Are managers ready for the strains of the ‘hokey cokey’ work model?

The coming months are expected to see the birth of the hybrid office – the constant ins and outs of staff mixing remote working with key meetings and team building.

The Prime Minister has again confirmed recently that 21st June should see the end to the ‘work from home wherever possible’ advice. A BBC poll has indicated that around 80% of employers expect to offer a hybrid working model.

Tough transition

Transition is going to cause more work and increased pressures for both leaders and line managers trying to juggle competing demands from staff and the need to ensure ongoing delivery in difficult economic conditions. New, more people-centred leadership styles are expected to be needed; more attention to how time in offices should be used; an ability to engage and motivate teams working in diverse ways; to monitor performance in more flexible ways; and, deal with any fall-out or tensions with staff who don’t want to be working in the office or vice-versa.

These are real challenges for leaders and managers already stressed from the pandemic period and feeling “Zoomed out” by management meetings. A survey by IDC and Unisys has suggested that four in 10 business leaders have concerns about the lack of management oversight with hybrid working approaches.

There is also growing debate over the motivations of people preferring to work from home. The CEO of office rental firm WeWork stirred up controversy by claiming that “those who are least engaged are very comfortable working from home.”

Caring for the carers

“Hybrid working is going to be a fact of working life for the foreseeable future. It’s a reasonable response to the uncertainties and concerns around Covid-19 — and offer the kind of flexibility that fits well with a pre-pandemic desire for more flexibility and work/life balance,” says EAPA UK chair Eugene Farrell.

“But hybrid also brings a host of management issues. Make-do attitudes were fine during the crisis periods, but employers will increasingly expect high levels of performance and delivery. And that all puts intense pressure onto the management chain.

“There needs to be recognition of what this all means for leaders and managers and how they can best be supported. Their workload isn’t going to be settling down in the coming months. EAP offerings are ideal for more senior staff looking for immediate access to professional advice and reassurance.” 

work model, Eugene Farrell

Diary date: EAPA branch meeting, Tuesday 15 June, Online via Teams

The next EAPA branch meeting will take place online on 15 June via Teams. The branch meeting will run from 10.30 to 11.00 and will be followed by a presentation from guest speaker, Julian Hall, Founder of Calm People.

Julian Hall founded Calm People 8 years ago and they work with organisations of all sizes across the UK, Europe and Australia & the US. They work with groups and individuals to raise awareness and develop the skills to build emotional resilience. Julian regularly presents on subjects related to mental health.  Calm People is a member of EAPA.

Julian will present a session on the 5 Pillars of Stress, a session that Calm People regularly delivers in workshops and events nationally and internationally. By the end of the session you will be fully aware of your own personal relationship with stress and have a proven model and coaching process to coach yourself and others to develop a different relationship with stress.  The session will cover:

• Stress: it’s not all bad
• Where it comes from
• Our symptoms and its impact
• The 5 Pillars Model & coaching process
• Summary & close

Following the presentation, Julian will offer attendees a complimentary experience on their mental health tech platform “My Internal World”, on the basis of shared feedback.

Members are encouraged to bring one colleague as a guest for this part of the meeting. Guests are entitled to attend free of charge.  The branch meeting will be for members only and we invite guests to join the meeting during the break just before the start of the presentation at 11.00am.

Please ensure you and any guests you invite pre-register and confirm your participation by emailing info@eapa.org.uk. The Teams invitation will be sent out 2-3 days prior to the event to pre-registered participants.

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.

Mental Health Awareness Week: What can pan-European collaboration do for mental health?

Mental Health Awareness Week #EuropeanMentalHealthWeek is running across Europe from 10-16 May 2021 [https://www.mhe-sme.org/emhw/].

The programme of events has been set up by Mental Health Europe, a network of 73 member organisations across 30 countries, including the British Psychological Society in the UK, EU-wide groups like Clubhouse Europe, charities and NGOs.

This year’s theme is ‘Mental Health Matters’ #MoreThanEver and how “we are all experiencing a different pandemic”, with different kinds of strains on our wellbeing: “The week is a chance for people to talk about all aspects of mental health, share personal stories of how people are coping with difficulties during the coronavirus crisis and highlight the need for action focusing on advice and support.”

What’s happening

Online events include today’s launch event for Mental Health Europe’s Mental Health Advocacy Platform – advocating a comprehensive EU Mental Health Strategy as a means of bringing about sustainable change across Europe; and a series of conversations about mental health and recovery.

