Is ‘Blue Monday’ the prompt employers need to tackle mental health issues at work?

Monday 15^th January 2018 or ‘Blue Monday is being billed as the most depressing day of the year – with the miserable weather, debt and post Christmas blues all considered to be major contributing factors.

While Mental health charity, Mind is dismissive of Blue Monday, absence management expert, Adrian Lewis, director at Activ Absence believes the day could serve as a positive reminder for employers to think about reducing employee absenteeism this year and especially tackling mental health issues.

Adrian Lewis says;

“Every year, companies report a spike in levels of absenteeism at this time of year.  Blue Monday may not be based on scientific fact, but it increases awareness of mental health issues, which can only be a good thing. It can encourage employers to think about how they can reduce absence levels by understanding why people are taking time off sick. They can then offer support where needed, which can help improve productivity, reduce absenteeism and save money in the long run.”

The Centre of Economic and Business Research suggests that workplace absence costs the UK economy £18bn in lost productivity, rising to £21bn in 2020 and £26bn in 2030. A rise in mental health issues is a major contributor to increased levels of absenteeism.

On average, employees suffering from a mental health-related illness take eight days leave, with two in five (44 percent) taking more than 10 days.

A 2017 Business in the Community report highlighted that three out every five employees (60%) have experienced mental health issues in the past year because of work and almost a third (31%) of the workforce has been formally diagnosed with a mental health issue (29% in 2016). The most common diagnosis was depression or general anxiety.

Adrian Lewis says;

“Tackling the root causes of absenteeism will be priority for many employers this year and it will be important for them to focus on long term patterns rather than single days such as Blue Monday.

“Whilst employers can expect a spike in absence levels in January often due to post Christmas blues, there are days throughout the year where we see sickness absence rise, for example, it is almost always higher on a Monday and on a Tuesday following a bank holiday.

“We advise employers to record and monitor absence levels in a very transparent way. This alone can reduce absence rates. It will highlight trends which will give managers warning signs that perhaps people are suffering from bigger problems including mental health issues.”

“If employers understand the causes of absenteeism they can put policies in place to support their staff before things get out of control. Investing in absence management software can help managers across the business keep track of absence and can be an effective tool to reduce absenteeism in 2018,”

Tips for managing stress in the workplace

Today is Stress Awareness Day , an annual event to raise awareness of this growing issue and promote the importance of wellbeing for individuals and organisations.

A report from the Health and Safety Executive found that in 2016/17 stress, depression or anxiety accounted for 40% of all work-related ill health cases and 49% of all working days lost due to ill health – equating to 12.5 million lost working days.

The main factors causing this are workload pressures, including tight deadlines and too much responsibility and a lack of managerial support.

Adrian Lewis, Director of Activ Absence says,

“Stress is a 21st century epidemic as we are all working longer hours and the prolific use of mobile technology can make switching off from work difficult. The boundaries are increasingly being blurred between work and home, and together with a 24/7 working culture this is leading to rising levels of stress in the workplace. 

“Organisations need to address this and get to the root causes of why it’s happening. This is vital for the wellbeing of their employees and to help tackle rising sickness absence, plus the growing problem of presenteeism, which sees people coming to work when they are unwell, as they feel unable to take time off” 

Adrian is calling on organisations to do more to recognise and combat stress and offers the following tips for managing stress in the workplace:

1. Introduce flexible working practices, which allow people to work at home now and again. For instance, some companies let employees do a nine day fortnight which means they can get every second Friday off.

2. Companies should try to tackle the stigma of stress by providing a supportive and open culture where people feel they can talk to their line manager about any concerns. A section on the intranet about stress, recognising the symptoms and ways to reduce stress such as exercise, could be a good start.

3. Provide line manager training to be able to spot the signs of stress and depression early on. This can help initiate conversations before things get out of hand and to provide appropriate support if needed.

4. Improve employee engagement and morale in the organisation. This could be as simple as Friday afternoon drinks to thank everyone for their hard work or a monthly team outing for lunch. Encouraging people to socialise and not just talk about work can be a good stress reliever.

5. Encourage people to take regular breaks and not eat lunch at their desks. Time away from their desk and perhaps going for a walk outside can help people feel more refreshed and less stressed, plus it’s good for their posture.

6. Introduce a strategic absence management system instead of out-of-date paper forms and spreadsheets, to monitor absence trends. This can help organisations keep track of who’s in or not, especially if the organisation offers flexible working. It can also flag up if someone is taking a lot of time off sick.

7. Make sure you do back to work interviews when people are off sick. This gives your employee the opportunity to talk about any issues or feelings of stress, as well as give you the chance spot potential areas of concern.

