice on financial awareness. This is backed up with new offers such as one-to-one financial coaching with an external consultant, and workplace individual savings accounts (ISAs). IRIS has also boosted attention to health cash plans and discount schemes on offer.

Financial times

EAPA UK chair Eugene Farrell said: “A sense of financial insecurity is so often a root cause for mental and physical ill-health, they are all bound up together in ways that can create a vicious circle.

“The first job for employers, and in some ways the most important, is making sure people are paying attention to their finances and not sleepwalking into serious problems with debt. That can mean fundamental changes to lifestyle with implications for partners and families, what happens to expectations of treats and luxuries. And that can affect relationships and sense of self-worth.

“This is why the EAP is important versus any temporary offers or even increases in pay — it’s a way for employees to look at the big picture of money, relationships and their health, how their life might have to change and what’s going to work and how.”

Why we’re on course for an epidemic of loneliness

A new report by Buffer (State of Remote Work 2022) has found that more remote and hybrid workers are struggling with loneliness — up to 24% from 20% in 2020. Working conditions aren’t getting any easier, there’s no signs of a ‘settling in’ to new ways of working and a balance between isolation and workplace community.

The report also found that 52% of employees globally feel less connected to their co-workers since they moved to remote working. Work routines in themselves have become more formal ‘transactional’ with no space for ad hoc social contact and gatherings which provided more human ‘breathing spaces’ throughout the day.

Social duty of care

The problem of how to better support staff and create a more sociable and connected hybrid environment is one for employers: a survey by workplace tech firm Silicon Reef claims that 73% of UK remote workers believe their employer should be doing more to deal with the issue of staff loneliness.

The general view is that HR and employers can best help with workplace wellbeing by making the ‘check-ins’ with staff more regular. Managers need to get better at spotting changes in manner and behaviour virtually. Employees should be given even more flexibility in their working day at home, with more opportunities to break up the day — a move away from micro-management towards judging performance purely through outputs. 

Head-on

“When an issue is so difficult to raise in conversation — the ‘L’ word — employers need most of all to make sure their remote and hybrid workers have someone they can speak to in confidence, without making a big deal of it with a manager or colleagues,” says EAPA UK chair Eugene Farrell. 

“All the evidence suggests it’s not something people want to do, they’d rather grin and bear it; and that can only happen for so long before loneliness becomes a factor in mental wellbeing. All the efforts by HR to introduce new forms of virtual social contact have their place, but it’s critical that people have a means of talking about the issues openly and in the context of their personal situation.”

Read more about the report here

Let’s lift more people out of loneliness

We’re living in a different world for mental health, both in workplaces and more widely in society. As the Mental Health Foundation’s report ’Mental Health in the Pandemic’ made clear, relationships with friends and family were disrupted and broken, particularly among those on lower incomes or with physical disabilities.

At a time when more bodies, including the NHS, are calling for national action and planning to deal with a mental health crisis, Mental Health Awareness Week (9-15 May 2022) is more important than ever.

Every Mind Matters – Loneliness

This year the Department for Health & Social Care, alongside the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, are encouraging everyone to think about ways they can ‘lift someone out of loneliness’, as part of the Better Health — Every Mind Matters campaign.

The campaign web pages provide advice on the issues and how to help yourself and others

There’s also a toolkit and campaign materials which can be used by employers

Small acts

“Those small acts of kindness, making time to get in touch with people who might be feeling isolated can make such a difference,” says EAPA UK chair Eugene Farrell. “We all need that kind of reassurance, no matter how well connected we might feel ourselves to be. Busy modern lives and our absorption into social media mean we can often forget the importance of face-to-face contact.

“At the same time, actually opening up about feeling lonely is a difficult thing to do. As ‘successful’ and independent modern people, it’s not something we’re not supposed to feel. That’s why it’s so important for HR to make the EAP visible, and keep on sharing the message that speaking to someone in confidence through an EAP is a normal thing to do, before negative emotions and experiences become too much. Together we can always find a better way forward.”

Who wants to admit they’re hard up?

A survey among more than 2,000 UK employees by YuLife found that 80% are worried about stress as a result of their financial worries. Similarly, 80% feel it’s having an effect on their performance.

The stress is being made worse by a mismatch in expectations between employers and their people. 49% of employees surveyed believed that it was their employer’s responsibility to help support and improve their financial wellbeing. But only 21% said they would be comfortable in actually opening up and talking about their financial stresses. 24% claimed it wasn’t clear about the support on offer from their organisation.

Financial aid

YuLife CEO Sammy Rubin said: “The almost-universal nature of money worries means that employers have a responsibility to support their employees’ financial wellbeing with additional benefits and insurance products as well as creating help and awareness to suit their financial needs.”

With the cost of living crisis beginning to be felt by more households, more employers are looking to provide practical advice.

Halfords, the motoring and cycling services and products company, has introduced access to a financial planning app. In this way its 10,000 staff have an easy way to get information on their finances and how to budget and control their wages. The business also provides a flexible pay cycle so that employees can draw on money earned in a month before pay day.

EAP ROI

“Advice on financial planning is an essential in our context of rising bills — particularly when the full implications of inflation are yet to be seen and felt,” says EAPA UK chair Eugene Farrell.

“But often that’s just the first stage. It’s when people realise they have a problem that the cycle of stress and the negative impacts on their work begins. Employees need a way of managing both their finances and the stress that’s involved.

“It can be just as difficult to talk to a manager or colleagues about a money worry as it is about mental health — perhaps worse, as we live in a culture where financial wealth is still seen as an indication of being ‘successful’. So anxieties just spiral and grow.

“This is another way in which the professional and confidential guidance of an EAP, both in terms of advice content and in speaking with a human being, is so important.”

Who wants to admit they’re hard up? EAPA UK