“Mental health is in the spotlight as one of the biggest social issues of our time,” says EAPA UK chair Eugene Farrell.

“Awareness is growing alongside levels of understanding among business leaders. But what’s needed now is more understanding about the best forms of support for different people and issues, and how to provide access to them. In other words, there’s a great deal of diversity involved, how do we know what really works?

“It’s more important than ever that we come together and collaborate as a body of committed professionals, with so much experience to share, in order to broaden our perspective and to ensure best practice and new insights are being shared.”

Are HR investing in the right areas of wellbeing?

Around nine in 10 employers are worried about the increases in numbers of their staff reporting mental health issues, says a new survey from Willis Towers Watson of 213 UK companies.

In response, 75% plan to improve benefits provision in the short and medium term; 78% with a particular focus on stress management and mental health services over the next six months. 64% intend to make sure current wellbeing offerings were highlighted.

The data picked out the most common health benefits being offered: mental health support (68%), GP consultations (68%) and physiotherapy/musculoskeletal support (45%). But for the future, employers are looking to also include specific services around menopause (37%), male health (30%), female health (29%), gender transition (28%), fertility treatment (23%).

What’s wellness?

The question is whether HR plans are in line with what employees are really looking for, and what’s going to help them best cope with the new normal.

In another survey, this time by Canada Life among 592 employees currently working from home, 87% said they wanted access to mental health support. 54% wanted to see the introduction of mental wellness days; the same proportion was keen for help in addressing ‘always on’ presenteeism while working from home.

Work by IDC and Unisys suggests employers’ plans are out of sync with employee needs. In research carried out among 1,100 people across 15 countries they found 66% of firms planned to operate with a new model, and that 64% wanted to create a better working environment. For employers that meant safety first, but also increased productivity. For employees however, their priorities were having a work location and schedule conducive to family life (66%); being empowered and given more independence (51%). Employers were more interested in the problems with WFH and the need for better technology. Only 7% of staff surveyed were concerned about the lack of management oversight.

Getting into tune

“We’re in a stage where both sides of the world of work, employers and their people, are looking for change. We’re all looking to re-build in positive ways that bring a greater sense of resilience and psychological safety,” says EAPA UK chair Eugene Farrell.

“The broad agreement might be there, but there are going to be differences in emphasis and detail that could lead to less effective or wasted wellbeing investment. The value of EAP services are their breadth and depth. For employees they offer an independent outlet for talking about any kind of issue, at any level. And for organisations as a whole, the kind of solid platform necessary for securing engagement and performance.”

Welcome to our new EAPA UK board members

EAPA UK is delighted to welcome four new members to its board. 

Catherine Betley, is to act as our new Secretary. The Managing Director of Professional Help Ltd, Catherine is also the Founder and Managing Director of GriefChat, the world’s first bereavement webchat service. In 2019 she undertook the International EAP certificate at the University of Maryland under the direction of Dr Dale Massi, one of the pioneers of the US EAP field. As part of her work with EAPA UK, she would like to: “support smaller EAP providers, uphold standards in service delivery and encourage innovation”.

Harry Key, Head of Global Specialist Services at CiC, has a background in the design and delivery of wellbeing programmes for staff working in hostile environments, such as those working with global NGO, government and media operations. He’s looking forward to sharing best practice and learning among peers. “I am interested in supporting the EAP industry in adapting to the ever changing needs of the staff and organisations we support, particularly as we navigate through these uncertain times,” said Harry, who is also Executive Board Director of the EAEF (Employee Assistance European Forum).

Samantha Duncan brings to the board her long experience as a Clinical Psychologist with the Department of Health where she acted as both an internal coordinator and provider of services before setting up a private practice, taking referrals from external EAP service providers. “In 2016 I relocated to the Channel Islands where I continue to assist employees as a Clinical Psychologist delivering services to external agencies privately,” says Samantha. “I would like to support the growth of EAPs – an under-utilised yet vital service to employees and employers alike – while also looking to redefine the role for mental health professionals in this area.”

As central operations manager for BUPA, Nicola Bowden manages the EAP as well as BUPA’s resilience service, mental health direct access team and the critical incident team. That includes responsibility for EAP service development for customers, its innovation and growth. Nicola sees being part of the EAPA board as a chance to build her connections across the industry and benchmark operations. “We want to make sure we are delivering the best service we can. It’s also a critical time for employee wellbeing and a great opportunity for the EAP industry to demonstrate how it is supporting employers to better manage employee mental health.”

