Could an EAP have spared the Royal family another scandal?

Meghan Markle’s TV interview with Oprah Winfrey has led to huge global interest and outrage over claims of racism.

Her account of problems with settling into a high-pressure role within the Royal Family, what she called ‘the firm’, included how a lack of sympathy and support in dealing with tabloid media scrutiny had led to suicidal thoughts.

Turning to HR

After Meghan Markle was told by advisors at Buckingham Palace there was nothing they could do to help with her issues, she turned directly to the head of HR, “begging for help, saying very specifically, ‘I am concerned for my mental welfare’”.

They were sympathetic but told her there was “nothing we can do to protect you, because you’re not a paid employee of the institution”.

Markle had wanted to look for formal medical help but was not allowed to do so without the go-ahead and clearance through Buckingham Palace.

EAP outlet

EAPA UK chair Eugene Farrell said: “In some ways the problems faced by Meghan Markle are an extreme version of the issues faced by many people when they take on a high-profile role with a new organisation, who find themselves faced with a barrage of pressures, stress and difficult relationships. It can be traumatic for anyone.

“Becoming part of an institution constantly scrutinised by the global media, where every statement and activity is being watched, where media are actively looking for scandal and gossip, is something else.

“Whatever the realities of the situation, the clashes of personalities involved, everyone has a right to have support to help with their mental health concerns. The repercussions are too serious not to.

“An EAP is so important as an outlet that’s impartial and independent. Very often under EAP arrangement its both staff and their direct family who can get access to professional advice, talk through issues and ensure people know there is a constructive way forward, making sure no one has to feel desperation – or a need to lash out at their organisation.”

Is talking about money problems now harder than mental health?

A new CIPD poll among 420 employers in the UK has shown how 49% did not have a policy on financial wellbeing – and that figure was higher (64%) among sectors where staff are traditionally on low pay: retail, hospitality and leisure, catering and cleaning.

At the same time, it was employers in the lower paid sectors who were most likely to admit that their staff finances had been badly affected by the Covid-19 situation. Only 46% said they had looked at exactly how the pandemic might have impacted their people financially, and the problems that might have resulted.  Only 12% said the turmoil of 2020 had led them to introduce a financial wellbeing policy.

Money in mind

In response, the CIPD has questioned whether HR has prioritised mental health – the symptoms of problems – over a likely cause, the practical nuts and bolts of finances.

“For too long [financial wellbeing] has been considered the poor relation to wellbeing but we know the two are intrinsically linked and should have parity,” said Charles Cotton, senior performance and reward adviser at the CIPD.

“While we fully acknowledge how tough it is for businesses right now, with many just focusing on surviving, we think there’s a strong case for employers to be doing more to support their people’s financial wellbeing. It may well be that even light-touch steps, such as signposting to independent money and debt advice, can start to make a difference.” 

Even a taboo?

“Money worries aren’t just something for people who have been made redundant or without work. Figures from debt charity StepChange showed that almost half the people coming to them during the first lockdown were in jobs,” said EAPA UK chair Eugene Farrell.

“There can be a sense of shame and awkwardness when it comes to talking about money problems. We live in a culture where our finances, our ability to be carefree consumers with the latest smartphone, expensive cars and holidays, is used as a very visible measure of personal ‘success’.

“So while it’s become more acceptable to be open about stress, anxiety and depression, in some ways it can be harder to admit that our finances are a problem. EAPs are a critical source of support for employees with any money-related issues or queries, and it will be increasingly important that the financial advice services are promoted to employees in the coming months.”

How Reckitt Benckiser made wellbeing a prime mover for transformation.

Health, hygiene and home product manufacturer Reckitt Benckiser (RB) put employee wellbeing at the centre of its thinking to deliver a major global change programme to drive sustainable growth.

Keeping production facilities open and supplies still running, making sure staff jobs were protected, was a severe challenge for the business through 2020. Health, safety and wellbeing was made paramount across the global operations. The EAP service was extended to be available to all 37,000 employees wherever they worked.

