Everything you’ve ever wanted to ask about physical and mental wellbeing at work
If your car was leaking oil, you’d be straight under the bonnet or on the phone to a mechanic. Or if key machinery in your factory started to fail, you’d expect it to be serviced as soon as possible. So why do employers fail to see the same warning signs when it comes to their staff?
The CIPD’s latest research on wellbeing shows that, while most employers accept a duty of care for the people they employ, and realise that reduced absence is good for the bottom line, too often this is where their commitment to wellbeing in its most holistic sense ends. “Where companies have taken it on board at the very top, where everyone promotes wellbeing and is even appraised on how they support their staff, that’s where we see reduced absence and improved morale,” says Dr Karen Walker-Bone from the University of Southampton.
With a recent survey by Canada Life Group Insurance suggesting more than half of UK employees have suffered from mental health problems at work, and 131 million days lost to sickness absence in the UK in 2013, it’s imperative that organisations get a better idea of how their staff work. Prevention is of course the ideal, but recognising those warning signs is part of an employer’s responsibility to take care of its staff. So you think you know your way around your employees? Take a look at our guide and you might be surprised.
Neurodiversity: the next big (brain) idea
Most businesses will have an established diversity and inclusion policy when it comes to race, gender, ethnicity and religion. But growing numbers of employers now also acknowledge that many people in the workplace have neurological differences such as autism, epilepsy and Tourette syndrome, which means they process information and communicate differently to ‘neurotypical’ employees.
Rather than being concerned that these individuals might not be able to cope in a typical work environment, employers such as professional services firm EY and software provider SAP are embracing the alternative ways of thinking that a neurodiverse team can provide. “We are learning that people on the autistic spectrum can bring qualities into the workforce that we don’t have enough of. We have to strike a balance between achieving consistency in processes while ensuring that we think imaginatively and creatively about clients’ issues,” says Iain Wilkie, head of EY’s disability network, Ability EY. Under the umbrella of Ability EY, staff run six support networks: for autism, stammering, deaf and hard of hearing, dyslexia, mental health and mobility.
The key to supporting employees with autism and other neurological conditions is getting job design right, says Wilkie. “It comes down to the culture of the team, being receptive to the strengths of someone with autism and accommodating of the challenges.” It’s commonly reported that employees on the autistic spectrum work well in analytical environments or where there’s a need for attention to detail, while dyslexic colleagues tend to excel at coming up with innovative strategies because they are used to finding alternative ways of gathering knowledge. Meanwhile, those with a stammer will typically be good at listening, adds Wilkie.
Even making small changes to the way things in the office work can have an impact. For example, a new lift system at EY meant staff had to key in their desired floor on a screen, which created issues for some employees with dyslexia, and so it was quickly changed. “It’s incumbent on employers to create an atmosphere where employees feel confident that the risk of revealing they have a disability is worth taking – that they will be supported if they do,” says Wilkie.
And of course, neurodiversity isn’t just about people with recognisable conditions; the work of business thinkers such as Susan Cain has pioneered the principle that having a mix of people who think differently (including both introverts and extroverts, for example, or those who are impulsive and more considered) means more rounded decision-making and less groupthink.
Size matters
A new study by the University of Exeter has revealed that “awful but true” unconscious biases affect pay rates. After examining weight, height and earnings data, the researchers found that men who are shorter than the national average (5ft 9) and women who are heavier than average (11 stone) earn around £1,500 less per year than their colleagues.
Can a drug make you work better?
Drugs such as Ritalin and Adderall have been used for a long time to help children cope with conditions such as ADHD, and have been popular with college students to aid focus during exams. But employers in the US are witnessing a rise in their use as a way of gaining an edge in the office – improving concentration and reducing fatigue. Another drug, Provigil, has gained popularity among shift workers (particularly doctors and pilots) who have to remain hyper-alert through the night.
Could we see a greater take-up of so-called smart drugs in UK workplaces? A report by the Royal Society concluded that “widespread use of enhancements might influence an individual’s ability to learn or perform tasks and perhaps even to enter a profession”, and that they could influence motivation, support people with more extreme conditions to stay in work and reduce workplace illness. However, it added that ‘known unknowns’, such as the long-term impact of taking these drugs, or the ethical affects of deliberately enhancing performance, should be addressed.
Are you lonesome today?
