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Employees report increase in suicidal thoughts, reveals new workplace wellbeing report
Employees report increase in suicidal thoughts, reveals new workplace wellbeing report from Champion Health
A study of 4,170 employees has revealed that the amount of professionals experiencing moderate to high levels of stress has increased, affecting 76% of our workforce, a year-on-year increase of 13%. Worryingly, workers experiencing suicidal thoughts has also increased from 8% to 9%.
Data released recently by global workplace wellbeing provider Champion Health gives an insight into the health and wellbeing of the working population between January 2022 and October 2022.
Financial worries are reported as the leading cause for stress outside of work, cited by 37%, a 23% increase on last year’s report whilst perceived workload features as the highest cause of stress in work (73%).
The data, which has been published in Champion Health’s annual report also revealed that:
- 60% of employees feel anxious with 56% experiencing low mood
- Females are 22% more likely to feel anxious (65% female compared to 53% male)
- Younger workers are most likely to experience anxiety and depression (67% of 16–24-year-olds experience symptoms of anxiety with 61% reporting symptoms of depression and 66% of 25–34-year-olds reporting symptoms of anxiety and 60% claim symptoms of depression)
- Poor mental health negatively affects the performance of 1 in 5 employees
- 81% say that they feel tired and 71% rate their sleep as ‘average’ or ‘worse’
- Over 50% of employees rate their productivity as ‘average’ ‘below average’ or ‘low’ with 61% reporting tiredness impacts productivity
- The survey showed that people feel most energised to work at 10.21am and are least energised at 3.31pm.
In addition, team culture and feeling supported at work positively correlates with mental wellbeing and productivity. Those who report ‘feeling part of a team’ experience greater positive mental wellbeing and feel more productive.
Whilst the findings point to a decline in our workers health, it’s not all doom and gloom as 98% of employees feel motivated to improve their wellbeing. 42% cite they’d like to boost their energy levels, closely followed by 41% reporting they’d like to lose weight. When asked what the barriers are to making health changes, 47% report willpower as the biggest barrier followed by 43% stating they face a lack of time.
Harry Bliss, CEO and co-founder of Champion Health, says that while the findings are worrying there is a positive in the amount of employees reporting they feel motivated to improve their wellbeing and that business leaders have an opportunity to improve workplace culture and support employees to thrive.
Bliss comments: “It’s no surprise that the last few years have been extremely tough on employees, and I’m really concerned about the findings of this report. The fact that workers experiencing suicidal thoughts has increased is terrifying; whilst a 1% increase from last year to 9% may seem low on the face of it, it isn’t, this means that in a workforce of 1,000 staff, 90 will be having thoughts about taking their own lives which could have a devastating impact.
“Leaders need to step up and support their workforce, it is not only the moral thing to do but this research shows poor mental health, stress, and fatigue is increasingly affecting productivity, so it is also within the best interests of businesses.
“Companies can help turn this dangerous pattern around by making employee wellbeing a priority; and doing so goes beyond having much happier employees. It will enable employers to retain great people who are motivated to complete brilliant work, day in, day out.”
Gender Recognition Bill: What does it mean for Scotland’s employers?
What does Scotland’s Gender Recognition Reform Bill mean for employers?
The Gender Recognition Reform (GRR) Bill was passed by MSPs in Scotland on 22nd December. It makes it quicker and easier for individuals in Scotland to gain legal recognition of their transition from their birth sex to an acquired gender, cutting the waiting time from two years to three months and removing the need for a medical diagnosis of gender dysphoria.
The latest hurdle for the implementation of the Bill is the UK Government’s announcement to block the Bill from getting Royal Assent due to concerns surrounding wider Equality laws which are decided by Westminster, not devolved to Nations. An important decision to block it was announced this week from the UK Government but Scotland is will ‘vigorously contest’ the opposition to the Bill.