Other resources provided included leader-led wellbeing podcasts, training and tips on working from home and how to maintain hygiene standards through the pandemic. Staff were given an extra two days’ holiday and extraordinary work was rewarded with special hampers. The Sir James Reckitt Award was introduced to recognise and celebrate employee work: the first award going to the team at an RB factory near Wuhan who kept disinfection production running through the first frightening weeks of lockdown in China.

Wellbeing benefits

RB has seen an uplift in engagement among staff, with an increased number of people taking part in the organisation’s survey, in those who recommended RB as a place to work and sense of pride of being an RB employee. Despite the pandemic operating and trading conditions, the net revenue increased by more than 8%; net income improved from a loss of £3.68 billion in 2019 to a gain of £1.19 billion in 2020.

In 2021, RB launched its £3.5 million global wellbeing programme to ensure that wellbeings stays at the heart of the company’s employee experience.This includes an online wellbeing hub and ongoing digital conversation platform.

Model-making

EAPA UK chair Eugene Farrell said: “Awareness of the importance of employee wellbeing to employer brand and workplace culture has been growing at pace over the past five years or more.

“But Covid-19 has brought about a step change. Not only in terms of wellbeing support as an attractive benefit but in the essential value of physical and psychological wellbeing to organisational performance, as the foundation to resilience for the future. The approach being taken by RB will provide useful lessons to many other employers.”

Why a blanket approach to supporting LGBT+ employees isn’t working

More than four in 10 LGBT+ employees have experienced workplace conflict in the past year. This compares with a figure of 29% for heterosexual employees also taking part in the CIPD’s UK Working Lives survey.

In general, LGBT+ workers were found to have experienced higher levels of conflict, lower levels of feelings of psychological safety and lower job satisfaction. Perhaps worse of all for HR, around 50% said the conflicts that had occurred still remained unresolved.

Not listening

“It’s particularly concerning to see how many LGBT+ workers have experienced conflict and that more often than not, these conflicts are not resolved,” said Melanie Green, research adviser for the CIPD.

“Employers must treat people as individuals rather than assuming that any general measures to address LGBT+ as a homogenous group will sufficiently meet a spectrum of diverse needs. If we are to truly celebrate and support individuality we must start with the individual.”

Talking to individuals

EAPA UK chair Eugene Farrell said: “Generally-speaking there’s a positive culture of awareness and understanding of LGBT+ lifestyles compared with past decades. And yet, as the CIPD data shows, something seems to be going wrong.

“When employees feel they have to suppress aspects of their personality, of who they are, how they think, it’s never healthy for them – or their relationships with other people in the workplace and sense of identity and purpose.

“Covid-19 has led to a great deal of blanket activity and investment into supporting employee health and wellbeing. But how much of it has allowed for targeting to individual groups and their specific needs, their particular experiences? This is the great strength of EAP services. It’s about the one-to-ones, about talking through knots of issues at a personal level, the chance to open up and help people find resolutions and ways forward.”

EAPA AGM 2021

How to ensure impact from post-Covid-19 health and wellbeing investment

Research by Westfield Health estimates the cost of employee absence in the UK spiked by £1.3 billion, taking the total cost up to £14 billion in 2020.

The average employee took 3.19 days off work for mental health-related issues which (compared with 2.90 days in 2019). More than one in three workers (36 per cent) said their workplace productivity had been negatively affected by mental health every week. Presenteeism is a major issue: 76% said their productivity had stagnated since 2019.

The biggest factors in terms of negative impacts on mental health were found to be anxiety around job security (22%). 21% were worried about loneliness. 34% said their morale was poor.

Asking for help

In the study, 81% of employers had increased their levels of investment in staff wellbeing measures. Employees themselves most wanted to see an extension of flexible working offerings (28%), more mental health support (26%), and for workplaces to be made more Covid-secure (28%).

Dave Capper, CEO, Westfield Health, said: “Despite the welcome news of the vaccine roll-out, it is likely that the HR and wellbeing teams will be focussing on the role their business can play in the mental wellbeing of their teams. However, this research shows that the implications for a business are too big for a company’s HR team to navigate alone. In 2021, companies will need to support wellbeing from the top down.”

