Health and Wellbeing WorkpIace Issues Archives - Page 3 of 4

March 17, 2022

CIPD: Stress In The Workplace Factsheet

Stress can affect an employee’s physical and mental health, altering their behaviour and relationships with colleagues. As a commonly cited cause of long-term absence from the workplace, its key for Managers to know how to recognise and manage the factors, that can cause work-related stress. Conducting stress risk assessments and reviewing the responsibilities and activities included in job roles are good starting points, to reduce the likelihood of stress developing.

November 24, 2021

Guest Contributor: Tala Oodit – What Makes A Successful Workplace

1. Support Services

Companies should provide insurance protection such as Private Healthcare, Income Protection, Life Assurance, and an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) as standard. I will caveat this and say that it's obviously subject to whether a company can afford to have this in place. In my opinion, these are more of a necessity than a unique selling point for a company. For the last few years, the recruitment market has been a candidate driven one - something that won’t be changing in the next few years. People are looking at the overall package and sometimes the base salary alone is not enough of an incentive to potential new recruits, so companies need to remain creative and competitive.

2. Culture

This 7 letter word is so simple and yet so complex in interpretation, so here is what culture means to me…

People will spend the majority of their life at work with colleagues, so its important that the work environment you provide is a decent one. Inclusion, access to Senior Managers and the level of trust given to people is key! It’s important that Managers sit with their team members regularly to understand what drives them and that people feel they have influence and are able to contribute to the overall success of the company.

Senior Managers need to ensure the company vision and the expectations surrounding the business goals are communicated clearly. In addition, Senior Managers should also be given Mental Health First Aid training as standard. Not only are they responsible for the financial health of the company, but also their people’s health and wellbeing too!

4. A Multi-Faceted Physical Working Environment

Covid-19 saw companies having to change their physical environment overnight. All office workers were asked to work from home for months at a time. If employers are choosing to keep working from home as an option moving forward, they need to ensure that employees are suitably equipped to do so. For example, we have asked employees to let us know if they need chair supports to help with their lower back or upper back, neck and shoulders. We’ve also reinforced the importance of taking a break and moving around.

Having worked in companies with retail stores and distribution centres, our H&S team are regularly running checks to ensure manual handling training is continuously taking place, meeting with our Occupational Health team, to ensure that as a business we are making reasonable adjustments for employees.

Whether people are working from home or onsite, employers need to give consideration to their employees’ physical health and wellbeing. We’ve previously used Body Mechanics for onsite massages to help remedy any occupational stresses and strains and they also provide yoga and online workouts - a range of different ways to access and help maintain physical wellbeing.

5. Communication is Key!

An old cliche, however the most obvious. You will be surprised by how this is often overlooked or not done properly. With the events of Covid-19, all businesses have had to go through some sort of change management to accommodate their business during the global crisis. I understand that it may not be feasible to have weekly company meetings, but what I would recommend is monthly company get togethers, rather than just teams and if safe, have those get togethers in person, rather than online. A fixed date in the diary will give people peace of mind and a chance to see various people across the business. Human contact and networking shouldn’t be underestimated in terms of personal morale and career development.

July 21, 2021

Guest Blog: Do you ever promise not to interrupt? Have you ever been listened to without being interrupted?!

Ruth McCarthy and Laura Williams, who are both colleagues and mother and daughter, on how the simple, powerful promise not to interrupt can transform communication, build trust and make a huge difference to people’s lives.

Who do you know who is a really good listener? What difference does it make to you if somebody allows you to finish your thought rather than interrupting you with their advice, information, unasked-for ideas? Listening to ignite thinking, rather than listening to reply and interrupt, makes a huge difference to how we experience each other.

The world we live in has become increasingly interruptive. Whether we are being interrupted by each other, by our own tech devices, by social media, by email, or Zoom calls, we rarely get more than a few seconds before something breaks into our thinking pattern. How can we expect to communicate with each other properly, or to think well, under these conditions?

Ruth says:

A great Thinking Environment starts with Attention. Listening well is the only way to really hear what somebody else is thinking and feeling, and listening without interruption actively improves communication and connection on both sides of any interaction or relationship. When people ask what I do, I say ‘I show people how to listen, and then we discover exactly how much and why that helps people to think’.