Whilst the constitutional row on the matter continues, with inevitable court intervention, Employment Solicitor at WorkNest, Kirstie Beattie, explains what it could mean for employers and the workplace.
“As the news around the Bill continues, care should be taken to monitor any workplace discussion about what is often an emotive topic. All employees should be trained on dignity at work and inclusive language. If the Bill is enacted, we will potentially see more Scottish employees obtaining GRCs (Gender Recognition Certificates) with greater ease so training should include guidance on the importance of referring to their colleagues by their acquired gender and omitting use of their previous name. Failure to respect the rights of trans colleagues could be a serious disciplinary matter.
“Employers should not request a copy of an employee’s GRC. Doing so could amount to discrimination under the Equality Act 2010 as it involves a difference in treatment because of the person’s trans status. In the workplace, it has always been the case that a trans person should be free to use the facilities appropriate to the gender in which they present and they should not be told to use disabled facilities.
“The Bill could also pose a problem for people undergoing right to work checks who have changed gender yet may not have updated their passports or identity documents to reflect the change. Employers must check for consistency and if the photos provided by an individual are not consistent, or the names do not match, this can be an issue. Ultimately, the employer must reasonably satisfy themselves of the reason for any discrepancy and retain evidence of how they satisfied themselves, such as a certificate of deed poll for a name change.
“Arguably there is a gap in the UK’s ‘right to work’ check process when it comes to trans employees which ought to be addressed as this does amount to a difference in treatment because of gender reassignment and therefore there are risks under the Equality Act 2010. These risks must be balanced therefore against the need to prevent illegal working, the penalties for which are high.
“In the recent case of For Women Scotland Ltd v Scottish Ministers (13 December 2022), the Court of Session has given an opinion that the definition of “woman” in the Equality Act 2010 must include trans women with a gender recognition certificate for the purposes of ensuring gender balance on public boards in Scotland. The court held that the meaning of sex in the Equality Act 2010 “is not limited to biological or birth sex, but includes those in possession of a GRC obtained in accordance with the 2004 Act stating their acquired gender, and thus their sex. Applying that logic, treating a trans man or woman differently because of their sex, for example in relation to the provision of services or employment opportunities, will amount to discrimination.”
Workers unwilling to wait until payday to access wages
Workers unwilling to wait until payday to access wages
With the cost of living crisis taking full effect, reports from Nationwide reveal that cash withdrawals increased by 19% in 2022 as people attempted to better manage their personal finances. In contrast, Government data suggests that ATM numbers have declined consistently year on year since 2015 meaning that this is an unsustainable approach to money management.
Expert in global pay solutions, CloudPay, warns that access to wages both instantly and digitally is required now more than ever and that a more forward-thinking approach to wage access is a clear need of the workforce.
Paul Bartlett, CEO at CloudPay comments: “It’s no secret that families and businesses across the UK are feeling the full effects of the rising costs of living as it continues to have a deep impact on people’s lives. In this environment, we are encouraged to see people looking at ways they can better control their finances. While the use of physical ATMs has clearly increased, there is a huge opportunity for businesses to support their workers during this time of uncertainty with flexible access to their earned wages via a ‘digital ATM’.
“Pre-Covid, flexibility in the workplace wasn’t as common and the traditional payroll structure of monthly pay wasn’t questioned. Today, the workforce is waking up to the realisation that they are owed money by their employer and are becoming less willing to wait to be paid as a result. This sentiment will only snowball in the coming months. And with hiring difficulties still being reported across a number of sectors, businesses will struggle to both attract and retain the talent they need due to inflexibility around payment options.
“There’s a growing feeling across the workforce that people should be able to access the salary they have already earned when they want and need it, rather than wait until a designated pay day – or resort to loans or credit cards. We have found that employees that have access to our Pay On-Demand solution, CloudPay NOW, typically make four small withdrawals throughout the pay cycle when unexpected costs arise. With people increasingly struggling to make ends meet, employees are questioning why they must wait to be paid for work they have already delivered.