Employers are getting more creative. At the end of last year, manufacturer organisation NSG Pilkington installed a free health monitor kiosk, provided by Wellpoint, allowing employees access to checks on their cardiovascular fitness, blood pressure and weight. As part of the National Police Welling Service scheme, Sussex Police have given officers the chance to spend downtime with a group of wellbeing dogs to help them relax and de-stress. 

Targeting investment

“Taking a positive grip on the post-Covid-19 situation and providing the best platforms for workplace wellbeing has to be the priority for 2021,” says EAPA UK chair Eugene Farrell. “Absence levels need to come under control, engagement and productivity levels need a dramatic boost. Good news relating to the pandemic and lifting of restrictions will do part of the job, but HR need to be pro-active in creating a long-term environment of awareness and support.

“It’s critical that all staff know about the full range of expertise and support that an EAP offers across the spectrum, from everyday worries around finances and relationships, to access to professional counselling.

“With finances under pressure it’s also important that the right investments are being made, in to those initiatives with the biggest impact on health and wellbeing. Measurement of effectiveness and ROI has to be fundamental. Research by EAPA has shown how it’s the employers who are most engaged and interested in the performance of their EAP, who provide regular management reports using the EAPA calculator, who see the biggest ROI.”

What will ‘ long-Covid ’ mean for HR?

More than 300,000 people in the UK are believed to be suffering from ‘long Covid’ – the longer-term affects of Covid-19.

Conditions vary widely and in terms of medical classification is still unknown. People have suffered commonly from ongoing loss of taste and smell and problems with breathing – but also dizziness, anxiety, blood clots and heart damage. Long-Covid is often seen to manifest itself around three months after the original virus.

Long-term issue for HR

Evidence of the impact of the condition has been seen in the explosion in numbers of people joining Long-Covid support groups. In June 2020, the Long Covid Support and Campaign had just a few hundred members – now it has 33,000.

HR bodies now fear that every employer will have a percentage of staff who will either be on long-term sick leave or need to be supported in managing their condition alongside working. Anecdotal evidence shows that people with long-Covid will want to return to work but find the effort and pressure involved causes a relapse – causing frustration and demoralisation. The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Coronavirus is calling for it to be officially recognised as an occupational disease.

Rachel Suff, senior policy adviser at the CIPD, said: “We need to get across that long Covid is not just post-virus fatigue. The employer and the manager need to have a really sensitive conversation with someone who has been diagnosed with long Covid to understand how the illness affects them personally, and the impact on them in terms of work. It must be on a case-by-case basis.” 

Ensuring psychological wellbeing

“If contracting Covid-19 wasn’t enough, believing you’ve recovered and then facing ill-health that won’t seem to go away is even more frightening,“ said EAPA UK chair Eugene Farrell.

“For HR there are a host of practical issues. Are the usual sickness processes relevant? In many organisations, taking regular short spells of sickness absence can lead to hard questions and disciplinary action. And how do you manage the usual phased return from long-term sickness? With most conditions it’s possible to know or at least talk about what the likely recovery period will involve. With long-Covid everyone is working in the dark.

“Long-Covid means the need for ongoing support, and not just in terms of physical health. EAPs will be an important resource and reassurance for HR – knowing that their people will always have access to professional support whenever they need it, to help them deal with the inevitable negative effects of long-Covid on emotional and psychological wellbeing, to see them through whatever setbacks the condition brings and allow them to make working part of their balance and recovery.”

HR need to remember why they suddenly have a seat on the board

Research by the HRD Pathfinder Club among senior UK HR directors has revealed a picture of HR promotions and growing status as trusted advisors to boards.

In the last three months of the year in particular there was found to be a rise in the numbers of female HRDs being moved to more senior positions. 47% of those involved in the survey said they now had a better working relationship with their CEO, and 35% with their CFO.

Virtuous circle

“I am speaking to more HRDs who, as a result of the current turmoil and crisis, have a direct line to the CEO and are seeing a virtuous circle of cause and effect,” said Peter Ryding, founder of the HRD Pathfinder Club, which is campaigning to increase the number of FTSE CEOs who are HRDs from 2% to 20% by 2030.

