What happens if employees can’t open up about their health?

In a survey by Benenden Health, 43% of employees admitted they wouldn’t feel confident about discussing any health problems with their organisation.

The main reason given was the fear that opening up would have negative consequences for their career. Relationships would change. Any kind of ‘sickness’ would count against theme when it came to conversations about performance and consideration for promotion. 27% thought they would be in danger of losing their job as a result.

The issue people were least likely to want to mention was their mental health. 36% reported lying to their boss about the reason for an appointment relating to mental wellbeing.

These concerns were backed up by the findings from employers themselves. 28% said they would have doubts about offering support on health, even when it came to established, long-serving staff. 19% added that while they might have employed someone with pre-existing health conditions in the past, they wouldn’t be doing it again.

Unhealthy habits

More than half of UK employees have a long-term health issue or disability, claims the research, meaning large proportions of the workforce feeling unable to be open about their condition or access support and benefits.

In turn, there are risks of apathy, disengagement, higher levels of absence, lower productivity – and people just deciding they will find a more conducive and supportive environment with another employer.

Naomi Thompson, Head of OD and Benenden Health, pointed to outdated attitudes to recruiting people with long-term health issues: “This stigma is especially prevalent in the workplace, with businesses too often unable to identify wellbeing issues, employees concerned about the implications of discussing them and a continuing lack of tangible support, all of which contribute to lost time and productivity for businesses as well as unaddressed poor employee wellbeing.”

Being human

“Surely we’ve gone past the stage where people have to stop being themselves when they walk through the door or log on to the organisation’s IT platform?” asks EAPA UK chair Eugene Farrell. “Do we really have to become impersonal, efficient robots?”

“Organisations only get the most from their people when they can be their whole selves. When they feel comfortable in their own skin, able to trust the people around them. That’s the way to tap into people’s true potential in terms of teamworking and creativity, as well as effort and engagement.

“Being able to talk honestly about health, physical and mental is all part of that process of unlocking people’s full potential. An EAP is a critical part of a support offering, the chance to speak in confidence with professionals. But this needs to be part of a wider culture of healthy attitudes to people and what really constitutes being strong: hiding your worries or facing up to them head-on?”

What happens if employees can’t open up about their health? Eugene Farrell

Are you truly supporting employees?

Despite 18 months during which mental health has been a top priority for HR, surveys among employees continue to point to both high levels of concerns and disappointment at the actual level of support being delivered when it’s needed. According to a survey last year by Second Sight, for example, more than half of employees were looking for more employer-led mental health support.

Is that because employers are not providing the right forms of support, or people find a reluctance among line managers to engage?

Fujitsu has recently been talking about how it’s been trying to overcome both of these issues for its 9,000 UK and Ireland employees.

Do it Your Way

Kelly Metcalf, Head of Diversity, Inclusion & Wellbeing at Fujitsu has pointed to four key strands to the organisation’s approach.

The first is making sure line managers are equipped with the knowledge and wellbeing tools in order to be ready and willing to help. That includes allowing time for regular one-to-ones and getting to know individual personalities in their teams.

Fujitsu has a Mental Health at Work Commitment which people at all levels are invited to sign up to, to focus attention and demonstrate commitment. As part of this, leaders and other staff share their own experiences of mental health issues in order to encourage more open conversations.

An EAP is “highly valued” and made available to all staff, their family members and dependents. Counselling is the most used service from the EAP offering. This is backed up by a group of employee volunteers who are trained Mental Health First Aiders.

Finally, Kelly Metcalf has talked about the importance of making mental health awareness a part of everyday practices. At Fujitsu there is a ‘Work Your Way’ hour. Each week employees are given one hour in their work calendars to use on any kind of activity that improves their wellbeing. Staff have used their free time to go rowing on the river nearby to the HQ, go for walks, read books and bake cakes.

Stay fresh 

“Paying attention to mental health at work has become critical. It’s also become something very ‘normal’, an expected, typical part of HR and management routines – and there’s a danger that mental wellbeing becomes a tick in the box and forgotten,” said EAPA UK chair Eugene Farrell.

“HR need to help keep strategies fresh. Fujitsu’s strategy is an example of pro-active efforts, and most importantly, a willingness to get to the core of practice, the value of involving senior management in setting the tone and demonstrating their willingness to get involved with supporting people.”

Are you truly supporting employees ? Eugene Farrell

Can we talk about suicide?

Suicide continues to be the most common cause of death for men under 50 – and the cause of around 1 in every 100 deaths worldwide.

When the Mental Health Foundation talked to people in the UK about mental health and the pandemic, asking whether they had experienced thoughts or feelings about suicide within the previous two weeks, in April 2020 8% said they had. But by February 2021 this had climbed to 13%.

