Menstrual Health and Menopause in the Workplace – new BSI Standard
Women frequently feel they can’t talk about their menstrual health so in this article, we take a look at how the British standard can help improve things for the better.
Thumper Massagers – Product Review
Thumper Massagers are ‘at home’ massage tools, which have been created with convenience and accessibility in mind. They are handheld devices which use percussive action to work into muscles and are designed to help loosen any muscle tension and tightness being experienced. You can use Thumper Massagers to provide massage treatment on yourself or on another person. They’re great as a quick fix or a top up treatment, in between your usual physical therapy schedule.
We have selected two Thumpers from our healthcare product provider, Physique which we think will be best suited to our clients, based on your questions and your treatment requirements. Should you wish to buy either of these Thumpers, the links are below and a 10% discount is available to Body Mechanics’ clients.
We hope this review will help you make an informed decision about how and which Thumper Massagers may be of benefit to you.
Verve
Features
- Single sphere massager using percussive action
- Fits into the palm of your hand like a computer mouse
- Has flexible velcro band which fits across the top of the hand
- Variable speed control from 20 to 40 pulses per second to suit personal preference
- 3 interchangeable massage heads let you customize your massage
- Easy to clean; just wipe with damp cloth
- 12 ft. (3.66m) power cord
- Stroke: 0.20" (5.0mm).
- Weighs 2lbs
- £123.01 inclu. VAT
Specs
- Made by Thumper
- Size: 3.5″W x 7.5″L x 3.5″H (9cm x 19cm x 9cm).
- Weight: 2 lbs. (0.9 kg).
- FDA Class 1 approved.
- Electrically approved UL, CSA, CE.
- 2-year warranty.
Good For...
Working into targeted or smaller areas
Pro's
- Affordable
- Smaller size makes it easy to use and transportable
- Good range of speeds and changeable spheres to allow for required intensity
Con's
- Can only use for approx 8-10 mins before the Thumper starts to get warm, so if you have multiple areas to work on, you will have to do this in stages
- If you have issues on the back of your body, you may need someone else to use the Thumper
Star Rating
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 stars)
Verdict
We’d buy this! We found it a quick and effective fix to help ease any tightness in specific areas e.g. lower neck/shoulder line, lower back close to the spine, glute/hip, fronts of shins, feet and ankles, forearms.
Thumper Sport
Features
- Dual sphere massager with wide head and long handle
- Thumper's Sport patented drive system technology transmits energy deep into the muscle tissue
- Variable speed control from 20 to 40 pulses per second that match your muscles' natural healing frequency
- A "True Speed" feedback system that prevents low speed stalls
- Interchangeable massage spheres that let you customize your massage experience
- Long ergonomic handle makes it easy to reach all muscle groups, neck, shoulders, back, legs
- Easy to clean, just wipe with damp cloth
- Weighs 3lbs
- £133.01 inclu. VAT
Specs
- Made by Thumper
- Size: 16" L x 6" W x 5" H (40 cm x 15 cm x 13 cm)
- Weight: 3 lbs. (1.4 kg)
- FDA Class 1 approved
- Electrically approved UL, CSA, CE, ROHS
- 230VAC(Volts) - 27W - 50Hz
- 2-year warranty (parts & labour)
Good For...
Easing tightness and tension in bigger muscle groups
Pro's
Great for working into larger areas like the hamstrings, quads, glutes, either side of the spine and the calf muscles
Con's
- Awkward when trying to work into the neck/shoulder line. Feel that the ergonomics of the thumper could be improved
- Feels heavier than expected
- Wanted the cone massage sphere option to allow for deeper, more targeted massage
Star Rating
⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3 stars)
Verdict
We have mixed feelings about this Thumper. It's easy to use on the back half of your body, due to the long handle, but we wanted more pressure and couldn’t quite achieve it. On the front half of the body, it was a different story. We think the same or better results could potentially be achieved through foam rolling, although the Thumper is a more pleasant experience.