“The current economy should act as a catalyst for employers to drive change and make a positive impact on access to funds, rather than stick with what’s familiar.”
Divorce Day: Supporting employees when they are dealing with a divorce
Divorce Day: Supporting employees when they are dealing with a divorce
Divorce Day, on the 3rd January, may be the day when traditionally lawyers see their biggest surge in divorce enquiries. However, the sad fact is that divorces do occur all year round and employers need to ensure they have adequate support available all year round to help make things easier when needed.
The first working Monday of the year after the Christmas break, Divorce Day, is traditionally when lawyers see their biggest surge in divorce enquiries. Whilst they increase at this time of year, the sad fact is that divorces do occur all year round. Employers therefore need to ensure they have adequate support available all year round to help make things easier when needed. Divorces are not only stressful – both emotionally and financially, but can also take many months to complete, meaning it can take quite a toll on those involved for an indefinite period of time.
Divorce is life-changing and while it is a very personal matter, there are a range of ways that employers can help minimise some of the impact. Many employee assistance programmes offer 24/7 access to a range of services including mental wellbeing, legal concerns, financial support and guidance, so it is vital that these are clearly signposted and easy to access. It is worthwhile to understand what your group protection providers offer as standard and how these can be leveraged to support affected individuals.
When an individual is going through a divorce, it is important to try to minimise other day to day stresses. Regularly reviewing their workload and regular 121s can help identify any concerns early on. Signposting ways to support their physical wellbeing can also be helpful to help to boost energy.
Encouraging individuals to take care of their own health is important too. Many employee benefits programmes include access to medical professionals. MetLife UK, for example, has recently partnered with HealthHero to ensure employees with MetLife group protection, and their families, can access a virtual GP service 24/7 with unlimited consultations.
With so much change, it can be easy to forget vital admin and changes to future plans, such as wills and even funeral plans. While many will avoid talking about death at all costs, it is key that estate plans and affairs are up to date and in order. MetLife has exclusively partnered with Everest Funeral Concierge in the UK to offer 24/7 support and assistance for funeral planning, along with a suite of online planning tools and a free will writing service. Wills and trust documentation can often be overlooked, so helping to update these is key to ensure wishes are met.
Divorces are difficult for all parties involved and while employees may not wish to discuss what they are going through openly, employees must ensure that there are clear policies in place to ensure support is clearly and regularly signposted so it can be accessed when it’s needed.
OUT TODAY! – JANUARY 2023 Issue of Hr NETWORK Magazine: ‘Review of 2022’
OUT TODAY! – JANUARY 2023 Issue of Hr NETWORK Magazine
Hr NETWORK is ‘The Hub’ of Scottish HR and people development with an ‘Access All Areas’ pass to Scotland’s most influential human resource and business professionals across all sectors in Scotland. As well as readers from the world of HR, the magazine is also extremely popular within SME (Small and Medium Enterprise) organisations and is very useful for line managers, heads of department, senior management, managing directors and other professionals throughout the country who play a vital role in the development of people within all industry sectors in Scotland. Published bi-monthly, Hr NETWORK Magazine is informative and a ‘must have’ for its readers, and brings with it in every issue, great opportunities and benefits for advertisers and sponsors too.
Review of 2022: A tumultuous year!
Scottish HR faced some incredible new challenges in 2022. Post-Covid recovery, world events, skills shortages, a cost of living crisis and a stormy UK political scene ensured practitioners’ work was cut out. Andy Moore looks back at the key topics Hr NETWORK Magazine featured during a tumultuous year.
Also in the latest issue:
- The regular sections of the magazine include: Stats, EXTRA and The Bookshop
- The ‘Insights’ section features first class comment from those in the know on a range of subjects including: Health & Wellbeing; Working with Cancer; HR Trends for 2023; and Learning Culture
Click the front cover below to read the latest issue:
