Aviva Health of the Workplace Report - 4 Oct 2010

8/3/2019 Aviva Health of the Workplace Report - 4 Oct 2010

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aviva.co.uk/health 1

The Aviva UK HealthHealth o the WorkplaceReport Issue 4October 2010

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2 Health o the Workplace 4 Report

Foreword

Now in its ourth year, Health o the

Workplace is Avivas annual study that

canvases GP, employer and employee

opinions on topical issues in order to

uncover and raise awareness o important

matters relating to health. This inormation

is then used to suggest solutions that will

help both employers and employees.

To achieve this we work with a specialist

research agency to survey 200 GPs, 200

employers and more than a thousand

employees. The Health o the Workplace 4

research took place in April 2010.

This year, we have divided the report into

two sections:

Section 1 - The GPs view

This section presents the ndings rom our

research with UK GPs and explores how

their role has changed in recent years.

It highlights the challenges doctors ace

and shows the increasing role web-based

inormation plays in both their own, and

their patients lives.

The coalition Governments recent

announcements about the changing roleso GPs in the new NHS structures mean that

the views o GPs are now more infuential

than ever.

The sometimes worrying ndings rom our

research provide an insightul view into

the challenges aced by GPs and help to

highlight the actors the Government should

consider when tackling these issues. We

also look at how people can play a role in

maintaining their own health and wellbeing,

which helps GPs to ocus on those that really

need their support.

Section 2 The employee

and business leaders view

This years business leader and employee

study explores whether work relationships

have replaced the traditional amily support

network. It ocuses on the role leadership,

eective communication and social

networks play in morale, motivation andwellbeing in the workplace.

We are committed to helping to develop

as broad an understanding as possible

o the key health-related issues aced by

employers, employees and GPs and we are

pleased to present our ourth Health o the

Workplace report.

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Key trends identiied in this report:

l GPs are under increased pressure

with nearly hal o otherwise well

patients visiting them more thanve times a year

l They have less time to spend with

their patients than ve years ago

l Current arrangements mean that GPs

have less time than they eel they

need to properly assess their patients

l Online tools are increasingly being

used to aid diagnosis

l GPs still see themselves as role models

but relationships are no longer asstrong between them and their patients

l Theres still limited awareness about

Fit Notes and a lack o belie in the

ability o the new Fit Note system to

meet its objectives.

Section 1 GP indings

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Although evidence shows that doctors are

working 17% less hours than they were six

years ago when the new GP contract was

introduced1, our research shows that nearly hal

(45%) o otherwise well patients visit their GP

ive times or more a year. We are thereore not

surprised to learn that over hal (57%) o the

GPs we questioned say that they have less time

to see their patients than ive years ago.

Despite it being current practice to schedule

doctors appointments or 10 minutes each

GPs eel they need more time with their

patients. Nearly all o the GPs we questioned

(97%) say that they would like to spend 11

minutes or more with each patient. Moreover,

nearly seven in ten (69%) GPs would like

up to 15 minutes to see each patient and a

quarter want 16 minutes or more.

1. General Election 2010: Conservatives pledge better access to

GPs, The Telegraph, Laura Donnelly, 10th April 2010.

Only 7% o GPs say thatlack o time with their patients

has no eect on their ability to

do their job properly.

Source: Health o the Workplace 4, GP research,

April 2010.

GPs are under increased pressure

Source: Health o the Workplace 4, GP research, April 2010.

7.35%

20.10%

3.92%

68.63%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

10 mins or less 11 15 mins 16 20 mins Over 20 mins

In an ideal world, how much time would you like to set aside to see each patient?

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Worryingly, this situation is leading to a all

in the perception o the service given. Over

hal o GPs (51%) admit that the lack o

time deinitely aects their ability to do their

job. Moreover, 43% say that the limited

time they have with their patients aects

their ability to provide a detailed diagnosis

and oer wider healthier liestyle advice. This

is a concern as there is a strong connection

between liestyle and uture illness.

63% o patients eel thatNHS appointments are

always rushed.