Should you wish to buy either of these products, Body Mechanics clients can get 10% off by using the links below:
There are other Thumper Massagers available, so please check them out for yourself
Headaches
Headaches are a common ailment, which will have been experienced by most people at some point. In fact they’re so common that we often don’t give them the proper attention they deserve - we may ‘pop a pill’ or ‘sleep it off’. However, there are different types of headaches and therefore different reasons as to why they occur. It’s worth looking at the factors which may trigger a headache in order to treat it correctly. We give you a summary overview here in this article.
What is a Headache?
Very simply, a headache is a pain experienced in the head, which can manifest as a dull ache, a sharp pain or pulsating/throbbing. Symptoms tend to be:
● Pain or discomfort in the head and/or face
● Tenderness of the scalp
● Pressure in the head and/or behind the eyes
● Hypersensitivity to sound, light and temperature
What can cause a headache?
● Dehydration
● Erratic eating patterns
● Food allergies or intolerances
● Stress
● Eye and/or eyesight issues
● Muscle tension and/or tightness
● Injury to the back, neck, shoulders or head
● Poor/incorrect posture
● Lack of sleep
● Illness such as flu
● Menstruation
● Hormone imbalances
● Overconsumption of alcohol or caffeine
These lists are illustrative and not exhaustive.
Different types of headaches
Tension - the most common type of headache, which feels like a tightening or a pressure around the head
Hormone - changes in hormone levels can trigger headaches and can be brought on by menstruation, contraception, pregnancy, menopause or HRT
Cluster - an intense head pain, usually experienced on one side of the head and/or face and eye. Not overly common. Tend to be experienced from middle age onwards. Come on suddenly and can last for several weeks. Can cause changes to the eye, such as redness, watering or swelling, as well as extreme agitation in a person. Cluster headaches have been linked to smoking and genetic predisposition. Seek medical advice as further investigation and stronger prescription medications will be required.
Migraine - moderate to intense head pain, often experienced alongside nausea and/or sickness, brain fog, increased sensitivity to light, sound and/or temperature. Can occur from teens onwards. Can last for hours to days. There are three different types of migraine, which include the previously mentioned symptoms and:
- Migraine with aura - head pain accompanied by the sight of colours or flashes of light
- Migraine without aura - head pain without colours or flashes of light
- Aura without the headache - colours or flashes of light are seen. No experience of head pain.
Seek medical advice as further investigation and stronger prescription medications will be required.
What to do?
Drink Water - try to drink at least 2 litres per day. Ensure you drink enough water to replace any lost through exercise and perspiration, or diuretic drinks, like tea and coffee
Medication - over-the-counter (OTC) painkillers such as paracetamol, ibuprofen and aspirin. Cluster headaches and migraines will require medical guidance for medication.
Ergonomics - ensure you keep your body in neutral alignment wherever possible. Consider how your seating, standing and lying positions affect your posture - do you have the correct support for your body, particularly when sitting and sleeping? Do you work from home - does your workplace set need to be assessed?
Rest and De-stress - take some time to rest and recuperate, allowing the pain to subside
Light Exercise - stretches/yoga, walking or a massage to help alleviate any muscle tension or tightness
Avoid - any food or drink that triggers allergies or intolerances
Test - get regular eye tests
Alternative Therapies - both acupuncture and reflexology have been known to help alleviate pain and headache symptoms
Always seek medical advice prior to treatment and/or consult a pharmacist.
Useful Equipment
All of the below equipment is available from our Partner Providers, Physique at 10% discount.
Use a combination of the below to help relieve your symptoms as appropriate:
- Cold Therapy - a cold gel or cold pack can be used on the localised area to reduce any pain
- Heat Therapy - a heat lotion, gel or pack can be used on tight muscles around the neck, upper back and/or shoulders
- Painkillers - over the counter medicines like ibuprofen (anti-inflammatory) and paracetamol (compound analgesic/painkiller) can help reduce pain and increase comfort in the short term and as a temporary measure. Speak with a medical professional such as a GP or Pharmacist for bespoke guidance.