Because the quality of our thinking depends to a remarkable degree on the quality of attention that we are getting from the person with whom we are thinking.

Turn up the Listening

So learning how to turn off the advising instinct and ramp up the listening has been transformational for me as a parent. Understanding that my daughters can be 100% equal to me as thinkers (because they each have a brain, and each is fully equipped to think) was a huge breakthrough. Dialling down the anxiety, feeling more ease in the moment, trying to be a thinking partner rather than an anxious mother - it has made such a difference. My only regret has been not finding my way to it sooner!

Keep Listening

And Ruth just kept listening, giving me attention that helped me to keep going, no judgement, no advice - she was training with Nancy at the time. After a while I said ‘What is this - this feels so different!’ and she explained a bit about the Thinking Environment. I was fascinated, and within 4 years I’d qualified with Nancy too and started my business to teach others and spread the word about this amazing ‘way of being’. The Thinking Environment and the Components which create it are such a dependable way to communicate, with loved ones, friends, colleagues - it’s foolproof. It’s changed my life, my relationships and given me the gift of a framework for independent thinking that I can now pass on to my children.

It all starts with Attention.

If we promise not to interrupt each other and listen with interest to where the person is going in their thinking, we communicate on a whole new level. We show respect. We are creating equality in the relationship. We hope you can try it too.

Try this at home!

Next time someone needs to solve a problem, suggest that you will listen to them, without interruption, while they think it through. Suggest five minutes. Start them off by asking “What do you want to think about, and what are your thoughts?” and then sit back and relax and listen. Keep your eyes on their eyes in a relaxed way.

No matter how drivingly interested you are and no matter how much you think you can add value, see what happens for the Thinker because you didn’t. Don’t jump into their silences or try to solve anything. If they really get stuck, you can just ask them ‘What more do you think?’ and, most likely, watch their thinking take off again.

If you want to know more, here is an excerpt from “The Promise that Changes Everything: I Won’t Interrupt You” by Nancy Kline, the full book can be purchased here.

Image of a team of 4 people sitting around a table discussing work with laptops.

May 18, 2021

How Delegation and Outsourcing Can Relieve Your Occupational Stress

In the corporate world, it’s natural to delegate, indeed it’s encouraged. It’s widely understood that working as a team, with the best individual for each task doing their work to the best of their ability, enables projects to be completed successfully. It doesn’t matter what the industry, whether it’s a café, a hospital or a firm of solicitors, this is the working practice we’ve come to accept as best practice.

But in the world of self-employment, we’re no longer part of a team with a manager for support and colleagues to share the workload with. We’ve stepped out on our own and often, that means we feel we have to do everything alone. There’s a tendency to take on every task ourselves, whether we know how to do it or not, whether we have the time to do it or not, and this is a major source of stress for the self-employed and freelance community.

Around 60% of new businesses fail within five years, and 20% of that number within the first year. Commonly cited reasons for these failures are a lack of business plan and poor cash flow, but there’s one factor that doesn’t get talked about so much - stress.

"Outsourcing is simply delegating your business tasks to another business or freelancer."

There's so much to do and only one person to do it, that stress does increase when you're self-employed or a freelancer. From finding the work to completing it, to dealing with invoicing and chasing late payments, to making mistakes along the way; there are many stress-generating activities in our day to day lives and it can feel impossible at times.

But it doesn't have to be that way. You might not be part of a team anymore, but you can create your own team, and you can do that through outsourcing.

Outsourcing is simply delegating your business tasks to another business or freelancer, and yes, it can seem scary entrusting your business activities to someone else, but the benefits of doing so can relieve the stress and make your business stronger as a result.

Remember that you're not delegating to employees, but seasoned professionals and business owners just like yourself, so, trusting in their abilities to do the job well and in their own way, is something I always emphasise with my clients.

Understand IR35 regulations

If you’re hiring someone and treating them as an employee, but paying them as a contractor, you might be falling foul of IR35 regulations. In a nutshell who you outsource to, should set their own hours, methods of working, be able to outsource that work themselves if needed (i.e., it’s what they do you’re paying for, not the individual), and the arrangement ends when the work is complete. The regulations do come with some costly fines so make sure you understand them thoroughly, and check with your accountant for their advice.