While there is more understanding of mental health in workplaces and in society as a whole, the shock-ing, devastating nature of suicide means there is still a stigma – making it much harder for HR, manag-ers and staff themselves to talk about.

Promoting hope

World Suicide Prevention Day (10 September 2021) has highlighted ways that everyone can provide support, founded on the importance of giving someone hope:

“You can help give someone hope by showing that you care. All of us can play a role, no matter how small. We may never know what we do that makes a difference. We all can reach in and ask some-body. You do not need to tell them what to do or have solutions, but simply making the time and space to listen to someone about their experiences of distress or suicidal thoughts can help.”

The Prevention Day organisers point to the need to ‘change the narrative’ on suicide through a situa-tion where more people feel able to ask for help and talk about the full extent of their negative thoughts and feelings. Most importantly, they say, there’s a need to share personal stories of emo-tional distress, suicidal thoughts or attempt, and their experiences of recovery in order to inspire hope.

Involving professionals

“While suicide remains a stigma, it’s so important that employees don’t feel they have to remain si-lent,” says EAPA UK chair Eugene Farrell. “Because they are ashamed about how they are feeling. Talking about stress is one thing, suicidal thoughts are

“That’s why early and immediate access to EAP counsellors is critical. An anonymous and confidential conversation makes it possible to admit the extent of negative feelings. A call with a professional can then also be the first step towards ensuring the right help is received at the right time, and be the basis for re-building a sense of normality and ways forward.”

Do wellbeing initiatives make employees feel worse?

University of Cambridge research has found that stress management classes, apps, coaching and other wellbeing events have no benefits for employee mental health.

Stress management classes, in particular, were found to lead to more stress. The findings come from an analysis of evidence from Britain’s Healthiest Workplace (26,471 employees working for 128 UK employers), comparing the wellbeing levels of those who participated in various wellbeing initiatives with those who had not.

The only staff who benefited were those who took part in volunteering or charity work.

Too convenient?

“These types of interventions appear to be a convenient option for employers concerned with mental health, including the government, which as an employer implements various wellbeing programmes throughout the civil service and NHS,” said researcher William Fleming.

“Merely offering short-term programmes or classes is not satisfactory for solving long-standing problems of worker wellbeing.”

Instead, employers need to be thinking more in terms of the working conditions and the role of management – the responsibility at the top not just the workforce.

“It should not be the role of employees to persistently address their own mental health, but that of management to comprehensively consider and address the structures of work which cause harm through stress, trauma and uncertainty.”

No short-term fixes

EAPA UK chair Eugene Farrell said: “That can be the problem with one-off classes or digital tools. They focus attention onto problems, make people self-conscious and focused on themselves and their state of mind. Sometimes that is going to mean more problems, not less – a greater sense of another duty and responsibility to do something about.

“We know from so many years of experience that employees are looking for an outlet for their built-up pressures. An independent source of support. Not just more attention to their performance and the need to somehow ‘perfect’ themselves. That means access to professional support and a route to solutions.”

How EAPs are protecting the NHS

The number of referrals to NHS mental health services have hit their highest level for two years, signalling a new surge in cases.

The BBC’s Shared Data Unit figures from 117 Clinical Commissioning Groups and health boards across the UK showed around 300,000 people were referred to NHS mental health services in March 2021. This was a rise of 18% from the month before the pandemic struck. The biggest rises were seen in England. CCGs in Leeds, Redbridge and Greater Preston have seen referrals more than double compared to pre-Covid levels.

In response, the government plans to expand and transform mental health services with £2.3bn annual funding a year by 2023-24.

The need for early intervention

Most worryingly, the number of people actually receiving mental health treatment is lower than before the pandemic, raising concerns over the lack of access to timely interventions. Charities have flagged how people are being one long distances to receive support and care because of a lack of local beds, as well as an “acute rise” in numbers of people experiencing PTSD.

Geoff Heyes, head of health policy at MIND, said: “Had those people been able to get support earlier, be that through community mental health services, through talking therapies in their community, they may well have not got that unwell.”

EAPs step up

EAPA UK chair Eugene Farrell said: “EAPs are helping to ease the burden on NHS services, offering easier access for employees to mental health support, when and how it’s needed, and at an earlier stage.

“An EAPA study last year compared the use and waiting times for NHS services (via the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme (IAPT)) with EAPs. This showed an average waiting time from referral to treatment of 20 days through IAPT, compared with 8.8 days with an EAP. Clients who completed treatment with IAPT needed an average of 6.9 sessions; with EAPs this was four.”

How EAPs are protecting the NHS – EAPA UK

Do you suffer from ‘pleasanteeism’?

More than half of UK employees say they feel under pressure to smile and hide their worries and concerns at work. According to Lime, authors of a new report Keeping up Appearances: How ‘Pleasanteeism’ is Eroding Resilience, the result is a ‘hidden mental health crisis’. Pleasanteeism just means a false sense of resilience and problems not being dealt with.