- Physical Therapy - yoga, massage, acupuncture or reflexology can help alleviate causes and/or symptoms of headaches and migraines
If you have any questions or feedback about this article, please send them to enquiries@bodymechanics.co.uk
Who Should Oversee Health and Wellbeing in the Workplace?
Health and Wellbeing is becoming an increasingly significant issue within the workplace. Employers are placing greater emphasis and investment on supporting employees with various challenges, whether they’re mental, physical, financial or social. This is fantastic news! A frequently asked question however, is who should oversee health and wellbeing in the workplace? Whose responsibility is it?
Some believe the answer is determined by the overall purpose of your health and wellbeing programme. Was it set up to help with high levels of sickness absence? To attract and retain the best talent? Was it set up to address mental health support? Or to educate employees about better nutrition?
While there is merit in this perspective and whatever the core reason for your health and wellbeing programme, we believe consideration needs to be given to the bigger picture.
Traditionally, ‘people issues’ fell to HR. Today, organisations’ are taking a more comprehensive and blended approach to supporting their employees. Health and wellbeing means different things to different people and has many facets, requiring input from different parts of an organisation. For example, HR undoubtedly still has a role to play, but so too do Occupational Health, Facilities Management, Recruitment, Employee Benefits, the C-Suite and so on.
Health and wellbeing is better managed as a cross-organisational initiative with the relevant people and departments feeding into the development, implementation and coordination of the services being offered as a whole. This is arguably one of the main reasons we’ve seen the creation of teams and departments with broader titles like Employee Experience, People Engagement and The Future of Work - they’re focusing on an overarching organisational concept, rather than one specific business function. Health and wellbeing is a cultural workplace movement.
Such a collaborative, blended approach to health and wellbeing means that the coordination of resources and the use of metrics become key in monitoring the services provided, their uptake, the level of investment and the return on that investment. Without metrics, any health and wellbeing programme will fall flat.
Ryan Hopkins, Future of Wellbeing Lead at Deloitte stated that ‘what gets measured gets incentivised and that gets investment. Wellbeing is a science and not an art. Attach a financial value to these measurements to make the C-suite understand and engage. Health and wellbeing has to grow outside HR. It must be a cross-functional approach, an employee experience, addressing issues like wellbeing, inclusion, purpose and satisfaction for it to be effective’
Metrics can be used over time to measure specified key performance indicators, to spot trends and correlations and to further enhance health and wellbeing in the workplace.
Health and wellbeing is slowly, yet increasingly being seen as an initiative that falls to many, rather than just one department. Potentially, this means that health and wellbeing programmes will be more comprehensive and robust, with more employees using the services on offer. Draw and coordinate the resources available to you across your organisation, use metrics to benchmark, monitor and ultimately, secure investment - your employees and your organisation will thank you.
If you’d like to explore how Body Mechanics Health and Wellbeing Programmes can help your business please get in touch: enquiries@bodymechanics.co.uk
What’s the Difference – Physiotherapy, Chiropractic and Osteopathy?
This is a question we get asked frequently at Body Mechanics, so we thought it’d be useful to give you a summary overview.
What are they?
Physiotherapists, Chiropractors and Osteopaths are all physical therapists who look to promote optimal physical health - integrity, function and movement - of the body’s soft tissues, joints and systems.
They can be used to:
- Reduce pain and discomfort
- Alleviate tension and tightness
- Increase range of movement
- Promote relaxation and better sleep
- Improve circulation
- Reduce oedema
- Bring the body’s systems back into balance
A wide range of health conditions can be treated through these therapies such as back pain, sports injuries, stroke, MS, heart attack, cystic fibrosis and many more. Although their aim is ultimately the same, their approaches and priorities differ.
Physiotherapy
- takes a holistic approach to treating the body, as well as focusing on a particular issue area when appropriate. They will offer tailored education, advice, and rehab exercise schedules, as well as using manual therapy, where the Physio will use their hands to encourage better function and movement of the body.
Broadly speaking Physio’s will put soft tissue first - muscles, ligaments, fascia, and tendons - and joints second. When it comes to treating a system within the body, a more holistic approach will be adopted.
Other techniques such as dry needling, acupuncture, ultrasound, and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) can be used to work into the joints and soft tissues.
Registered Physiotherapists can be found at The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy
Osteopathy
- is considered by some, to be a blending of both physiotherapy and chiropractic, in that Osteopaths adopt a holistic, combined approach, looking at both soft tissues and joints throughout the body and not in isolation.
Osteo’s will work into both the soft tissues by way of stretching and massaging, to loosen muscles, ligaments, fascia, and tendons. Joints will be articulated and taken through their full range of motion to then enable any joint manipulations or adjustments, similar to Chiropractic, using quick controlled movements and/or pressure to realign the bones/joints.
Osteo’s will frequently offer guidance on rehab exercises and self-care treatments at home. They may often use other techniques such as dry needling, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) low level massage.
Osteopathy can sometimes feel unusual and intense, but it should never feel painful.
Registered Osteopaths can be found at The General Osteopathic Council
Chiropractic
- places its focus on the spine. Chiropractors work on the premise that the spine is the body's main structural support, neural highway, and movement enabler, so correct alignment of the vertebrae will subsequently keep the rest of the body healthy as a result.
Generally, Chiro’s will put joints before soft tissues, however, they may work into the soft tissues by way of stretching, to help ease any tension and tightness. These stretches allow Chiro’s to ‘free up’ a particular vertebrae or joint. They use spinal manipulation or adjustments to help realign the spine, which may involve quick, controlled movements and/or pressure. This can at times feel odd, but at no point should it be painful.
Registered Chiropractors can be found at The General Chiropractic Council
Body Mechanics Recommendation
We personally prefer Osteopathy as a manual therapy as we consider it to be the more comprehensive of the three. Where appropriate we advise our clients to maintain their physical health through regular exercise, osteopathy and sports massage, as this ensures general fitness, structural/skeletal alignment and healthy soft tissues. We use Osteopathy on a monthly to quarterly basis for maintenance and get massage at least once a month for wear and tear.
Please always seek medical advice before engaging in any form of treatment or rehab.
If you have any questions or feedback about this article, please send them to enquiries@bodymechanics.co.uk
Business Trends 2023
With the first quarter of 2023 almost done, HR professionals and industry in general, now have a better understanding of employee and business trends going forward. In this article, we give you a summary round-up of these understandings and observations so far.
Unum have collated the following stats about the cost of living crisis and how it will impact individuals and businesses alike:
- 19% of employees expect to have to look for a new job with better benefits or a higher salary in 2023 — the equivalent of 5.4 million workers
- 16% (4.5 million) are considering taking a second job next year to make ends meet
- 29% of employees state mental health concerns as one of their biggest worries in 2023
- 35%, or almost 10 million workers, say their employer has not provided them with any cost-of-living support so far this year.
So how can employers help ease the challenges faced by their employees and what are the best approaches?
- Increase in People Analytics - making better use of people data from various sources within the business to inform business decisions and strategy is key. Using people analytics to inform your business’ direction can be incredibly insightful and powerful - correlations can be discovered, solutions can be found and actions can be taken, all of which will be evidence based. Unlock the potential of both your people and your business through establishing insight and context.
- Employee Feedback - Giving employees a stronger voice, makes them feel empowered and can lead to increased employee engagement. Having a feedback point accessible at all times, such as a designated chat channel or specific feedback system, as well as intermittent surveys, polls, allows their comments to be heard and valued - employers get a greater insight into what employees think, want, and need. Subsequently, this feedback can be used to manage employee expectations and for employers to incorporate employee feedback into future business decisions and strategy. In short, employee feedback can increase loyalty, engagement, productivity, and profitability, whilst also allowing businesses to track their return on investment.