Ensure your freelancer is properly setup

It can be scary entrusting your business activities to someone else, but do you know how to tell if they’re prepared for the job? Working from home has become the norm, so don’t be concerned if you see their kitchen or living room on camera, but do ensure they have insurance, a contract that covers you both, a good understanding of what you’re trying to achieve, and that they offer their own ideas and suggestions on ways to make it happen.

Remember, you’re outsourcing to a professional not an employee.

Understand what you can outsource

Really, any part of your business can be outsourced to a freelancer or other small business owner. Some of my clients outsource the tasks they hate, others outsource the tasks that take them a long time to complete, others will outsource additional services to a freelancer so they can offer their clients more, like SEO services if you’re a web designer, for example.

Consider what’s causing you the most stress in your work life right now.

Is it not enough time or energy to get everything done?
Is it not having the skills or knowledge to complete essential tasks?
Do you simply want to devote your entire work hours to your clients and outsource everything else?

The answers to these questions should guide you toward the kinds of tasks that are ideal for outsourcing for your business. Generally, tasks can be split into the following areas:

As an online business manager, I help business owners save time by simplifying the technology they use, but also by identifying the tasks they can outsource and how to find the right freelancer or business to ensure this delegation is a success. I guide my clients through what they’re trying to achieve and the best way for them to do that, in alignment with their own values and goals.

I’d love to help you save time, resources and free yourself from some of the stresses of being self-employed through delegation. To find out more, why not hop on a call with me and see what you could achieve through outsourcing.

April 1, 2021

One Year of Covid

What it’s meant for us and our clients

I think it’s safe to say, that the past year has been one of uncertainty and adaptation. A year where things changed at a moment’s notice, presenting us all with new challenges, and bringing many aspects of our lives together unexpectedly. For many, it’s been a time to reassess our priorities; how we actually choose to live our lives, to engage with the world around us and how we look after ourselves.

Key issues which have come to light, receiving extensive media coverage, are how we stay connected to our friends and family, as well as managing our physical, mental and financial health effectively.

We’ve relied heavily on technology to communicate both inside and outside of work - Zoom call anyone? Staying in contact with the ones we love had never been so important, especially for those who lived alone or felt isolated.

We’ve suddenly realised that having an hour to exercise outside is actually extremely valuable and activities such as walking, running and cycling have increased in popularity, not to mention borrowing the neighbour’s dog!

Outdoor activities aren’t only good for our physical health, but our mental health as well - a change of scene, some Vitamin D (if we’re lucky) and enjoying green space, all promote relaxation and a general sense of wellbeing. Meditation and counselling have also been advocated as ways to maintain balance and good mental health.

Arguably the most divisive aspect of Covid has been the financial impact experienced by people. Some have been able to work from home and have managed to save money through reduced travel and the closure of coffee shops and restaurants, for example. Others have been furloughed, receiving reduced income, but have managed to achieve a financial balance, again due to reduced expenditures associated with work. And many, have unfortunately been unable to work, have had to seek Government assistance and have struggled to make ends meet.

All of the above have presented us, in one way or another, with challenges, stresses and in some cases, opportunities - a strange and potentially contentious thing to be saying during a global pandemic.

The Body Mechanics team has been in touch with many of you throughout the year and we’ve listened to what you’ve found challenging and why.

Compartmentalisation - both lockdown and Covid restrictions have highlighted how disruptive the blurring of boundaries can be. We used to live our lives in relatively ‘neat’ compartments - we had a work life, a home life, a social life - which would establish a routine around the tasks we did, the people we interacted with and the times we did them; these compartments provided us with a framework for our lives. Covid has disrupted our norm, our order, our routines and habits. Work is now in our homes. Socialising sometimes feels like an extension of our work meetings, having catch ups online. Covid has meant that all of these elements have become intertwined, leading to more roles being assumed by individuals, challenges around prioritisation, time management and balance. We’ve heard many of you say you have a newfound appreciation for teachers!

The re-establishing of boundaries is essential but can be difficult and ever changing.