The report says 25% are concerned about whether they will be the ‘best version’ of themselves back in the workplace; 20% about whether their stress will be visible.

Mental health first

The survey also suggests that 26% of employees ‘aren’t coping’ with work; a third with everyday life in general. The research found that  just 16% feel their mental health is ‘well supported at work’. 81% want more. 40% said they would look for a new job if more help wasn’t offered around mental wellbeing.

“The long-term repercussions of the pandemic are likely to be felt for years to come, and it’s important we act now to be aware of and prioritise both our own mental health and that of those around us,” said Shaun Williams, CEO and Founder, Lime Global. “We know that employers have a lot on their plates and each workforce will require unique approaches for tackling mental health challenges. It’s only by drawing attention to and prioritising mental health in the workplace that we can support one another to be as healthy, resilient, happy and productive as possible.”

Open up to EAP

EAPA UK chair [https://www.eapa.org.uk/] Eugene Farrell said: “Inevitably employees put on a front at work. We step through the door and take on our professional persona. But as the Lime report points out, that’s no basis for resilience – particularly the level of resilience needed by organisations in the post-pandemic environment.

“EAP services needed to be front and centre of HR thinking and activity in this period. Because we know that while EAPs are listed as a benefit, there isn’t always the level of awareness and understanding of what an EAP is for – that it’s not just for people dealing with a personal crisis. EAP counsellors are an important outlet for staff with worries at all levels, a means of addressing small concerns early before they can turn into a major cause of stress.”

EAPs in the frontline of dealing with return to work anxiety

New figures from Towergate Health & Protection’s EAP show a 145% surge in the number of counselling calls in March 2021 compared with the previous year and the start of lockdown.

The rise in contact from the workforce was seen in both telephone and online access. Most calls were from employees worried about symptoms of anxiety, followed by low mood and then depression itself.

Towergate dealt with more than 33,000 calls and delivered 23,000 structured therapy sessions during April 2021.

Rush and tumult

“There may be many reasons for this, including the anxiety of returning to work and the stresses of resuming the rush and tumult of everyday life,” said Brett Hill, distribution director for Towergate Health & Protection.

“As a population, we have had to cope with a great deal over the last year or so. It should perhaps not be surprising that this has had a knock-on effect. We have been conditioned to become socially distant, and the return to busy offices, a hectic commute, and a gear-change in life in general are all likely to bring with them stress and anxiety. The good news is, there’s a lot that employers can do to make sure these problems do not escalate and affect working life. Support is available and employers should make use of it to ensure the wellbeing of their workforce.”

EAPs take the strain

“The figures from Towergate back up the anecdotal evidence we’ve been seeing from across EAP providers,” said EAPA UK board member Paul Roberts.

“Lockdowns led to different kinds of stress for employees from the disruption, the threat of losing jobs, taking on new ways of working or being furloughed. But there was also a break from routine, novelty, opportunities for home working and a better work/life balance. For some people that meant an escape from smaller worries, an easing of the usual work pressures and problems.

“The return to work period has seen a combination of ongoing concerns about job security and exposure to the virus along with a return to ordinary working life and expectations of productivity and performance.

“Again, EAPs have been up to the challenge. Counsellors have been able to provide professional support to the new waves of employees making use of services that will help them restore a sense of control and focus on their wellbeing.”

EAPs in the frontline of dealing with return to work anxiety

Do hybrid workspaces = better mental health?

More companies are transforming office spaces to suit their plans for hybrid working. A BBC survey of the UK’s 50 biggest employers earlier this year found that 43 planned to encourage working from home for two to three days a week going forward. A Leadership IQ survey has suggested that 91% of employees want at least some WFH.

Besides the potential for cost savings from smaller office facilities, there is the argument that an office space strategy needs to be ‘realigned’ with changing employees’ needs, leading to happier, more productive staff. A report from Envoy recently (UK return to the workplace) included the statistic that 70% of employees believe a hybrid working model results in personal benefits, with 34% saying it would improve their mental health.

WeWork campaign

The American commercial real estate company, WeWork, is promoting the idea of the need for flexible shared workspaces – not just for tech startups but for the mainstream of employers. In this way, they argue, HR is delivering more benefits to its workforce. Ashley Cope, Head of People Partners for WeWork in the UK, said: “Office visits are becoming more intentional – with employees coming in for specific reasons, and therefore office must fulfil a specific purpose. It must facilitate the in-person teamwork that has stagnated during working from home by being both collaborative and convenient.”

Cope adds: “Hybrid working can empower employees with more choice over how, where and when they work, allowing them to tailor their working days to their own personal schedules. This is something that employees have always wanted, and sustained periods of working from home and the trust built between employers and employees has shown how effective it can be.”

