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Employee Fear: One in six UK workers are worried that revealing their mental health concerns could result in job loss
Employee Fear: One in six UK workers are worried that revealing their mental health concerns could result in job loss
One in six UK employees feel worried that raising mental health concerns with their company could put them at risk of losing their job, a new report into employee mental health and remote working has found. Throughout the UK, 86% believe that their workplace is not a safe space for employees to be open about mental health.
Over the last 12 months, two in three employees have experienced worse mental health at work, compared to the previous year. As remote and hybrid working environments continue to be adopted by more UK businesses, evidence suggests that companies have struggled to adapt their mental health support processes. One in three employees feel less able to raise mental health concerns during remote meetings, often causing any issues to go unnoticed.
The Employee Mental Health and Remote Working report – conducted by virtual events and in-person team building company Wildgoose – asked employees from 129 different UK companies whether their mental health at work had improved or worsened over the past year. It also asked whether these employees felt comfortable raising any mental health concerns with their employers and what they believed would happen if they did.
Just over one in eight companies in the UK don’t have a process in place for remote workers to report mental health concerns. This is most prevalent in SMEs, where this figure nearly doubled to one in five not having a process in place.
What do employees want from their companies?
With worsening employee mental health a growing concern, the change most desired by employees is for companies to offer more regular in-person meetings (36%) and for managers to receive better training on identifying signs of poor mental health (36%).
Just under a third of respondents (32%) state they would like to see a process policy of reporting mental health concerns, which is not currently offered, followed by assurances of job security after reporting.
Commenting on the findings, Wildgoose managing director Jonny Edser said: “As remote and hybrid working practices become more widespread, companies need to start doing more to ensure that employees are still receiving the same levels of mental health support. With less regular in-person meetings and casual catch-ups in the office, it can be much harder to spot the signs of poor mental health.
“For this reason, it’s essential that employers communicate with their staff, finding out how they would like to be supported. Perhaps they’d appreciate more regular workload reviews, weekly face-to-face meetings, or even the creation of better mental health policies. The most important aspect is that employees feel comfortable and safe to discuss any concerns.
“At Wildgoose, we continue to offer both in-person and virtual team building experiences, helping companies to encourage colleague relationships and improve employee wellbeing .”
Kristen Keen, founder and owner of Cluer HR, comments on the findings: “Whilst working from home comes with many advantages, there is no doubt that for some people this isn’t the case. Working remotely has meant that we haven’t been able to see our colleagues in the flesh on a daily basis, making it much harder to read those subtle signs shown when someone isn’t coping.
“Unfortunately, there is still a stigma that surrounds mental health issues and a lack of education on the subject. To help improve employee wellbeing at work, both managers and the entire workforce should receive training, so that everyone can recognise and understand mental health issues. Plus, having 1:1 meetings with employees is a great way to encourage people to safely discuss any problems they are having.”
OUT TODAY! – Critical Leadership: Leading Through Crisis
OUT TODAY! – Critical Leadership: Leading Through Crisis
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.
Hr NETWORK Magazine Issue: May 2022
In the latest issue:
Critical Leadership: Leading Through Crisis
“A leader knows the way, goes the way and shows the way” by John C. Maxwell. How true of Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s leadership style following the abhorrent and entirely illegal invasion of Ukraine by Vladimir Putin and his Russian Army. Andy Moore discovers how HR can take cues from the inspirational and resilient leader Zelenskyy who has shown the world the greatest example of critical leadership and how to lead during a crisis.
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: Burnout, Diversity & Inclusion, Sleep Deprivation and Workplace Culture
Click the front cover below to read the latest issue:
Employers report increased productivity as they embrace home and hybrid working, new CIPD research finds
Employers report increased productivity as they embrace home and hybrid working, new CIPD research finds
CIPD stresses the need for employers to consult with staff as research shows nearly two thirds of employees who can work in a hybrid way haven’t been asked about their future preferences The number of employers who report that an increase in homeworking has increased their organisation’s productivity or efficiency has jumped significantly over the last year, according to new research from the CIPD.
When asked in December 2020, a third (33%) of employers said homeworking had increased their organisation’s productivity or efficiency. However, when asked about increased home/hybrid working in October/November 2021, over two-fifths (41%) said these new ways of working had increased this.
At the same time, the number of employers that say the increase in home and hybrid working has had a negative impact on their organisation’s productivity has fallen. Under a fifth (18%) of employers say it has decreased productivity, compared to 23% who previously said the rise in homeworking had decreased productivity.
The new research by the CIPD, based on a survey of over 1,000 employers and 2,000 employees, gives a clear picture of how organisations and individuals are now approaching hybrid and flexible ways of working as businesses look to ‘live with Covid’.