Creativity - 'lockdown lethargy’ has been a term adopted by the media and used frequently to describe how our emotions and energy have dropped due to the disruption, uncertainty, and restrictions Covid has imposed on our lives. Living both with and in the unknown has forced us to look at things differently and to get creative. How can we work with the new normal - our work patterns, childcare plans, general day-to-day living? How we can stay active - do we stick with our normal activities, or do we take up a new sport or hobby, or both? How do we stay social - should we use different forms of technology, should we use social media platforms, should we schedule contact or keep it spontaneous? How can we stay engaged and keep ourselves entertained, without our activities and distractions becoming part of the monotony? How can we balance everything under Covid restrictions?

Contingency - perpetual changes have meant we need to be in a constant state of preparedness; to have a plan in place ‘just in case’ This can be exhausting. It’s an uncomfortable way to live and can create stress and anxiety. Many of us will need some form of contingency plans around day-to-day life, our work patterns, our family life and childcare. For others, contingency has focused on restricted levels of work and finances; trying to make income, savings and expenditure balance, or at the very least, how to minimise debt.

Covid has been an emotional rollercoaster and yet despite all the challenges, the stresses and the disruptions, many positive things have been learned. We’ve had to reassess our priorities and look at what we consider to be necessities and luxuries. We’ve learned to enjoy the simple pleasures. We’ve realised just how valuable technology is and how having that connection, whether it's for work or for socialising, can be crucial in terms of feeling a part of a team, a friendship or a family. We’ve learned that looking after ourselves, properly, is essential. We’ve also learned how widely the NHS and Keyworkers support society and community.

A year of Covid has been very different for us at Body Mechanics too. Our hands-on treatments with both corporate and individual clients were stopped overnight. Contact with our clients was severely reduced. The Team had to stop working and no income was received. The client facing part of the business was put on hold.

Covid made us look at Body Mechanics differently - the services we provide, how we provide them and how we needed to strengthen what we offer; how can we adapt to Covid restrictions and make the business more robust in the future? We saw lockdown as an opportunity to spend time on business planning and development. In this and the upcoming editions, we’ll discuss exactly what we did, how it will benefit you and how you can access our new services and products.

To start, you will find an overview of our new Body Mechanics Membership and our new library of Resources, putting convenience and consistency at the heart of your wellbeing schedule.

The Body Mechanics Team are very much looking forward to seeing and helping you all again.

If you have any comments, questions or suggestions, we’d love to hear from you. You can email us at enquiries@bodymechanics.co.uk

December 19, 2020

The Truth Behind 75% Of Sickness Absence

This article first appeared on North East Connected in 2017

75% of sickness absence is due to stress or musculoskeletal disorders (MSD’s) and 40% of those days lost are attributable to work related illness (source: Health and Safety Executive 2014/15)
There is a gap in current healthcare system between the NHS, which is a free resource but overburdened and Private Health Insurance, which is circumscribed by cost. With an aging population and ever fewer resources, this gap will widen
The suggestion is that employers are asked to increase their level of investment in employee health and wellbeing programmes as part of their corporate social responsibility and HR best practice
That health and wellbeing programmes should be part of an organisation’s business strategy
Body Mechanics Remedial work with businesses to deliver tailored health and wellbeing programmes on-site to employees. They include massage, nutrition plans, Pilates and personal training programmes
Body Mechanics Remedial stands to support employers in being proactive towards employees health and wellbeing – ‘prevention is better than cure’

INFOGRAPHICS AND STATS

For every £1 spent on health and wellbeing programmes, the organisation recovered £4.17 in programme benefits (source: Health Work Wellbeing study in collaboration with PWC)

Case study infographic for global email marketing company, showing:

100% say it helps maintain their general health and wellbeing
93% of staff attending regularly
50% use the service to help manage stress
22% use it for treatment of a specific injury
87% say it helps their working performance

November 19, 2020

Massage at Work

This article first appeared in Holistic Therapist Magazine in 2017

Before I retrained as a Massage Therapist, I worked in sales and sales management for 12 years. I was used to managing sickness absence and return to work programmes, but I experienced the frustration and pressure to get back to work as soon as possible, after I developed a work-related back injury and going on long term sick. Massage formed part of my rehab and that’s when I decided to leave sales, re-train and start Body Mechanics Remedial, specifically to work in the corporate sector.