- Implementation of Menopause Policies - so many women struggle with menopause and like any other health issue, it deserves due recognition. Despite the Government rejecting the call for Menopause to be recognised as a protected characteristic and to trial Menopause leave, it has however encouraged employers to give increased attention to supporting women experiencing Menopause symptoms in the workplace, by implementing Menopause policies.
- Continuation of Hybrid and Flexi-Working - during the pandemic work patterns changed significantly, as did people’s priorities. Convenience, flexibility, work life integration, and family time are now given far more importance than they previously were. In addition to this, since December 2022, legislation allowing employees to request flexible working hours from the start of their employment has come into effect. A key factor for businesses around the recruitment and the retention of employee talent.
- Recruitment and Retention - in a report published by Octopus, they state that ‘Post-COVID, many people are searching for a job that better aligns with their values or lifestyle. Others are not just quitting their jobs - but changing professions entirely - to pursue work that feels more meaningful to them….
This poses a real challenge for employers because Britain is currently facing its tightest labour market in years. They are having difficulty finding and retaining employees as the great resignation takes its toll’Having issues around attracting and retaining talent and filling potential skills gaps, is forcing businesses to look at ways to make their organisations, job roles and employment packages more attractive and realistic for the world today - financial security, tangible benefits, flexibility and convenience, meaningful work and career progression, all being key. A comprehensive employment package will also reduce recruitment costs long term and will increase employee loyalty.
- Employee Benefits and Rewards will receive greater investment - to better engage, motivate and reward employees for the work they do, their overall contribution to the business, as well as supporting them with the everyday challenges they face.
David Pye, Director At Leading Independent Consultancy Broadstone says ‘Businesses need to take a more proactive approach to both recruitment and retention, ensuring that their workers have access to what matters to them and that their employee value proposition is targeted and relevant. Good pay in the current inflationary environment is obviously important, but so are many ancillary benefit offerings such as employee wellbeing propositions and it appears key sectors have failed in many of these areas that could lead them to fail over the medium term’Octopus found that employees are crying out for more benefits which offer tangible financial support. In fact, 73% of employees want cash saving benefits, particularly now during the cost of living crisis. Support around childcare, food, travel, health and wellbeing and work life integration are where employers should focus their benefit package offerings.
In the everyday work environment, initiatives such as clear career progression and development, spot bonuses, length of service rewards and acknowledgement for work well done all help to make employees feel valued and loyal to your business.
By bringing the above highlighted elements into your employee benefits package and your business management strategy, you’ll be able to fulfil the needs of both your people and your business. You’ll be able to support and reward your employees, to increase employee retention and engagement, to improve the levels of stability, productivity and of course, overall profitability to your business. People are a key asset to your business, invest in them wisely.
References
Danni Rush: Hr Trends For The Year Ahead
Posted by Amelia Brand on Mar 1, 2023 for HR Review
https://www.hrreview.co.uk/analysis/danni-rush-hr-trends-for-the-year-ahead/151326
Cost-of-living crisis expected to spark the Great Resignation of 2023
Unum 12th December 2022
https://www.unum.com/about/newsroom/2022/December/Cost-of-living-crisis-expected-to-spark-the-Great-Resignation-of-2023
3 In 10 Businesses Facing Recruitment Difficulties
Posted by Amelia Brand on Mar 1, 2023 for HR Review
https://www.hrreview.co.uk/hr-news/recruitment/3-in-10-businesses-facing-recruitment-difficulties/151288
The Sustainable Workforce Report
Octopus
How to Create a Strategic Employee Wellbeing Plan that embeds Mental Health Care
Webinar 28 Mar 2023
Hosted by Dr Angel Enrique and coordinated by Claire Farrow
If you have any questions or feedback about this article, please send them to enquiries@bodymechanics.co.uk
Sprains and Strains
Sprains and strains are injuries which occur to our body’s soft tissues, such as our muscles, tendons, and the ligaments - our connective tissues. However, there is a difference between the two.