A recent study by charity Relate revealed that four in 10 people have no close friends at work, despite the fact that most workers have much more contact with their colleagues than with their friends or family. And while many employees choose to build firm boundaries between home and work, feeling connected to colleagues during stressful periods can make all the difference to how they cope.
As more of us work remotely for at least part of the working week, will we see staff begin to feel more disconnected from the social aspects of work? “The workplace has changed, and while some people choose to work in an isolated way, others don’t – and for those people you need to ensure there are touchpoints,” says Jayne Carrington (right), customer and propositions director at RehabWorks.
You don’t have to be in a remote office to feel lonely, she adds. Hot-desking means staff become more nomadic and sit next to different people every day, while colleagues sitting opposite each other email questions rather than getting up to have a chat.
Employers can’t force staff to ditch technology, and the trend towards more dispersed workers shows no sign of abatement, so how can we stop employees feeling lonely? Internal communication tools such as intranets and platforms like Yammer are a good start, says Paula Brockwell, head of client delivery and chartered occupational psychologist at Robertson Cooper.
“This can create a sense of purpose within an organisation, which on an individual level is key to wellbeing,” she says. “A common sense of purpose can shape group behaviours, such as increased support and contact. For remote workers, it can be easy to forget the importance of regular communication in the absence of face-to-face contact.” Using the phone or Skype, rather than just email updates, can be a chance to check in on employees’ general wellbeing.
Jobs opportunity
Marketing company The Garage recently ran a job ad stipulating that applicants must be dyslexic. Featuring a photo of Steve Jobs, it said: “We require people with a unique mind, so only dyslexics (like Steve) should apply.” While legal experts say the ad may be permissible under the Equality Act, employers should take care that job adverts and recruitment processes do not disadvantage potential candidates who possess (or may possess) a protected characteristic – especially ones not explicitly referenced in the ad.
The power of nudge
Office design and rental agency Morgan Pryce bills itself as a biophilic office, meaning it is home to hordes of pot plants and greenery. The firm also encourages staff to eat together at a communal breakfast bar, provides a weekly shiatsu massage and buys lunch once a week. But there are benefits to this office environment beyond directors simply being benevolent – ‘nudging’ staff into more healthy workplace behaviour can have a positive impact on absence and retention.
The concept was brought to prominence in the 2008 book Nudge by economist Richard Thaler, which explained how prompting people to make minor changes (without directly telling them what to do) can have striking results. The UK government jumped on the idea, creating a Behavioural Insights Team, or ‘nudge unit’, which launched a host of initiatives from reducing sugar consumption to encouraging auto-enrolment.
“If you go to the work canteen and the first thing you see are the pastries, despite a well-publicised wellbeing policy, you’ll be tempted to eat unhealthily,” says Mandy Rutter, head of resilience at Validium. “Offering employees a menu that allows them to make informed choices – ‘if you’re feeling tired, try this’, for example – can nudge them in the right direction.”
This approach is working at Morgan Pryce. “It’s a small company and staff can be expected to work long hours, so we want to make the environment as inspiring as possible,” says Jimmy Tran, business development director at CSK Projects, who works with Morgan Pryce. “The majority of staff have been here for more than two years, and absence is under the average compared to competitors.”
Five ways to nudge at work
Staff canteen: Google cut its workers’ collective calorie intake by three million after it positioned the healthy foods in its canteen more prominently. Consider providing information on calorie content, or a link to the MyFitnessPal app.
Fitness contests: Many employers are offering deals on fitness trackers and setting up informal competitions for staff to see who can log the most steps. Try StepJockey, which runs stair climbing challenges to encourage employees to ditch the lift.
Make the office ‘task based’ rather than fixed: You might want to start the day in a quiet corner preparing a presentation, hold that presentation in a formal meeting room and discuss the action points with your team in a break-out area. But not all offices are set up like this. “A good design encourages mobility and those casual encounters that lead to great ideas,” says Colin Stuart, a real estate specialist with Baker Stuart.
Great coffee: You want staff to innovate but they’re too busy in the queue at the Starbucks next door. One Baker Stuart client, where silo working was the norm, reported far greater levels of collaboration after inviting staff to take tea together between 10 and 11 each morning.
Hydrate: Research in the US has shown that increasing the availability and visibility of water stations can improve consumption, so make your water cooler a key office feature, rather than tucking it away
in a kitchen.
