Workplace wellbeing continues to be a key theme for Oven-Ready.  Increasingly HR practitioners are devoting more of their time tackling a range of complex issues such as mental health provision for employee burnout and additional financial support for workers in financial stress.

Recent research findings from financial services giant Legal and General’s Group Protection business has revealed some stark results. The majority of UK workers surveyed believe that workplace mental health support should be mandatory, a worrying and distinct disparity between what employers and workers think are the key wellbeing priorities and unsurprisingly perhaps how financial stress is the top issue for workers right now. 

Joining me to discuss the Wellbeing at Work Barometer research is Jo Elphick the Marketing Director for Legal & General Group Protection and Mike Tyler, the Chairman and co-founder of Fruitful Insights who are experts in helping organisations design, execute and measure wellbeing programmes.

Employee benefit programmes are complex and often misunderstood [04:44]
Jo agrees and acknowledges that many organisations rate the effectiveness of their benefit and wellbeing provision, and the communication that surrounds it more highly than their workers do.  Jo gives the example around financial wellbeing whereby 86% of employers feel they are doing a good job, whereas only 48% of employees agree.

Visibility of mental health programmes are key for younger workers  [06:50]
Jo revealed that workers in the 18 - 25 category were far more concerned about visibility of mental health provision than older workers who were much more concerned about their 'relevance' in  an ever changing work landscape.

How critical is it that the leadership commit to mental health provision [09:14]
Mike argues that it's essential that leadership commit to mental health provision beyond that of just an app. He points to the fact where organisations have a culture of long hours or having a boss who sends emails late in the evening that require a response as situations than an app will not solve. Jo agrees with Mike's analysis and at [10:53] comments on the role of the line manager in overall wellbeing provision.

Are Chief Wellness Officers joining the c-suite? [11:51]
Mike agrees there is a trend in such a role being created but he says it takes more than a badge or title and references instead the Dame Carol Black report back in 2008 that recommended that organisations report on the health and wellbeing of employers in their annual reports.

Wellbeing and hybrid working [17:43]
Jo reveals that the research did look at hybrid and remote working and that the majority of workers who are able to have flexibility in their schedule were positive. Jo also reminds us thought that flexible working for most employees is not possible given the type of work they do.

How do you measure the success of wellbeing programmes? [23:06]
Mike argues that many organisations use the narrow spectrum of reduced absenteeism as a measure of success.  This he argues isn't always a reliable measure as it's difficult to establish absenteeism when many employees are working from home and if you reduce absenteeism you might just be filling up the office with non-productive workers.

Resources:
https://www.legalandgeneral.com/adviser/workplace-benefits/group-protection/
https://www.fruitfulinsights.co.uk
https://www.linkedin.com/in/joelphick/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lockton/