Sprains refer to an overstretching or tearing of ligaments which subsequently stress a joint - tissues that connect two bones together. Common examples are a sprained ankle or wrist
Strains refer to an overstretching or tearing of muscles or tendons - tissues that connect a muscle to a bone. Common examples are the back or hamstring muscles
How do Sprains and Strains Occur?
Strains
Acute (immediate) injuries - tend to be caused by an overloading of the muscle or tendon during activity such as lifting, where the load is too heavy and/or lifted using incorrect technique
Chronic (occur over time) injuries - tend to result from repetitive movements where the muscle or tendon is put under strain frequently.
Sprains
Sprains tend to occur in highly mobile areas of the body, such as the knee, ankle, wrist or thumb and happen due to ‘landing’ awkwardly on uneven surfaces when pivoting, jumping, overextending or bracing yourself
Common Risk Factors
- Exertion - pushing the body to perform beyond its limits, spontaneously or repeatedly
- Fatigue
- Incorrect equipment and/or technique
- Uneven surfaces
Common symptoms are:
- Pain and/or tenderness
- Localised inflammation and swelling
- Bruising
- Tightness and tension in surrounding areas
- Reduction in mobility and flexibility
- Muscle and/or joint weakness
- Muscle spasms
- Symptoms alleviating during a short period of rest, but feeling worse after a mid to long period of inactivity
- Sprains - ongoing susceptibility to recurring injury, due to ligaments becoming overstretched and loose, not returning to their former, shorter length or strength
Preventative Action:
Consult a Physical Therapist to receive bespoke rehab exercises.
- Stretching - start off gently and gradually increase to help with mobility
- Strengthening - build up strength in soft tissues gradually overtime to help with stability
- Be Realistic - know your limits
- Use Supports and Braces - only if necessary and try not to become reliant
Corrective Action:
- Rest - stop activities that cause discomfort
- Ice - use an ice pack or slush bath (ice and cold water) every 15 mins for the next 2-3 hours immediately after the injury
- Compress - wrap the injured area moderately tightly to prevent any further swelling. An elasticated bandage or similar kind of wrap is ideal
- Elevate - keep the injured area elevated higher than your heart to help prevent swelling. Using a sling or lying down using pillows to lift the injured area may be necessary.
- Refer - if numbness is being experienced at all and/or if symptoms persist for more than 48 hours, seek medical help
Begin to re-use the injured area after 48 hours if possible. If you can’t and/or unable to , seek medical help
Use a combination of the below to help relieve your symptoms:
Cold Therapy - a cold gel or cold pack can be used on the localised area to reduce any present inflammation
Heat Therapy - a heat lotion, gel or pack can be used on tight muscles around the injured area, not on, the injured area itself
Painkillers - over the counter medicines like ibuprofen (anti-inflammatory) and paracetamol (compound analgesic/painkiller) can help reduce pain and increase comfort in the short term and as a temporary measure.
Physical Therapy - Physiotherapists and Sports Massage Therapists will all be able to help treat and sprains or strains, gradually increasing mobility and strength
Useful Equipment
All of the below equipment is available from our Partner Providers, Physique at 10% discount using the code: BODYMECHANICS
- Hot/Cold Pack with Sleeve
- Elasticated Bandage
- Triangular Sling
- Adjustable Arm Sling
- Cold Gel
- Anti-inflammatory Gel
- Heat Lotion
Please always seek medical advice before engaging in any form of treatment or rehab.