“They are given more support and budget, enabling them to put into practice people initiatives that deliver improved commercial results and enhance the business, allowing for further investment in the workforce. HRDs can use Covid as an opportunity to be a businessperson first and the people-expert second….HR now has a chance to move where it belongs – to the centre of the organisation, ensuring that decisions are guided by the right HR KPIs. That is how to win the support and confidence of your CEO and to become their most trusted advisor.”

The foundation of workplace wellbeing

EAPA UK chair Eugene Farrell said: “It’s positive news that senior HR professional are being given more of a say at higher levels within organisations. It can only mean more awareness of the importance of ‘good work’ and the ways to create hard financial returns from having better workplaces and working environments. “But it’s also important that HRDs don’t lose sight of exactly why they have been drawn close into the heart of decision-making discussions and thinking. Without a strong understanding of the value of employee wellbeing, how it’s been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and the most effective methods for mitigating the serious problems and stresses involved, then any HR leader becomes less relevant to the core organisational challenge of ensuring resilience.”

How can employers prevent a tidal wave of litigation in 2021?

70% of employee claims management firms have already seen an upturn of new claims in January 2021 – and expect to see a 40% increase linked to Covid-19 over the course of the coming year.

The findings come for research by risk management and insurance brokerage firm Gallagher among 200 claims management companies, 1,000 senior business leaders and 2,000 employees. 12% of claims so far have been related to employees who feel overworked or unsupported in their role. 9% were linked to poor working conditions, including a lack of access to PPE. 8% involved cases of alleged discrimination and 4% to unfair dismissal.

From complaint to legal action

Research from Gallagher has also examined the level of internal complaints being made by staff. Most commonly these were found to be around concerns about lack of safety planning and provision in workplaces, the fear of catching Covid-19 at work, and wrongful termination of an employment contract.

Business leaders are acutely aware of the dangers. 52% admit to being “seriously concerned” about the potential of being sued by staff who believe they contracted coronavirus on their premises.

Talking culture

“It’s a basic requirement for organisations to be aware of the latest advice on keeping workplaces safe to work in, and to avoid making unreasonable demands on their people in terms of going back into workplaces when it’s not necessary,” said EAPA UK chair Eugene Farrell.

“But the best employers will be the ones who work on creating a positive and genuinely supportive working environment – whether from home or in the workplace. Offering an EAP and actively building up awareness of EAP services is an important part of that culture.

“Litigation in these times is a threat to any employer. But resorting to legal action will always feel far less necessary, or even appropriate, among those staff who know they can raise their issues, that they will be listened to, and that they’re part of an organisation with an interest in and commitment to wellbeing.”

litigation 2021, Eugene Farrell

Refusing furlough

Refusing furlough; The research suggests that 70% of requests for furlough by working mums are being turned down. As a consequence, 90% of 10 mums said their mental health had been negatively affected. Around 25% of mums claimed they were worried about losing their jobs because of their situation, becoming a convenient target for redundancy, sacked or denied hours.

Frances O’Grady, TUC general secretary, said: “Tens of thousands of mums have told us they are despairing. It’s neither possible nor sustainable for them to work as normal, while looking after their children and supervising schoolwork.”

The TUC is calling for the granting of a temporary legal right for working parents to access furlough funding.

Human professionals

EAPA UK chair Eugene Farrell said: “In principle, public funding from Government should be targeted to where it’s most needed by society, where the pain is being experienced most keenly. Furlough pay shouldn’t be another form of privilege for those already in the most comfortable situations.

“At the same time, this isn’t a problem that’s just about Government funding. Employers have a formal duty of care to their staff which extends into the home if that’s people’s place of work – as well as a broader responsibility to be aware of what it means to be WFH while also home-schooling and taking on more caring responsibilities during a serious lockdown.

“Being professional has long been assumed to include shutting out ‘irrelevant’ personal considerations and distractions, putting job demands first. Years of changing social attitudes to the role of men and women don’t seem to have had any great effect. But the experiences of Covid-19 should have brought about changes. Because being professional should include being human and unselfish, being able to balance work/life responsibilities, wanting to share the duties and burdens of partners and family members.”

Refusing furlough, Eugene Farrell