Despite the reported productivity improvements associated with home and hybrid working, there is a potential mismatch emerging between the ways organisations want their employees to work and how their people want to work. One in four (25%) employers want their employees to be in the office/on site all the time, while 39% of employees would like to work from home all or most of the time going forward.
One reason for this mismatch is likely to be because a majority (63%) of employees who can work in a hybrid way still haven’t been asked about their future working preferences. With increasing numbers of employees heading back to workplaces for at least part of the working week, it’s important that organisations consult and collaborate with their people when designing hybrid-working practices to benefit both the organisation and individuals.
The CIPD is urging employers to develop and implement hybrid and flexible working practices in collaboration with employees that are inclusive and offer more choice to all. Organisations should have clear and transparent policies that outline eligibility and access to hybrid working. They should focus on principles of equality to ensure all employees have the same opportunities for learning and development and reward and recognition, regardless of when and where they work, or their role/level of seniority.
The CIPD believes a day-one right to request flexible working would help boost the number of people using a variety of flexible working arrangements – such as part-time working, compressed hours, or job shares – and has been calling for this change through its #FlexFrom1st campaign since February 2021. Currently employees must have been in their role for six months before they can request flexible working, which could discourage a diverse range of candidates from applying for roles and could see organisations lose key talent.
Claire McCartney, senior policy adviser for resourcing and inclusion at the CIPD, the professional body for HR and people development, comments:“It’s great that many employers are embracing the benefits of more hybrid and flexible ways of working. However, it’s really important that they work collaboratively with employees to find solutions that work for both the organisation and individuals. This is a crucial moment for flexible working, but a mismatch on expectations and an adhoc approach could set back progress.
“Consulting with employees is a big part of developing inclusive hybrid and flexible working practices. Employers who listen and are open to testing, learning and adapting will benefit from a more diverse workforce and the ability to retain and attract a wide range of talent. This is particularly crucial at a time where the labour market is so tight.
“Everyone should have the chance to benefit from more choice about when, where and how they work. This can lead to increased wellbeing and engagement, and enhanced performance, all of which can lead to the productivity gains many employers are reporting.”
LATEST BLOG: When Mentoring Meets Coaching
LATEST BLOG: When Mentoring Meets Coaching
By Lee Dunn, Mentor with XSectorMentor®
I’ve worked across various professions through a variety of roles over the years. The one common theme at the heart of my career has been learning, or rather the personal and professional development of people and how we interact and relate to each other. Although learning can be an individual event, most of us learn more effectively when we speak with other people and where we collaborate and co-construct new knowledge.
I often hear colleagues talk about mentoring and coaching interchangeably. But what do they actually mean and what’s the relationship between the two? One can consider them to be informed by the same ideology; a more knowledgeable person imparts experience and information to another, and that through that exchange there’s a transactional process that allows learning to take place.
Mentoring is perhaps seen as the traditional norm, whereby the more knowledgeable mentor is well versed as a subject matter expert and usually has several years’ experience working within a particular profession or environment. They use this knowledge to provide information, advice and guidance to the mentee. Typically, this process will manifest naturally as a hierarchy via a superior or line manager, or often a peer who has ‘seen it all before’. There’s nothing wrong with this approach and its inherent human behaviour, instilled within us from the moment we’re born. The problem here is that the cycle of knowledge needs to be repeated several times before we become programmed to think or behave in a certain way. Indeed, individually we apply that process daily. We learn from our mistakes as well as our achievements.
Coaching still involves a transaction, however the coach doesn’t need to be a subject matter expert, nor do they need to have any knowledge of the professional or environmental working conditions of the person they’re coaching. Instead, knowledge is constructed through verbal interactions and body language, with increased confidence and productivity based on an ability to think critically and to listen to and to react to the exchange of information. This itself allows new knowledge to be built, however the coach is not providing their experience or advice but rather leading the coached to draw their own conclusions. This can happen quickly through a coaching conversation in the communal kitchen at work, or it can be a more in depth and structured series of interventions designed to explore a particular issue, problem or goal.
There is a clear marriage between mentoring and coaching and it’s easy to see why the two are confused when we talk about them. I’m not particularly enamoured with one word or the other, but rather to the process itself. Psychological safety and fostering positive communication with empathy is an effective way to realise the values that most of us share and to build the capability and talent within our workforce.
Come and visit XSectorMentor® who will be exhibiting at the forthcoming Hr NETWORK ‘Our New World of Work’ Conference & Exhibition 2022 taking place on Thursday 12th May at BT Murrayfield Stadium, EDINBURGH.
