Physical exercise at work: what can be done?
The working world is going through some seismic changes at the moment, which mirror the nation’s changing demographics as we enter 2018. The burden of ill health on the economy and the burden of ill health on employers is significant as people work harder and for longer. Now more than ever the prospect of having […]
Domestic violence: Why employers should be tackling this silent, pervasive issue
Research launched in November 2017 showed that only one in 20 medium and large UK organisations have a specific policy or guideline to cover domestic abuse among their workforce. Yet the latest Office for National Statistics figures on domestic violence estimate that almost two million UK adults have experienced some sort of domestic abuse in […]
Financial wellness: what will drive demand in 2018?
In 2017, the financial wellness market exploded as more employers grasped the extent of the UK’s problem and how it impacts both the productivity and health of their people. A quarter of respondents (27.5%) to our latest research (The Financial Wellness Playbook 2018) reported that levels of financial stress in their organisation were greater than […]
Benefits uptake: are you doing enough?
Providing employee benefits serves many purposes for organisations including motivation, retention and recruitment of staff. They’re also an important part of building an employee centric culture, where staff feel valued and looked after. There’s plenty of evidence that they matter a great deal to staff too. Research by CV Library shows that 62% of employees […]
Benefits take-up – the why of getting it right
The employee benefits market in the UK is highly developed. Employees have been getting support with living and welfare costs from their employers since the 1950s and I don’t see it changing. Increasingly, benefits are supplementing or replacing State support which is the most significant macro change in the landscape in recent years. Employee engagement, […]
“When I was told that I would never walk or talk again it put fire in my belly.”
In the BBC 2 series Employable Me, a programme that follows people with disabilities as they attempt to find work, Speakers Corner opens up a public speaking career for disabled businessman Andy Ibbott. Below, HRZone speaks to Andy about his inspirational journey to recovery and reemployment, and with Managing Director of Speakers Corner Nick Gold […]
How home working can help people with cancer maintain a work-life balance
With advances in treatment and long-term survivorship, we now talk about the ‘cancer journey’. For those living with cancer, and for those without, work plays a very important part in our life’s journey. It not only provides financial stability, but a sense of normality, routine, and self-esteem. And cancer patients often crave normality and routine […]
How and why wellbeing proactivity pays
A proactive approach to employee wellbeing shouldn’t just be for the privileged few, says Courtney Marsh, Commercial Director of Health Shield. No matter the size of your company or budget, it can be a reality for all. Everyone’s talking about wellbeing these days. Yet how many employers are still paying lip-service to it? And how […]
It’s National Sickie Day. Let’s analyse this dangerous abstraction…
I’ve been indundated with ‘news’ around National Sickie Day today – the day of the year when absences due to sickness are highest. Many factors explain the high absence rate, including job interviews for those spurred by the new year into jumping ship, an increase in flu and colds due to the cold weather and general […]
Employee benefits uptake: why less choice is more
The benefits industry has long held to the mantra that offering more employee choice is the way to deliver better benefits but there’s not much evidence that this, on its own, is the lead factor is employee satisfaction. So it’s worth digging a little deeper and seeing whether choice is always the best thing to […]
Employee benefit uptake: 4 thoughts to better results
It’s February. The “New year, new me” phase is all but a distant memory and fewer and fewer employees are making full use of the onsite staff gym. The free fruit initiative is beginning to ferment and grow fur. Uptake on the EAP is dwindling by the day despite increasing absence figures. Employee benefits are […]
How to build and maintain an effective wellbeing strategy
You will no doubt be familiar with the saying “build it and they will come”. This can work, but in most cases, unless you’ve luckily hit upon a genius solution to a major need (including a need we didn’t know we had – such as the smartphone), it won’t. The simple reason for this is […]
Seven employee benefits that help build resilience
There’s an interesting relationship between stress and productivity. A little stress at work can actually do us good – helping us focus and prepare the body for action. But it can also lead to mistakes, cause difficulty when making decisions and impact our ability to concentrate. There are also physical side effects of stress – […]
One man’s experience of life after cancer
Aside from the more obvious physical symptoms of cancer and fatigue following treatment, there can also be emotional and mental side effects such as depression and low mood. All of this can have an impact on a patient’s ability to work; many people are forced to reduce their working hours, or even stop working altogether. […]
Why communication is key to supporting employees with cancer
One of the main challenges line managers face when supporting an employee affected by cancer is how best to start initial conversations. It can be difficult to know where to start, what to say and, importantly, what not to say. Despite concerns, it is vital that employers initiate talks and keep communication channels open, so […]
How can line managers support employees with cancer?
When some people think of cancer, they may not realise the long-term impact it can have. In fact, 40% of cancer survivors are unaware of the long-term side effects of cancer and cancer treatment, despite 65% saying they’ve had to deal with fatigue during and after treatment. These long-term effects – such as persistent hair […]
How to tackle workplace discrimination against people with cancer
For those going through an illness such as cancer, discrimination can unfortunately be a very real and stressful part of their experience. This is despite the fact that if you have or have had cancer, you are protected by law from unfair treatment at work. Research from Macmillan Cancer Support, exploring the impact of cancer […]
Home worker wellbeing: how to manage it properly
With the exponential growth of technological development and the concept of multigenerational workforces, working from home is becoming more commonplace and feasible. Flexible working is also becoming more in demand from younger generations entering the workforce now, and never has there been a more opportune time for HR and managers to keep up with the […]
6 ways to support the health and wellbeing of shift workers
For someone standing on the outside, it’s hard to fathom how such a rewarding and compassionate profession can be equally frustrating, demoralising and, to put it frankly, bad for one’s physical and mental health. Working in the NHS as a young, single woman, I would often work overtime, miss tea breaks due to unplanned emergency […]
What to do when you want to prepare for retirement
When I wrote The Good Retirement Guide 2018 I had one overriding objective: to help people achieve a better retirement. Over the years I have drawn on my experience in financial services regulation, on giving business and taxation advice and, significantly, helping people prepare for retirement. Below are some practical hints and tips from my […]