My clients are businesses where people have demanding jobs and personal commitments – they’re time poor and they crave convenience. Body Mechanics Remedial treats people with stress and muscular aches and pains in their workplace to eliminate these problems.

Each business is reliant on its employees. If you keep people healthy, feeling appreciated and engaged, they’ll be more productive. At the end of the day, businesses want productive employees who help make them profit. When you look at it like this, corporate health and wellbeing is paramount.

According to a report for the Health Work Wellbeing Executive, for every £1 invested in an employee health and wellbeing programme, at least £4.17 can be expected as a benefit to cost ratio (BCR). The BCR return on the specific treatment of MSDs are significantly greater when treated at the outset. Other benefits include increasing employee engagement and productivity, reducing sickness absence, boosting morale and positioning the business as desirable to work for. The Health and Safety Executive has stated that more than three quarters of MSDs and stress is workplace related, so it makes sense to reduce problems and improve well-being in a workplace setting.

Our clients range from global media companies and Pan-European e-marketing businesses, to UK based sports teams and charities. They all show a commendable duty of care towards their employees and players. Our treatments last 20-30 mins and can be seated (clothed) or couch (oil) massages. We bring all the necessary equipment, clients just need to provide the space. A consultation form is completed in advance and discussed at the start of the treatment. The client’s modesty and comfort are respected at all times and client information is strictly confidential.

The biggest challenge has been educating businesses that private healthcare isn’t enough. Maintaining employee health and wellbeing on-site keeps the individuals and the business focused on their business goals with minimal disruption. We aim to provide a seamless service where each session is all about the client and the massage, so appointments and treatment scheduling are managed internally by the client.

Our client feedback is hugely positive. 100% of customers say it helps maintain their general health and well-being. 93% of staff attend regularly, with 50% using the service to help manage stress and 22% use it for treatment of specific injury. 87% say it helps their working performance and the only complaint we seem to get is that the treatments aren’t long enough!

I’d love Body Mechanics Remedial to become the global go-to organisation for corporate health and wellbeing, starting in Australia and Canada. Taking on quality therapists will be at the heart of this.

Nikki Roy founded Body Mechanics Remedial to help people lead pain free lives. She is ITEC qualified and a member of the CThA.

November 17, 2020

Better Body, Better Business

This article first appeared as an interview in Issue 131 of Business Info in June 2017

Business Info talks to Nikki Roy, Director of Body Mechanics Remedial, about whether employers should be doing more to look after employees’ wellbeing.

Employers have a duty of care towards their employees, but with 78% of injuries and illnesses linked directly to the workplace, according to the HSE, are they doing enough?

Nikki Roy, Director of Body Mechanics Remedial, believes not. She argues that were businesses to pay more attention to the health and happiness of workers, they would not only see big benefits to their bottom line, but also help relieve the current crisis in the NHS by reducing musculo-skeletal and stress-related illness.

Feedback from clients of Body Mechanics Remedial Ltd, the company Nikki set up in 2012 after a work-related back injury meant she was unable to continue with her 12-year career in sales and sales management, shows that positive impact that on-site health and wellbeing programmes can have on the health and performance of employees:

100% of clients say their programme helps maintain employees’ general health and wellbeing;
93% of staff attend regularly;
50% use the service to manage stress;
22% use it for treatment of a specific injury;
87% say it helps their working performance.

Before setting up Body Mechanics, Nikki retrained at St Mary’s University College in Twickenham and became a Massage Therapist, specialising in the treatment of back pain, deep tissue and sports massage. She started out providing massage on company premises, but since then has become more and more involved in developing strategic wellbeing programmes tailored for each client.

Business Info spoke to her about the importance of such programmes and why businesses should take wellbeing seriously.

Business Info: Can you tell me a bit about what you do?
Nikki Roy: We help people lead pain-free lives, but we also help organisations increase their profits by keeping their employees healthy. We go on-site into offices and provide various health and wellbeing programmes depending on clients’ requirements – these could be around physical health, mental health, the work environment itself. We then put together a bespoke programme to help them fulfil their obligations of duty of care to their employees, but also to help them achieve their business goals.

We go on-site into offices and provide various health and wellbeing programmes depending on clients’ requirements

BI: Why do businesses come to you initially?
NR: A high level of sickness absence is a popular reason. They want to reduce absence levels and they want to prevent people getting back into that situation. We take a look at what’s happening in the working environment and what they can do to help people stay healthy in the office.