Why back pain is all in the brain
Time was, a worker suffering from back pain would go to their GP, get a referral to a physiotherapist and some painkillers, and be told to rest up until they felt better. But back and neck problems – exacerbated by the sedentary nature of most office work – cost employers money. The Office for National Statistics found that, in 2013, more working days were lost to musculoskeletal problems such as back and neck pain than anything else.
Now, musculoskeletal experts take a far more holistic approach to dealing with this kind of pain, starting in an unexpected location: the brain. “First, GPs will rule out any serious problems such as a spinal infection, and then we’ll look at things like anxiety and depression – there’s an increasing recognition that psychosocial factors matter,” says Dr Nick Summerton, medical director at Bluecrest Wellness. Dealing with people’s perception of their pain has the greatest value in getting them moving again and back to work, he argues.
A number of EAPs recognise this, and offer help on the phone before referring people to any physical therapy or treatment. This may involve asking questions about the working environment, or around anxiety and depression, and works out being far more cost-efficient from the employers’ perspective because it doesn’t involve an exhaustive schedule of medical appointments.
“A cognitive behavioural approach, based on movement, really works for people who experience pain associated with psychosocial factors,” says Jan Vickery, head of musculoskeletal services at AXA PPP. “Employees are empowered to manage their own pain so they do much better.”
Causes of back pain
A serious physical problem such as infection, cancer or nerve damage – this must be ruled out before moving onto anything else
Psychosocial aspects such as depression or anxiety, or experiencing a serious trauma such as a
bereavement
Organisational or workplace barriers; for example, poor ergonomics or environmental
design
Higher-level social and cultural influences, such as the rise in claims for whiplash to insurers, office presenteeism and working longer hours
Do sit-stand desks work?
Workers who use sit-stand desks – where the height can be varied – are more energised and just as productive as those using traditional desks, according to a study by the University of Sydney. “Our study found that workers who increased their standing by up to 60 to 90 minutes a day were more active and felt more energised than workers who used traditional desks, while not compromising their work output,” says the university’s Dr Josephine Chau.
However, researcher Dr Lina Engelen says workers should build up their standing time gradually and avoid going from no standing to standing all day at work: “It’s a bit like training for a marathon – you don’t go from running 0km to running 42km overnight.”
How to help employees with cancer
“We’ve reached a stage where cancer is an epidemic in terms of the increased levels of risk of having the disease,” says Professor Gordon Wishart, a cancer surgeon and medical director at Check4Cancer. While more people are receiving a cancer diagnosis, more will now survive, meaning it can be approached more like a chronic illness such as heart disease or diabetes. However, a recent survey by AXA PPP found that 18 per cent of managers don’t feel prepared to manage an employee with cancer. So what’s the best approach?
Put together a process to support cancer sufferers, rather than reacting to a diagnosis, advises Wishart: “You don’t want to be under pressure to make on-the-spot decisions at such a sensitive time. An employee who’s had a cancer diagnosis needs sympathy, but most of all they need a sense of control, of normality.”
Offer practical support in terms of flexibility when it comes to medical appointments, or a room where they can be alone and have private conversations.
Some insurance or EAP providers offer support lines for managers so they can learn about the practicalities of dealing with employees with cancer; this should help them feel more confident to discuss the issues with their staff and colleagues.
Be prepared for changes in attitude as well as physical manifestations of the disease. “A high achiever who was happy to give up their evenings or weekends to work on projects might not see the rewards in the same way,” says Wishart.
At the same time, don’t assume someone with cancer will want to take on less responsibility. “The other danger is sidelining someone, moving them to an organisational ‘outpost’ and taking away that all-important feeling of normality,” he adds.
Awareness campaigns and initiatives encouraging healthy eating and exercise can address some of the lifestyle factors associated with cancer, promote early detection and de-stigmatise talking about the disease.
Work can be important to someone dealing with cancer, and can be central to their recovery. “That’s where work routines and being part of a workplace community are so important,” says Wishart.
Mindfulness for sceptics
Do you want staff to take a more considered approach to their work and feel less overwhelmed during busy periods? A growing number of employers are looking to introduce mindfulness training, which encourages individuals to ‘be present’ in the moment, to be aware of their senses and the things around them, rather than worrying about past actions or upcoming stresses. But not all employees will feel receptive to this practice, especially in environments such as sales where they thrive on competition and targets. How can you win over the sceptics?