“We are delighted to welcome Catherine, Harry, Samantha and Nicola to the EAPA UK board and look forward to working together to support and represent the EAP industry in the UK,” said EAPA UK chair, Eugene Farrell.

Lonely and unappreciated? Facing up to the fall-out from WFH

WFH: A new survey of more than 1,000 UK employees (by Ezra) has found that 20% believed they were working harder remotely but were also less appreciated.

The shift to remote working arrangements has been necessary but led to a range of unintended consequences, particularly over time. The realities of spending so much time away from colleagues have sunk in. There have been more regular reports of staff feeling disconnected from their peers and their employer overall, whether furloughed or WFH, or even as a result of the shift to hybrid working.

The need for togetherness

Workplace commentators have pointed to how the pandemic year has exposed the value of face-to-face interactions, both at a social level and for management. More people are having to work harder, take on more responsibilities and deal with uncertainty and change. In normal times all of those challenges would have been accompanied by more support and interaction with HR and managers.

“Mixing at coffee docks and on the office floor gives an opportunity for personal thanks and praise and encouragement,” says Dr John Moriarty, lecturer at the Queen’s University Belfast, School of Social Science, Education and Social Work. “Even when management does remember to thank their staff, I imagine this could feel impersonal to someone receiving this thanks on a video call with hundreds of colleagues.”

Instead, there are warnings of a rise in presenteeism – more recognition and rewards for employees who are simply spending more time at their keyboard, being visible digitally, rather than those who are genuinely being productive. And as a result, HR and managers need to make sure there isn’t a return to a culture where long hours are all that matter, and look to find new ways of appreciating commitment and contribution.

Who will be the best employers for remote and hybrid workers?

“Many of us have enjoyed the flexibility of remote working, and many want those benefits to continue. But that was only the first stage of change, the sense of novelty, of new opportunities for exercise and hobbies and more time with family and friends,” said EAPA UK chair Eugene Farrell.

“This next phase is going to be far more difficult. Even those people who most benefited the changes involved will be questioning the longer term impact, what’s happened to their relationships with colleagues, what it means for their career. Are they getting the same level of attention, do people really see the extra effort involved?

“Employers need to make sure they have a good remote work culture as much as a good workplace culture. That means awareness of the new challenges and the support to match, including professional mental wellbeing and EAP services. Because increasingly that’s what new recruits are going to be looking for and demanding as the new normal.”

What does the year’s stress hangover mean for HR?

Levels of absence from stress have risen by 113% since March 2019, according to a study of data from absence management platform e-days, relating to 1,500 employees. The average number of people taking leave because of stress is up by 74%.

At the same time, the recovery time for staff dealing the stress-related issues has grown longer. e-days research has also shown that 58% of employees ‘feel exhausted’.

Money or health?

The study provides more supporting evidence for how staff attitudes to benefits have changed. Wellbeing has shot to the top of the list of priorities. Asked whether they would prefer extra money or time for themselves, 62% of employees said they would take an additional day off each year.

The Stress Management Society, in its analysis, has concluded that the pandemic has led to three main strands of stress that HR need to be aware of: a sense of disconnection with work, uncertainty and loss of control. It has advised that all staff need to be able to openly discuss stress and its effects on them, talk about their coping mechanisms, and be allowed to take time out when needed.

Road back to normal

“While the UK continues to make strong progress along the road back to normality, workplaces have to be aware of the aftershocks from prolonged periods of heightened anxieties and uncertainty,” says EAPA UK chair Eugene Farrell.

“The risks are clear: exhaustion and burnout for people who have needed to battle through increased workloads and constant change, bottling up stress in ways that lead to threats to mental wellbeing. More people looking to make major changes to their way of life. More people wanting to change jobs, change their routines. Evidence from Aviva this month has suggested that three in five UK staff intend to make change to their career in some way.

“EAPs will help people through this period of psychological fallout from the pandemic, when we’re struggling with the big questions about what we want from our jobs and lives more generally. EAPs help people open up and make sure they’re addressing issues with stress – but with the range of advice available, they can also ensure employees aren’t making knee-jerk decisions about their future.”

Stress hangover mean for HR

Can we talk about death?

Almost a quarter of UK employees experienced a bereavement in the period from September 2019 to  September last year (7.9 million staff). A survey of 1,000 people by the Sue Ryder charity has shown that a third of those people didn’t receive any kind of communication about the bereavement from HR or their manager.