The other reason is retention – making the company more attractive to the people who work there now, improving their working day by giving them something to look forward to, like nipping out for a massage or going to a yoga or meditation session. It can help them de-stress and then find focus on the job at hand, and it’s nice to be part of an organisation that values you in that way.

BI: How often does a business utilise services such as massage?
NR: It depends entirely on each individual organisation. Some people have us come twice a week to do full days; others only want us in once a month. The most popular option is every two or four weeks, usually around lunchtime or towards the end of the day. We don’t have to be there for a full day.

BI: Who are some of your clients?
NR: We deal with a global e-marketing company; we’ve worked with a couple of charities; we’ve got a big media company; we’ve got a brewery; and we’ve also got a couple of schools.

BI: You’ve mentioned massage and yoga, what other treatments do you offer?
NR: We have Nutritionists, Personal Trainers, Massage Therapists, Psychologists, Pilates Instructors. Body Mechanics has a network of Associate Practitioners and that gives us the option to pick and choose the best people out there and put together a programme that organisations want. It’s not a one-size-fits-all; they get to say who they think would be the best fit for their business culture.

BI: Do you help employers create an all-round strategy for wellbeing?
NR: We’re going that way. When I first set this up that wasn’t necessarily my intention; the main aim was service delivery, but we’re getting more involved with the strategy side of things. Clients want our input into how this works.

BI: What are the benefits of massage?
NR: For workers, it tends to be around alleviating stress, whether emotional, physical or financial – the mind-body connect presents itself in a number of ways; staying healthy; making sure that you’re able to work and feel mentally present.

For employers, it can improve productivity and overall employee engagement. Productivity and quality of engagement tends to go up if people are happier – you know the old adage ‘a happy, workforce is a productive workforce.’ You see people working better as a team, they become more innovative, more creative, and then customer satisfaction and employee satisfaction increase. When that all comes together your bottom line as a business will go up because everybody is working together as a team.

It’s not just about receiving a particular treatment; it’s about having that time out, having a company that cares. I think people then go ‘Well okay. I’m willing to give something back”.

BI: Do you think businesses could be doing more to address the wellbeing of their employees?
NR: Definitely. I think they’re doing the bare minimum. People will do things like ergonomic assessments, they’ll offer private healthcare, subsidised gym membership. But, really, those things are optional or reactive, so there tends to be an issue there already if people are using them. And with the gym, we’ve all been there, you don’t always go as often as you should! But now people are understanding that if they invest in people and if they do it on-site, it keeps them in the workplace, they’re not having to take time off to make doctor appointments, phone calls, childcare etc…

BI: Are health and wellbeing programmes an affordable option for small businesses?
NR: Although this is an investment, a lot of businesses see it as a financial outlay. Research flagged up by the Health Work Wellbeing Executive in a report by PwC shows that for every £1 spent on an employee health and wellbeing programme, £4.17 can be expected back as a benefit. Business is all about the bottom line; senior management want to know figures, and I think that’s a really powerful statistic. If they can make a return on investment that high, and that’s a conservative estimate, then it starts to make business sense.

People tell me they hold their smartphone wedged between their ear and their shoulder, and they’re getting neck problems as a result

BI: People talk about RSI much less than they used to – is it still a problem?
NR: I think it has gone down. In a lot of cases, RSI came down to the use of the mouse and the way the workspace was set up; ergonomic assessments tend to cover that now. I think health and safety are on the ball on that one.

But the thing that comes up time and time again is back pain, rather than RSI – lower back problems if you’re sitting too long or lifting and upper back and neck complaints if you’re at your desk a lot or driving a lot.

BI: How would you treat someone with back problems?
NR: It would depend on what the organisation and individual are open to. When you come in for a massage there’s an assessment and then the best way to move forward with treatment is agreed and carried out. We also offer after-care advice – stretches or movements to help with mobility of the spine or to ease discomfort and pain. We then feed that into the workstation assessment. A lot of people have to carry laptop bags or use laptop trolleys. If you’re doing that a lot, it puts strain on the back, so we’d also look at whether there are other, more body-friendly ways of carrying out your day-to-day activities.