If you have any questions or feedback about this article, please send them to enquiries@bodymechanics.co.uk
Therapy in Focus – Osteopathy
Osteopathy - For improved skeletal health
Osteopathy is a non-invasive manual therapy, which helps to maintain overall health and wellbeing by focusing on skeletal and soft tissue integrity. By maintaining good skeletal alignment throughout, Osteopathy optimises the function and repair of muscles, nerves, connective tissues and therefore systems within the body.
How Can Osteopathy Help?
Osteopathy can help with a number of issues. It can help to:
- manage tension, tightness, pain and discomfort
- improve alignment, posture, function, strength, flexibility and comfort
- prevent the recurrence of acute injuries and to stabilise and manage chronic conditions
Numerous conditions can be diagnosed and treated by viewing the body as a whole; identifying and isolating the cause from the symptoms.
- Muscle and joint aches and pains
- RSI
- Sciatica
- Scoliosis
- Headaches/Migraines
- Osteoarthritis
- Back pain
- Some sports injuries
What does treatment involve?
Prior to treatment, your Osteopath will discuss your symptoms, medical history, lifestyle, as well as assessing your current flexibility and movement, and of course, your health and wellbeing objectives.
Treatment work will involve a combination of:
- Soft tissue work – stretching and massage
- Skeletal work – articulation - manipulation and realignment of joints
to correct and restore your body’s skeletal health, function and capability.
Aftercare advice is given to maximise treatment results. You will receive advice on stretches, exercises and low-level self-care, such as hot/cold packs, joint supports, foam rolling and more.
WANT TO BOOK A OSTEOPATHY APPOINTMENT
(Both Corporate and Private Enquiries)
Please always seek medical advice before engaging in any form of treatment or rehab.
If you have any questions or feedback about this article, please send them to enquiries@bodymechanics.co.uk
Quiet Quitting – How To Reignite Engagement
Quiet quitting is a term which has recently come to the forefront of workplace discussions. It's considered by some to have become more prominent due to the change in work patterns attributed to Covid lockdowns.
What is Quiet Quitting
Quiet quitting refers to individuals doing the bare minimum to fulfil their job role requirements. Very little else is carried out outside of their job description and their level of engagement drops. Quiet quitting highlights an issue around the employer/employee relationship, more specifically, a lack of trust around expectations of an acceptable workload and remuneration for that work and effort.
During a highly stressful time, Covid being a good example, quiet quitting is seen as a way to navigate change, to avoid any additional stress leading to burnout, as well as a way to maintain work/life balance. Quiet quitting gives individuals a way to take back control without having to have formal discussions with their Managers.
This change in individual behaviour is considered to have a wider impact on the workplace community and on team morale. By individuals taking a step back from their work and becoming disengaged, it can present a number of challenges for team peers, managers, and ultimately the organisation as a whole. In this article, we take a look at the signs of quiet quitting and how to potentially reduce it.
Signs of Quiet Quitting
Quiet quitting tends to be an issue that builds up over time with behaviours changing gradually. Things to look out for are:
- Maintaining definite and sometimes inflexible boundaries around work hours, tasks, and workload by pushing back more frequently and/or strongly
- Resisting anything seen as new or in addition to existing job responsibilities such as new projects, volunteering, or supporting co-workers
- A drop in communication, participation, and productivity
- A lack of interest in any social interactions or activities outside of work through avoidance and distance
- A noticeable reduction in job satisfaction and a decline in overall wellbeing on both an individual and team level
How to Prevent Quiet Quitting
Quiet quitting can be avoided through better communication and a clear and agreed alignment between employer and employee expectations:
- Listen to your employees and let them know they have a voice
- Keep your employees in the loop. Tell them in advance of any upcoming changes or challenges
- Keep any increase in workload to a minimum and ensure the employee knows that this is a temporary situation
- Understand your employees' work/life boundaries and career ambitions. Work with them as much as possible.