Death continues to be a topic that employers – and people in general – find too difficult to talk about. Rather than say the wrong thing, we prefer to say nothing at all. But in the case of relationships with employees, that can lead to damaging effects on levels of trust and confidence. In a separate study by Hospice UK, 56% of employees said they would consider leaving their employer if they didn’t provide ‘proper’ bereavement support.

Bereavement policy

A range of approaches have been suggested for HR as the basis of a policy that can outlined to staff so they know what to expect in terms of leave and work patterns.

A policy might also include help with the grieving process by encouraging staff to have conversations about their feelings, giving space and time to share their experience with colleagues; being flexible to temporary adjustments in work routines, moving them from dealing with difficult customers, being able to start later or leave early or generally take on lighter duties.

Companies will often offer three to five days of compassionate leave as a standard part of an employment contract – but there is an argument for longer periods of paid bereavement leave.

Support or intrusion?

EAPA UK chair Eugene Farrell said: “When an employee is grieving they have every right to be selfish. They get to choose whether they want to talk or if they want to be left alone. They should never feel obliged to conform to rules of behaviour around dealing with death – to want to open up, to be grateful for people’s expressions of sympathy – it’s just too personal and hard a thing for anyone else to have any say on what’s right and what’s wrong.

“That’s what makes the role of HR and managers in bereavement so challenging. And why a formal bereavement policy can’t be prescriptive, it needs to stay a loose guide. People, of course, don’t want to feel like their situation is being ignored, they need to know there is empathy and sympathy for what’s happened. But sometimes arms around the shoulder and constant invitations to talk can be intrusive.

“The great benefit of an EAP service is that it’s always there for staff – anonymised, professional help on dealing with any aspect of dealing with the fall-out from bereavement – so that HR don’t need to push support onto people, leaving them to make their own choices during the hardest of times.”

Is a ‘Chief Empathy Officer’ there to help employees or just the business?

Microsoft and LEGO have both claimed to be putting empathy at the heart of their senior leadership approach. Not only does an emphasis on empathy lead to happier employees, they say, but it also means better performance, higher levels of customer satisfaction and a stronger brand.

Josh Bersin, HR and management guru in the US, has coined the term ‘Chief Empathy Officer’ to emphasise the growing importance of a caring attitude to building a sense of belonging in the workforce, particularly in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, and the need for engagement and resilience. Employers need to prove that they are a shoulder to lean on, he has concluded. As the most visible people, business leaders need to take on that role: people first, economics second.

Empathy in action

During 2020 there were a number of instances when CEOs were shown to be demonstrating their credentials as Chief Empathy Officers. For example, Marc Benioff, CEO of Salesforce, and his call for CEOs to follow in his footsteps of making a “no layoff pledge” for 90 days, to give more security to employees and build more confidence. When redundancies were needed, CEOs like Mark Hoplamazian at Hyatt Hotels have been pointed to as models of leaders doing their very best to minimise the anxiety: decisions were made quickly to reduce any waiting period, and wide-ranging support provided for everyone affected.

According to Dr. Elizabeth Yuko, the Professor of Ethics at Fordham University, a culture of empathy generally at work leads to greater productivity. When people feel more comfortable and secure, knowing that their issues are being understood, the workplace is transformed, because “there is a people issue behind nearly every problem in a company,” said Bersin.

EAPs keep it real

EAPA UK chair Eugene Farrell said: “Empathy is a valuable quality for everyone in the workplace – something simple and fundamental, staying human, caring about other people and how they’re feeling.

“Making empathy a focus for business leadership and decision-making, however, is something more difficult and complex. Staff want empathy from their manager, they want it from HR; and when they have particular challenges they know they’re going to experience empathy from professionals delivering services on behalf of an EAP. But the CEO and other senior leaders have to make the hard business decisions that are essential for resilience and security. They have to get the balance right between economics and people.

“It’s important that the principle of empathy isn’t de-valued though mis-use. No-one wants to get to a situation where employers use the idea to boost their employer branding, for good PR, when behind the scenes exactly the same hard decisions are being made.

“In reality, the support for staff and their sense of psychological security comes from conversations with their peers, their line manager, knowing that they have the option of contacting an EAP and getting professional advice and guidance. In the difficult months ahead, as workplaces try to return to something close to normal ways of working, all employees need to know that the caring and the everyday support they receive is real, not window-dressing.”