WeWork, with 1,200 employees across 24 countries, has introduced ‘collaboration hubs’ into workspaces to encourage “better in-work connection” along with the All Access scheme that allows employees to work from any office location in either the UK or Ireland.

Homeless?

“The move to hybrid work arrangements comes with a mixed bag of implications for employees,” says EAPA UK chair Eugene Farrell.

“It means revolutionary change to traditional practices. For all the potential benefits from incensed flexibility and work/life balance it has to be recognised that change is always unsettling. For many staff not having a fixed workspace, their own desk and chair, their things in one place, will be difficult. Not knowing when they will next see colleagues. The change in atmosphere. The need for more independence and self-reliance. Even a sense of isolation.

“For managers there will also be all the challenges of dealing with dispersed teams and all their different situations and needs. As the pandemic experience has shown, more flex can also lead to higher risk of the blurring of work and home life and more burnout. For HR in general there will be issues with engagement and loyalty among staff whose attachments to the workplaces are weakened.

“In this context, where there will inevitably be feelings of disorientation, support for mental wellbeing and an all-round sense of ‘belonging’ will be critical, and HR will need to be looking hard at how problems can be dealt with and relationships can be preserved.”

Do hybrid workspaces = better mental health? EAPA UK

Workplace ‘despair closet’ anyone?

In its bid to improve its reputation around employee treatment and experience, Amazon has introduced ‘WorkingWell’, an ‘employee-designed’ health and safety programme for all of its US operations.

The move comes in the wake of years of criticism from former and current staff at the online retail company on social media and in newspaper reports. Amazon had been accused of limiting toilet breaks and trying to find ways to fire staff without any human involvement, through digital-only processes.

AmaZen?

WorkingWell includes access for staff to an AmaZen in the workplace, an “individual interactive kiosk” where employees can spend their break time watching “videos featuring easy-to-follow wellbeing activities, including guided meditations, positive affirmations, calming scenes with sounds, and more”.

The idea of the booths hasn’t gone down well. A quick, cheap and inhuman response to the very real and complicated problems that affect employee wellbeing – many of them rooted in financial problems and a sense of not being valued as individuals. On social media the booths have become known as “despair closets” or “cry closets”, the box where staff go to hide. “I feel like liveable wages & working conditions are better than a mobile despair closet,” said one Amazon employee.

How to care

“As the past year has demonstrated, employee wellbeing is a fundamental issue, the heart of productivity, performance and organisational resilience,” says EAPA UK chair Eugene Farrell.

“Employers need to beware of ticking the box on employee wellbeing with schemes that lack substance, that can’t begin to address the range of concerns and challenges facing people in the Covid-19 era.

“Wellbeing needs to be backed with investment and an acknowledgment of the importance of human contact and relationships. Not everything can be solved with access to instant digital content.”

Workplace ‘despair closet’ anyone? Eugene Farrell

If GPs aren’t – who is helping employees with symptoms of depression?

The winter lockdown of 2021 led to 19% of employed adults experiencing some form of depression, according to ONS figures from a survey of 26,000 people in the UK.

Less well-off adults were also worst affected: a third of those who couldn’t afford an unexpected but necessary expense of £850 experienced depression. Women (four in 10) and younger adults (aged between 16 and 29) were also more likely to be affected by symptoms such as sleeping problems, poor appetite and feelings of hopelessness. This situation compares with overall levels in the population of around 10% before Covid-19.

Avoiding GPs

At the same time, GP-diagnosed cases of adult depression have fallen during the pandemic. This indicates that fewer people are going to their GP for help due to lack of appointment availability, concerns about exposure to people with Covid-19 in surgeries, as well as worries about distracting GPs from their pandemic roles.

The CIPD has called for employers to make sure line managers are trained to support wellbeing, can have empathetic conversations and identify early signs of issues with mental ill-health.

Filling the gaps

“It’s critical that early signs of mental ill-health aren’t ignored and left to develop into more serious conditions,” says EAPA UK chair Eugene Farrell.

“For different reasons relating to the pandemic many people haven’t felt able to approach their GP, the usual source of anonymous, independent advice when it comes to mental wellbeing. Inevitably that has meant employees who have tried to cope on their own, who have kept worries bottled up or downplayed the symptoms they’ve been experiencing.

“The immediate access to advice provided by EAPs is invaluable in this situation – and as we know, the numbers of people using EAPs has been rising throughout the past year. Not only do EAPs offer round the clock support, but also a faster route to GPs and talking therapies such as CBT. In a situation where the long-term fall-out from the effects of Covid-19 is yet to be fully understood, employers need to make sure that all staff are aware of how their EAP will help them and family members with early signs of depression.”

who is helping employees with symptoms of depression, Eugene Farrell.