BI: Is the use of smartphones and tablets producing different types of problem?
NR: Yes definitely. And a lot of the time, problems occur out of work. I always hear people say ‘my thumbs really hurt’, which is from texting so much! People also tell me they hold their smartphone wedged between their ear and their shoulder, and they’re getting neck problems as a result. So yes, smartphones and tablets are an issue.

BI: If a business could change one thing today to help their employees’ health, what do you think that should be?
NR: To listen to your employees and ask them the problems they’re facing, because I think a lot of businesses make assumptions and don’t always get it right. It tends to be from senior management; they’re not doing the groundwork so they don’t necessarily understand what those issues are. Have a consultative meeting with your employees and listen to what the issues are.

You can read this article in Business Info Issue 31 here.

October 12, 2020

4 Reasons Employer Brands Smash Consumer Brands, Hands Down

Who comes first, the customer or your team?

“Clients do not come first.” On the surface, this statement seems irrational. But it comes from Sir Richard Branson, owner of Virgin Group, which controls more than 400 companies. And when you hear what he followed up with, it’s perfectly logical.

“Employees come first. If you take care of your employees, they will take care of the clients.”

Your employees are your first response, they’re on the front line, talking to your customers day in, day out: they’re the backbone of your business. If they’re unhappy, that can easily send negative ripples throughout your business, damaging productivity and ultimately, sales. That’s the first reason why putting your consumer first, at the expense of your employees, just isn’t sound business practice.

Successful employer brands are a natural magnet for top candidates

Secondly, successful employer brands are a natural magnet for top candidates. This is an absolute dream for businesses in the current job market, where candidate skill set requirements are evolving rapidly to keep pace with the changing shape of business, and millennials are increasingly choosy about where they want to invest their time. Attracting great talent is an expensive process – not just in terms of paying out to recruiters or spending money advertising your posts. The most expensive indirect cost of recruitment is time. Time spent looking through CVs, time spent interviewing candidates, time squandered as roles sit open indefinitely and your team isn’t working at full capacity. For strong employer brands, existing team members act like walking, talking job advertisements, and may even refer suitable candidates from their own network to your HR department.

Failing to retain good talent is a gross waste of your resources

Reason number three: failing to retain good talent is a gross waste of your resources. Besides the direct and indirect costs of recruitment covered in reason number two, think of all the effort that goes into training candidates so that they’re able to perform properly; the time it takes for them to build strong working relationships and start performing optimally. Skills need nurturing for people to meet their potential, but even when they’re fully trained, unhappy people are more likely to underperform. Employer brands intrinsically get this. They also understand that for many people, professional lives are a reflection on their sense of self. They use this insight and invest in creating a culture so great that their employees internalise the brand, genuinely love their job and constantly strive to overperform. This is because, psychologically for the employee, their company performing reflects well on them personally.

Unhappy employees are bad for your brand

Four: unhappy employees are bad for your brand. Employer review websites like Glassdoor create a space for customers and potential candidates to see your brand at its absolute worst: through the eyes of an anonymous disgruntled ex-employee. That’s not to mention the negative press coverage brands now risk receiving when employees feel negatively about their employer. Ethical consumers won’t purchase from brands that have even a hint of unfair (or even just unpleasant) working conditions, so reputationally it pays to have a brand people love and are proud to work for.

The business environment is shifting dramatically at the moment; if brands are to succeed they need to be flexible in the face of rapid change. Achieving that reactivity effectively isn’t just down to one person, even if that person is the CEO. It’s down to having an amazing, productive team, built of high calibre, engaged people. It’s imperative that as a business owner you create an environment where your employees can thrive, which is why you need to consider your team as much as, if not more than, your customers.

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Perk up: how to recognise and reward your employees

October 12, 2020

Perk Up: How To Recognise And Reward Your Employees

All details were correct at the time of publication but may have changed since.

Truly great employers know there’s more to workplace satisfaction than just a good salary. And it’s those businesses that end up recruiting and retaining top talent. Here are eight approaches to recognise and reward your employees that don’t involve paying them more.