Julian Hall, founder of Calm People, says his background in financial services, coupled with gaining people’s trust, helps build credibility. “They can see I’m not a tree-hugger, and if you give people an experience of mindfulness while they’re on a workshop they’re more likely to try it in their day-to-day work,” he says.
Tal Ben-Shahar, who taught one of the most popular classes in Harvard University’s history (on positive psychology) and now runs behavioural consultancy Potentialife, suggests that staff may be more receptive to an evidence-led approach. “Employees are much more likely to pursue the practice of mindfulness if you show them scientific evidence that proves it leads to higher levels of engagement, motivation, happiness, teamwork and health,” he says.
Paula Brockwell from Robertson Cooper adds: “Newer methods such as mindfulness may feel like an alien concept to some, so they will immediately be greeted with scepticism. A combination of thoughtful communication and education can help.”
Brockwell advises explaining the premise of mindfulness in simple terms, including how it might help employees deal with stress, making it more relatable. Taster sessions, where they can try mindfulness without committing to a full programme, will help them to make a more informed decision.
Five apps that support mindfulness at work
The Mindfulness App: Starts with a five-day guided practice and introduction to mindfulness – perfect for beginners
Headspace: Easy-to-follow meditations that employees can perform in just 10 minutes each day
MindShift: Helps people to figure out what is upsetting them via on-screen prompts. Also suggests ways to take charge of anxiety
Stop, breathe and think: Encourages staff to stop what they’re doing, practise mindful breathing and change how they think about a problem
Buddhify: Users tell the app how they’re feeling and what they’re doing, and can pick a ‘flavour’ of meditation tailored to their particular situation
Desk yoga (that works)
Three poses from Julia Scodie of Exercise in the City
Set an alarm: Set a reminder on your phone every 30 minutes to sit up and think about your posture. Put your hands behind you and stretch out your chest, allowing yourself to inhale and exhale deeply.
The skinny jeans sensation: Pull in the deep abdominal muscles. Hold for several seconds.
Pelvic floor exercises: This is beneficial for men as well as women, and can be done anywhere because no one will know you’re doing them.
Happiness and engagement: what’s the difference?
Many organisations are obsessive about their engagement scores, but is this a real measure of how happy people are at work? Not necessarily, says Nic Marks, founder of Happiness Works and author of Five Ways to Wellbeing, which has been used to support the government’s work around happiness and wellbeing.
He says: “Engagement is the organisation’s agenda – how we can get more out of you, the employee. Happiness, on the other hand, is employees saying ‘what can you give me?’” This can be as simple as people enjoying what they do, feeling connected to the business and its purpose and empowered to make decisions. The trouble is, it’s impossible to enforce an environment where everyone is made to feel ‘happy’ – it’s about creating the right conditions.
“Start with the employee, rather than the organisation,” adds Marks. “Even just listening to your team for half an hour telling you whether they’re happy or not and why, and doing this regularly, can have a huge impact on their satisfaction at work.”
Taming a toxic workplace
One of the downsides of traditional boundaries between our work and personal lives is that it seems wrong to display high levels of any emotion, meaning employees feel sealed up, without the chance to release. “You end up with a seething, passive-aggressive environment that could explode at any time,” says Julian Hall (pictured), an anger management specialist and founder of Calm People. “It leaks out in little ways like sarcasm and bitching, which is really inefficient for business.”
Paula Brockwell from Robertson Cooper adds that toxic environments “can have a direct impact on performance in numerous ways. First, people can lose their passion or drive for the role and disconnect themselves from their job as a coping and protection method. Or the individual can go into overdrive and become emotionally and physically exhausted, which makes them more susceptible to experiencing stress and impairs their quality of thinking and capacity to cope. As a result, this puts them at higher risk of burning out and becoming physically ill.”
The real challenge of toxic environments is that it can be hard to identify how someone is feeling until they speak out, by which point they are so frustrated that they are unable to communicate specific reasons or ways they could be supported.
“When we’re stressed, we release the toxic chemicals adrenaline and cortisol, which aren’t good for our immune system,” says Hall. As well as building employees’ emotional resilience by encouraging a culture of transparency and communication, Hall advocates breathing exercises because they stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system, helping to flush those chemical nasties out of the body.