- Reward your employees appropriately whether that’s financially, time in lieu, or a focus on their general wellbeing
- Work on building rapport with your employees and respecting them as individuals
- Hold regular reviews or feedback sessions to stay current with employee opinion
How to Deal with Quiet Quitting
Quiet Quitting can be reversed through honest communication and a willingness to rebuild trust on both sides:
- Get things out in the open. Offer open two-way communication and initiate that communication in a non-confrontational, approachable manner
- Identify the specific areas of contention as seen by the employee and ask for examples
- Give context to these issues from your perspective and how they relate to the individual, the team, and the wider organisation
- Reach a solution that genuinely works for both parties by re-establishing agreed expectations and associated rewards
- Give your employee time to adjust and re-engage with their work through regular agreed review periods
- Demonstrate your commitment to your employee by sticking to agreed actions in order to rebuild the relationship
- Should these steps prove unsuccessful, conduct an exit interview
Summary
Quiet Quitting is a disconnect or a lack of alignment between an employer and an employee, with potentially negative consequences for both parties. It's essential to maintain open, reciprocal communication with employees, to let them voice their concerns and to mutually agree on any solutions going forward. Quiet quitting can be resolved by reestablishing clear boundaries and a balance around workload, workplace responsibilities, remuneration and reward. Treating employees as individuals and making a genuine effort to understand their feelings and frustrations can help rebuild a trusting relationship.
References
Why is Quiet Quitting A Rising Problem for Early Talent Cohort?
https://www.thehrdirector.com/quiet-quitting-rising-problem-early-talent-cohort/
By Charlotte Burton-Barker
Quiet quitting: The workplace trend taking over TikTok
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-62638908
31st August 2022
By Perisha Kudhail
Quiet Quitting: How to Prevent & Combat it at Work
https://teambuilding.com/blog/quiet-quitting
30th October 2022
By Angela Robinson
10 Creative Ways to Show Recognition that are Outside the Box
https://www.rewardgateway.com/uk/blog/10-creative-ways-to-show-recognition
By Alexandra Powell
Conflict Management: a shift in direction
https://www.cipd.co.uk/knowledge/fundamentals/relations/disputes/conflict-management-report
CIPD
If you have any questions or feedback about this article, please send them to enquiries@bodymechanics.co.uk
Therapy in Focus – Massage
Massage Therapy - For optimal muscular and joint health
Massage helps to relieve and manage pain and discomfort, to increase range of movement, to improve posture and to promote overall health and wellbeing.
By keeping muscle tone and condition at its best, it allows nerves, connective tissues and joints to stay healthy, functional and with the ability to repair and heal.
How can massage help?
A non-invasive, hands-on treatment working into the body’s soft tissues, more specifically the muscles and connective tissues.
Massage does a number of things. It helps to:
- promote mental and physical relaxation
- improve circulation
- remove metabolic waste products
- calm and relax or stimulate and re-energise the nervous system
- improve muscle tone and condition
- decrease scar tissue
Massage can help relieve numerous conditions, both sudden, acute injuries and on-going, chronic conditions, can be treated, by identifying and isolating the cause from the symptoms.
- headaches/migraines
- tension and tightness
- back pain
- sciatica
- scoliosis
- RSI
- And arthritis to name just a few
What does treatment involve?
Prior to treatment, your Massage Therapist will discuss your symptoms, medical history, lifestyle, as well as assessing your current flexibility and movement, and of course, your health and wellbeing objectives.
An appropriate type of massage will be used to treat your symptoms and possibly alongside some stretching:
- Holistic (relaxation)
- Deep Tissue (used to treat and fix)
- Sports (used to treat and fix by replicating the body’s natural movements)
- and Pregnancy (to ease the aches and pains of pregnancy)
Various massage strokes and techniques will be used, with light to firm pressure as appropriate, to work into the muscles, joints and soft tissues, helping to alleviate any discomfort.
Towels are provided to maintain your modesty at all times
Aftercare advice is given to maximise treatment results. You will receive advice on stretches, exercises and low-level self-care, such as hot/cold packs, joint supports, foam rolling and more.