Lee Dunn is a Mentor with XSectorMentor® and
Head of the Scottish Digital Academy with the Scottish Government
Vodafone introduces new policies to further support parents and carers in the workplace
Vodafone introduces new policies to further support parents and carers in the workplace
Vodafone has announced policy changes to further support employees in the UK through key life stages. The new commitments, announced today, have been brought in to ensure greater support for carers and parents and include added assistance, more flexibility and extended paid and unpaid leave.
To bolster its existing offering for employees who look after loved ones who are older, disabled or seriously ill, Vodafone’s new Carer’s Leave will offer 18 weeks’ leave per dependent adult*, the first week of which will be fully paid. This mirrors the company’s Parental Leave Policy, which offers the same benefit for those caring for a child, up to the point they turn 18, with a maximum of four weeks’ leave to be taken in any one year. With 6000 people becoming carers in the UK every day**, this type of additional support is increasingly needed.
Vodafone has also introduced free access to Legal & General’s Care Concierge Service, providing support and assistance to employees who find themselves balancing elderly caring responsibilities with employment, often in addition to other commitments.
The Care Concierge service provides one-to-one telephone support alongside tailored information and guidance to help navigate what can be a complex elderly care system for a loved one.
The new benefit includes a 30-minute telephone session with a Care Expert to help employees understand what care is needed and how to arrange it plus guidance on typical care costs and the different ways of paying for care. Additional discounted services are also available to provide extra help with finding care or if employees would like a Care Expert to act on their behalf.
After reviewing feedback from its workforce on where it values additional support, Vodafone has also amended its existing Maternity, Paternity, Adoption and Shared Parental Leave policies to support parents whose baby is born prematurely. The updated policies recognise that when a baby is premature, employees may want to delay the start of their leave until the baby is discharged from hospital. This is often the point at which the time away from work is most valuable so employees will now have the option to adapt their leave to suit their circumstances.
Vodafone UK employees will also see the introduction of two weeks of paid leave for expectant parents, regardless of gender, who lose a baby before the 24th week of pregnancy. Such leave is already available to those who lose a child in the later stages of pregnancy or at any time before a child’s 18th birthday. This is inclusive of whether the loss occurs to an employee or their partner.
Clare Corkish, HR Director, Vodafone UK said: “As an employer we are committed to helping protect and support our people and their families through important life stages. These new policy changes have been made in the belief that we can have a positive impact at a time when people are dealing with sensitive and stressful situations – and ultimately need support the most. Our ground-breaking Maternity Leave, Parental Leave, Domestic Violence and Abuse policy and more recently our Global Menopause Commitment have all been curated to best meet the needs of our employees and we expect these enhancements to make a real difference.”
Inclusion for all is integral to Vodafone’s purpose, reinforcing its ambition to be a company whose global workforce reflects the customers it serves and the broader societies within which it operates.
Vodafone’s goal is for women to hold 45% of UK management and leadership roles by 2030. To meet its ambition to be recognised as a leading employer for women, Vodafone has gender target monitoring and action plans in place and has developed and introduced a series of pioneering global programmes. These include progressive flexible working policies; maternity and parental leave that supports families to share caring responsibilities in the home; ReConnect to attract people who have taken a career break back to the workplace; a commitment on menopause and a Domestic Violence and Abuse policy.
Keynote Speakers Announced for Our New World of Work Conference & Exhibition #hrnc22
Keynote Speakers Announced for ‘Our New World of Work’ Conference & Exhibition taking place at BT Murrayfield Stadium on Thursday 12th May 2022
Hr NETWORK is very excited to announce the SIX KEYNOTE SPEAKERS who will attend the forthcoming ‘Our New World of Work’ Conference & Exhibition at BT Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh on Thursday 12th May 2022.
Experts, practitioners and commentators from all sides of the HR and people management & development spectrum, who have created and implemented a sustainable workforce plan in the midst of a pandemic and are reaping significant organisational benefits that have led to increased productivity, improved job satisfaction metrics and gained a clear competitive advantage in their marketplace, will provide valuable insight for implementing a sound and measurable people plan following the catastrophic impact from the Pandemic.
Keynote topics covered during the Conference:
- Our New World of Work
- Critical Leadership
- Team Dynamics
- Hybrid Working
- Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging
- PTSD in Women
- Leading Through Crisis
- Health & Wellbeing for a Hybrid Workforce
Please visit the Conference & Exhibition page to BOOK YOUR DELEGATE PLACE and for details on getting to BT Murrayfield: https://hrnetworkjobs.com/events/conference/
For further details on sponsoring or exhibiting at the Conference & Exhibition, or hosting a Table of 10 at the Leaders Dinner on the evening before the Conference & exhibition, please contact the Conference Planning Team on Tel: 0131 625 3267 or email: subscriptions@hrnetworkscotland.co.uk