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

The 5th annual MAD World Summit is back – in-person – on 11th October 2022 in Central London – the day after World Mental Health Day.

MAD stands for Make A Difference. The Summit is the sister event of www.makeadifference.media and The Watercooler.

EAPA is delighted to once again be a supporting partner of the Mad World Summit on 11 October 2022. With a stellar line up of speakers and exhibitors, this event is dedicated to helping employers to really Make A Difference.

We are pleased to be able to offered a 25% discount to all our members using the code EAPA25 when registering for the Mad World Summit. Find out more information about the Summit below.

Since its launch in 2018 the Summit has become firmly established as the go-to solutions-focused conference and exhibition dedicated to turning talk into action, creating cultures of care and embedding mental health and wellbeing as a strategic business priority.

The pandemic propelled employee mental health and wellbeing to the top of business agendas. Now it’s crucial that it stays there. Mental health and wellbeing in the workplace are more critical than ever before. In just two years, we’ve experienced a decade of change in the world of work. Burnout is ubiquitous, uncertainty persists and now the cost-of-living crisis is biting.

Whilst adapting to meet fast-evolving employee needs and expectations undoubtedly presents challenges, it also opens opportunities for employers to scale-up workplace mental health and wellbeing support, embed preventative and inclusive approaches to wellbeing and set a new benchmark for workplace culture.

At the 5th annual MAD World Summit, we’ll be helping employers to step-up by showcasing what’s working now and exploring what’s needed next to weave mental health and wellbeing into your organisations’ DNA, achieve maximum engagement with initiatives, optimise investment in workplace wellbeing and really Make A Difference.

Business imperatives

The Summit is a great meeting of minds which always features fantastic speakers and attracts employers from a wide range of sectors. There were 700+ attendees at the last event.

Already confirmed speakers for the 2022 event include;

• Sir Ian Cheshire, Chair, Channel 4
• Sarah Newton, Chair, Health & Safety Executive
• Josh Krichefski, COO Global and CEO EMEA, MediaCom
• Jon Slade, Chief Commercial Officer, Financial Times
• Daisy Reeves, Global Inclusion & Diversity Partner, BCLP LLP
• Fiona Adshead, Chair, Sustainable Healthcare Coalition
• Charles Alberts, Global Head of Wellbeing & Employee Experience, Clifford Chance
• Lauren Appleby, Mental Health Programme Manager, Meta
• Theodora Chatzisarros, Fashion, Business Development & Mental Health & Wellbeing Strategy Leader, Amazon
• Hannah Pearsall, Head of Wellbeing, Hays
• Yulia O’Mahony, Global Head of Health and Resilience, Philip Morris International
• Ryan Hopkins, Global Workplace of the Future Lead, Finastra
• Geoff McDonald, Global Advocate, Campaigner and Consultant for Mental Health @ Work and former Global VP HR, Unilever
• Amanda Owen MBE, Wellbeing, Health & Safety Director, Heathrow
• Naeema Choudry, Partner, Eversheds Sutherland and member of Business in the Community’s “Better Work” Advisory Board
• Paul Caudwell, Heath Wellbeing Manager, Co-op
• Paul Hendry, Global Vice President for Health, Safety & Environment, Jacobs
• Katherine O’Hara, Therapy Area Specialist and Wellbeing Ambassador, Pfizer
• Somayeh Rahimi, Wellbeing Manager, Computacenter
• Vashti Holland, National Wellbeing Lead, Guide Dogs
• June Clark, Health & Wellbeing Manager, Nestle
• Kerrie Smith, Associate Director, Health & Wellbeing, Mace
• Marina Glasgow, Chief Conciliator, Acas
• Shelley Asquith, Health & Safety Policy, TUC

With plenty more in the pipeline.

The MAD World experience

As Mark Pigou, Co-founder, Make a Difference Media & Events, MAD World Summit and The Watercooler says: “The 5th annual MAD World Summit is the next step in our drive to accelerate the shift from stigma to solutions. With agenda-setting keynotes, themed content tracks, roundtables, workshops, a Think Tank, announcement of the Make A Difference Award winners and a host of exhibitors, there is no Summit like MAD World”.

What’s the real cause behind the wave of ‘quiet quitting’?

Media have jumped onto a TikTok clip which has gone viral, resonating with workforces globally. At a time. “You’re not outright quitting your job, but you’re quitting the idea of going above and beyond,” says user @zkchillin.

“You’re still performing your duties, but you’re no longer subscribing to the hustle-culture mentality that work has to be your life; the reality is it’s not, and your worth as a person is not defined by your labour.”

Not quite quitting

Worries about finances due to the cost-of-living crisis is a factor in declining productivity — staff are thinking more about what they are and aren’t being paid to do.

A survey of 2,200 UK employees by Champion Health, the global wellbeing platform, has suggested that financial pressure is now the highest cause of stress. 71% of UK professionals, says the research, are experiencing moderate to high levels of stress.

The main cause though, argues Anthony Klotz, associate professor at University of College London’s School of Management, is people trying to avoid burnout. “Quiet quitting is effectively redrawing boundaries back to the job description so that people aren’t thinking about work 24/7. Instead, they’re dedicating time and energy to other elements of their lives that are more meaningful, leading to im-proved wellbeing.”

Quietly belong

EAPA UK chair Eugene Farrell said: “Quiet quitting is a wellbeing issue, a psychological one in particular. The result of years of different stresses and strains that have yet to ease, meaning employees are more questioning of what’s being expected of them and the impact that’s having on their health. What matters most? Career progress or health?

“The solution has to be around the feelings of belonging. Quiet quitting happens because of disen-gagement, a weakening in the sense of community, of people all working together and supporting each other — of the employer having their best interests at heart.

“An EAP and its professional services need to be front and centre of HR’s response. Making sure every-one feels supported, part of something, always able to talk about worries like their finances and be listened to.”

Will employees stay for the ‘breakup leave’?

A survey among American workers has found that ‘hangover leave’ is the most sought after benefit (23%).

The research, carried out by YouGov for an equal pay software company Trusaic, also found support for perks such as ‘breakup leave’ (time off when a romantic relationship ends) (17%), ‘pawternity leave’ (already offered by some UK employers, for when staff take on a new dog), social media detox days (12%) and even compassionate leave after a sports team has suffered defeat in a major event.

Perk retention

The survey is about a wish-list rather than reality, a tongue-in-cheek response from employees about the benefits they’d like to see.

But there’s a serious issue behind the story: in the post-pandemic age of restless employees looking for quality of life and more rewarding roles (combined with angst over the cost-of-living crisis), the pressure is on for HR and benefits teams to keep employees feeling settled and motivated. In the US, 48 million staff moved on to another job in 2021, and there are reports of two jobs for every single candidate coming forward.

How loyalty works

EAPA UK chair Eugene Farrell said: “With the Great Resignation and the increasing war for talent, there’s a temptation to look to eye-catching perks. Something new and different, without the need for increasing the salary budget.

“What the difficult days of the pandemic showed again and again was how much people appreciated human support from their employer — that they could be trusted to have their back, doing their best to keep them in work, staying in touch.

“Through all the new anxieties, employees want to be sure they can trust their employer, they will be listened to when they have issues, there will be a fair and reasonable response. And EAP services continue to be the backbone for organisations in this way.”

How work is becoming the ‘rock’ in employee’s lives

In a bid to ensure it’s a positive force in employee’s day-to-day lives, Lucky Voice has added a new package of mental health and wellbeing support to its existing EAP offering. It’s just one of the many organisations seeing the EAP as the ideal foundation for spreading both a sense of support and good health.

Lucky Voice — an entertainment brand offering private karaoke rooms, cocktail bars and late night party space — has made available a suite of self-help tools, ranging from managing anxiety to breath-ing techniques. Its team of 87 also have access to a four-week programme to help people make life-style changes, stopping smoking, looking after their diet or alcohol consumption, or how to improve their sleep routine.

Values at work

With the cost-of-living-crisis also in mind, Lucky Voice has also introduced specific EAP support around debt management, household budgeting and dealing with civil disputes.

Charlie Elek, managing director at Lucky Voice, said: “One of our core business values is to have fun, be fun and we strive to offer our employees the same excitement that our karaoke-loving customers en-joy when they pick up one of our mics, and our EAP is very much a realisation of this value.”

Staff retention levels at Lucky Voice are among the highest in its sector — and the business now sees mental health and wellbeing support as a critical way to maintain that situation.

Listening first

EAPA UK chair Eugene Farrell said: “We’re going through year after year of anxiety. Compared with past decades, new threats and challenges to mental health seem to be coming thick and fast.

“Now is the time when people, more than ever, can find a sense of stability in their everyday work, for their finances and for the basis of their daily routine. Employers have that opportunity to be a positive force in people’s lives — and so build a sense of belonging and loyalty.

“Growing EAP services is a straightforward and essential way of demonstrating understanding and commitment, becoming the glue at the centre of operations that holds people together around a core of good mental wellbeing.”

How work is becoming the ‘rock’ in employee’s lives – 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 struggles with wellbeing most — staff or bosses?

A survey of more than 2,000 C-suite business leaders in the UK, US, Canada and Australia has revealed how almost 70% would like to leave their job for one that was better for their wellbeing.

The report by Deloitte and Workplace Intelligence (The C-suite’s role in well-being: How health-savvy executives can go beyond workplace wellness to workplace well-being) highlights the negative impact of the recent pandemic years on the wellbeing of top execs. 36% said that they were feeling exhausted, leading to ill-health; 24% were ‘lonely’, and 23% ‘depressed’.

Disconnected experiences

Figures also point to very different perspectives on who the pandemic affected most, whose wellbeing has come under the most pressure. More than 80% of the C-suite thought their employees were ‘thriving’ in terms of their wellbeing; 90% believed they understood entirely how difficult the Covid-19 years had been for their staff.

At the same time, fewer than half of the workforces themselves thought that their bosses understood the challenges. Just 56% believed that the C-suite cared about them and their wellbeing.

Early interventions

EAPA UK chair Eugene Farrell said: “It’s true that the leadership and employees have been under different kinds of pressures in the Covid-19 age. Rapid adaptation and strategic re-working on one side, delivery and adaptability on the other. But both have affected wellbeing in serious ways.

“What matters is that C-suite executives take wellbeing seriously for themselves — and appreciate that less obvious responsibility really doesn’t mean there’s a carefree existence among their staff. No one is more deserving than anyone else, and ultimately a holistic approach to wellbeing, one where everyone is aware of its importance and understands different needs for support, is the healthiest environment for organisations and their performance.

“And if top execs are feeling isolated and removed from the rest of the business, coming together to share in wellbeing activities, whatever form they take, could be the best way to re-connect.”

Who struggles with wellbeing most — staff or bosses? – EAPA UK

Why we still can’t talk about the ‘m’ word

A survey of 1,428 employees in the UK by MetLife has provided pointers to how the cost of living crisis is putting serious strains on mental health and relationships.

38% said the state of their finances was making them stressed or anxious, and a further 26% had experienced feelings of depression. 31% had lost sleep; 15% said that money problems had led to arguments at home. And the data comes from research carried out in February — before the more recent escalation in energy bills and inflation generally.

The MetLife survey suggests that 30% have no-one to turn to for financial advice (the 70% who do mainly just mean talking to their partner our family).

Not talking

A separate report, Aviva’s 2022 Working Lives report, has highlighted an underlying issue. Around 75% of employees have never had a conversation with their life manager about financial wellbeing — confirming the idea that people are uncomfortable with talking about personal finances at work.

The 45-54 year-old age group of employees were least likely to have talked about financial wellbeing; 18-24 year-olds were most likely.

At the same time, awareness of the central role of stable finances for both employees and organisations is high. 35% of employers said the cost of living crisis was their top boardroom concern; 34% of staff said wages were their main worry.

Orderly house

EAPA UK chair Eugene Farrell said: “Talking to professional EAP advisers is a hugely beneficial way for employees to start organising their finances, to get a grip on outgoings and how they can get themselves onto the most solid basis possible.

“Managers can flag ways to get help, but they’re not in a position to solve problems. And going to a boss with just worries and fears, hoping this will lead to a salary increase just isn’t the best or most practical approach.

“Employees need to be able to help themselves first of all, with the clear-eyed support and insights from an EAP, to demonstrate they are taking action.”

Why we still can’t talk about the ‘m’ word -EAPA UK

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.”