1. Say thanks more often

Give employees an opportunity to upvote their colleagues when they go the extra mile, and recognise them publicly. This could be as low-fi as a notice board, or an email to your staff publicly thanking the person in question for their hard work. Or you could mention it at a staff meeting and provide a physical reward, such as a bottle of wine, a box of chocolates, or a voucher for shopping or a day out somewhere indulgent.

2. Offer breakfast

Most offices provide free tea and coffee for staff, but what other small gestures can you make to help your employees feel at home? Providing free toast, or cereal gives people an incentive to avoid traffic and start work a little earlier. Eating breakfast also improves cognitive performance, giving your employees a little extra edge at the start of every day. GSK offers staff free breakfast if they walk, cycle or run on their commute. This is great for personal health and the environment, too.

3. Provide healthy snacks

Does your office have a vending machine stuffed full of crisps and chocolate? Stressed, time-poor people will grab whatever they can to keep going during that mid-morning or afternoon slump. Sugary snacks give people a temporary boost, but can leave people snappy or struggling to concentrate once their sugar levels dip back down. Couple bad snacking habits with largely sedentary jobs and you’re looking at creeping weight gain. It’s not the role of employers to police waistlines, but there’s no doubt obesity is linked to poor health and time off work sick. Head this off at the pass by providing free fruit, and rethink your vending machine selection to reduce opportunities to make poor choices.

3. Encourage good health and wellbeing

The NHS recently released data that suggested back problems cost UK companies 31 million sick days each year. The majority of us now work in offices and sit at desks all day long staring at computers. Long term, this leads to backaches and pains. Counteract this risk while helping your employees feel rewarded by arranging for a massage therapist (I know the name of a good one if you’re interested) to attend a day or two each week. A 25-minute massage weekly can improve posture, reduce headaches and stress, which help your employees concentrate on their day job.

Other holistic corporate services to consider are meditation, pilates, yoga, nutritional health, acupuncture and theta healing. According to budgets, sessions can be funded by the company or individuals; either way, your employees will be grateful for an opportunity to spend a few minutes relaxing. Organise easy three-day taster events to gauge uptake and see what services get your employees excited and engaged.

5. Negotiate local discounts

Negotiating discounts with other businesses your employees are likely to use can pay dividends, especially if discounts apply for employees at both firms. You could look at local restaurants to see if they’d offer discounts to your employees on certain days (team lunches are another great way to help encourage bonding), or contact nearby attractions for your employees to enjoy on the weekends. In particular, family days out are expensive, and parents will appreciate a little extra help managing their outgoings.

6. Facilitate happy families

Parents, especially those with young children, will greatly value a company that makes life easier when it comes to childcare arrangements. Could you offer them flexible working hours, letting them start and finish a little later so they can breeze through the school run? The average cost for full-time (50 hours) childcare in London is over £300 a week per child; could you help parents cut these costs by letting them work their hours over four days, instead of five? Do you offer a private pumping room with a fridge for mums who are still breastfeeding? Better parking spaces for pregnant members of staff? Would you even consider investing in onsite childcare, or negotiating discounts with a local nursery, to help hard-working parents out? These are the kind of perks that can become deal-breakers for parents when it comes to employee retention.

7. Organise employee volunteering days

You can spend a fortune on team-building corporate away days, or you can give your employees the chance to bond while doing something great for your local community. Volunteering team days are favoured by companies like Amazon, who give staff a certain number of days out each year to give back locally. Not only does this help your employees to feel they work for an ethical employer, but it also has the added benefit of improving perceptions of your brand within your local community.

8. Develop them

As employees progress in their careers, their sense of responsibility and pressure increases. Add in feelings of increased visibility, and you’ve got the potential for stress-related absence, negative management styles, lack of focus and ultimately, burnout. An executive leadership coaching and development programme to help employees in their journey up the ladder gives employees something to aspire towards, as well as protecting them from failure. A robust programme will upskill your managers in commonly-feared tasks like public speaking as well as train them in strategy development, navigating complex problems, and organisational growth. It’s the employee perk that really gives back to your business.

As the job market becomes more competitive, attracting talent is about more than just a decent payslip. It’s thoughtful, employer-focused brands that have longevity, generate employee loyalty and create an environment that’s a genuine pleasure to work in. And after all, we spend on average nine hours a day in the office, so why wouldn’t you want it to be an amazing place to be?

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