8. Adopting a more positive management style can help employees feel more engaged. It’s important to regularly praise and recognise people’s achievements, and encourage employees to suggest new ideas and generally become more involved in the goals of the organisation.

9. Companies could introduce an initiative like Perk Box to motivate employees and improve happiness. The programme offers employees discounts on big brands, including fitness and wellness products and a way to reward and recognise people’s hard work.

10. Finally, why not have a team session at work looking at ways to combat stress and the signs to look out for. End the session highlighting what policies the company has in place for tackling stress, so everyone is aware of the support on offer.

Adrian adds;

“Taking on board some of these tips can really help organisations show they are mindful that stress can be a problem and are keen to help employees should things start to get on top of them. Initiatives such as Stress Awareness Day are great as they give companies an excuse to do something and start conversations about stress.  

“For example, we have masseurs coming into the office today to give staff head and neck massages at their desks to promote the day. This is a treat but at the same time has a serious message that we want to look after our staff and care for their wellbeing,” 

Make Flexible Learning A Priority in 2018

New research from HSBC has highlighted that flexible and remote working practices are more likely to motivate staff and increase workplace productivity than financial incentives.

Nine out of ten employees (89%) surveyed claimed that flexible working is their number one motivator to boost their productivity at work, compared with 77% of respondents who said financial incentives would motivate them. Other research by HR platform Hibob , found more than two-fifths (43%) of employees want access to flexible working arrangements as part of their employee benefits package.

Since the right to request flexible working after 26 weeks employment became law in 2014 more companies are embracing it, however, some are still resistant.

Timewise, supported by EY Flexible Working published a report into flexible working entitled ‘A Talent Imperative’ in September. It found that only 10 percent of jobs with salaries of over £20,000 were advertised as being open to flexible working, even though 63% of UK employees work flexibly .

The research also highlighted that flexible working will grow in importance. Over 73% of those aged 18 to 34 who are working full time do so flexibly. Additionally, 69% of those who do not currently work flexibly would like to do so.

Adrian Lewis, Director of Activ Absence says;

“In most companies, the technology is in place to enable people to work as effectively from home and the benefits speak for themselves. Flexible working cuts commuting time, reduces emissions and keeps people of all ages happy, motivated and more productive. It is a highly prized benefit that can help make companies become an employer of choice. Given this, why are some companies reluctant to embrace it?”

“One obvious barrier is the fact that in some sectors such as retail, hospitality or healthcare it just isn’t practical to have staff working remotely. We have noticed another major barrier is that many companies struggle to keep track of employees working flexible hours or remotely and consequently worry productivity will dip if they encourage it.”

“To operate flexible working effectively, managers need visibility of where people are working, the ability to set up meetings remotely and ensure that when people say they are working remotely, they are as available as they are when in the office.”

“Companies therefore don’t just need flexible working policies, flexible working needs to be embedded in the culture, supported by the board but vitally also underpinned by robust IT systems that provide transparency and clarity over who is working where at all times. Only then will flexible working be truly effective.”

Ten ways for employers to keep staff motivated in the run up to Christmas

Christmas is a busy time for businesses owners who are planning ahead for next year and often dealing with reduced staffing levels due to sickness and last minute end of year holiday requests. How can they keep their teams motivated in the run up to Christmas and spread some Christmas cheer?

Adrian Lewis, Absence Management Expert at Activ Absence says

“Whilst this is a fun time of year, it can also be stressful for managers and HR professionals who may be struggling to keep their teams engaged. People are often distracted by the festive fun or last minute shopping they need to do.”

“Our advice to employers is embrace the Christmas celebrations and make work a fun place to be, but also ensure they are clear about how the festive period will be covered – who will be working over the Christmas period and what’s expected, as well as ensuring everyone understands the company’s absence policies.”

Here are our top tips to help companies survive the festive season in the run up to Christmas:

• Make the office a fun place to be. Let staff decorate the office to help get them in the Christmas spirit – it can boost employee motivation and engagement

• It’s the little things that count. Let your staff know they are valued through simple gestures such as saying thank you or through small gestures such as buying some Christmas treats for the office

• Set the ground rules ahead of the Christmas party so everyone knows what kind of behaviour is expected and can enjoy it without any repercussions

• If you have a Christmas meal, make sure food choices are inclusive for all staff members

• Restrict annual leave during the busiest periods so you aren’t short staffed and remind staff about your absence policies to ensure attendance doesn’t slide in December

• Check company driver licences haven’t expired and remind all staff about drink driving

• Encourage everyone to bring nibbles in if they have to work over Christmas and New Year

• Consider granting flexible working if people want time off for deliveries, or allow deliveries at work

• Set smart goals for staff performance in December and give small prizes for meeting them

• Set fun plans for the New Year so people come back feeling motivated and inspired