Source: Aviva UK Healths Delayed Diagnosis consumer

research, April 2010.


6.84%

50.43%

42.74%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

50%

55%

No it does not Yes it does It doesnt affect my judgement but

it has affected my ability to provide

a detailed diagnosis and offer lifestyle advice.

Does having less time with your patients affect your ability to do your job properly?

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Doctors are increasingly using online tools

to help them in their role, with nearly every

GP we spoke to (96%) saying that they use

search engines in their daily working lie and

over hal (65%) using other online services

and net orums.

Online support is used or a number o reasonsincluding networking with colleagues (29%),

learning about new techniques and nding

best practice advice (49%).

The majority o GPs (83%) use the internet

as a resource to aid diagnosis. The days

o doctors relying on their memory alone

are long gone. They are clearly embracing

technology to help them keep up to date

with developments and to support the

service they provide to their patients.

The impact o technology and

the media

83.33%

28.92%

49.02%

5.39%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

As a resource to support

diagnosis

To network / communicate

with colleagues

To learn about new techniques /

best practice

I dont have time to read up /

consult colleagues


Which of the following best represents why you use Google, net forums etc in your work?

93%o people say that their numberone priority is knowing whats wrong

with them when they are unwell.



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Technology and the

worried well

Interestingly, its not just doctors who are

using online tools in relation to health.

Our Delayed Diagnosis research conducted

in April 2010 shows that individuals are

also increasingly turning to the internet or

immediate health-related advice

and support.

Over hal o the individuals we questioned

(54%) have worried themselves by

sel-diagnosing on the internet, leading

nearly hal (49%) to worry that there might

be something seriously wrong with them.

Indeed, recent research in the Journal o

Bone and Joint Surgery highlights that visiting

Dr Google can provide people with vastly

diering levels o quality and can lead patients

to misinterpret the inormation resulting in a

wrong or inaccurate diagnosis2

31% o people have gone to theirGP ater seeing a TV character with

symptoms similar to their own.



While media coverage and resources such

as the internet can undoubtedly play an

invaluable role in health and wellbeing

education, the combination o sel-diagnosis

and heightened awareness o health issues

may be uelling additional visits to the GP.

Our Delayed Diagnosis research shows

that the majority o GPs are trying to tackle

these behaviours, with only a quarter (26%)

saying that they wouldnt raise the issue o

constant visits rom a patient ollowing

sel-diagnosis on the internet. However, a

similar number (24%) said that they wouldnt

raise the issue i they suspected that anxiety

was leading to hypochondria.

2. Quality and Content o Internet-Based Inormation or Ten

Common Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Diagnoses, James S.

Starman, F. Keith Gettys, Jason A. Capo, James E. Fleischli, H. James

Norton, and Madhav A. Karunakar. Appeared in Journal o Bone

and Joint Surgery, July 2010.

Web based technology hasrevolutionised the way we allwork and ast access to highquality inormation can be aninvaluable support or patients andproessionals. Ultimately, however,there is no substitute or athorough assessment by a qualiiedGP. This requires adequate time;

something that the GPs in oursurvey dont eel they have.

Dr Doug Wright,

Principal clinical consultant, Aviva UK Health

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and when combined with the apparent timepressures, the situation can be worsened.

60% o people said theyd turn to theirpartner i they had a problem with their

health, compared to just 33% whowould turn to their GP.

Source: Health o the Workplace 4, employee research,April 2010.

Nearly all the doctors we spoke to (95%)eel that it is important to lead by examplewhen it comes to living a healthy liestyle. Ingeneral, GPs say they personally do this well,with just over a quarter (27%) eeling thatthey practice what they preach. While overa third o doctors (38%) admit that they areoverstretched, this increased pressure does

not appear to be aecting their own health,unlike the employees surveyed in our Healtho the Workplace 3 study.

Despite the trend to larger group practicesand targets set by the Department oHealth, people believe that their relationshipwith their GP is generally good, althoughthey eel that they dont really know theirdoctor. Given the high incidence o peoplevisiting their GP more than 5 times a year,there appears to have been a decline in the

traditionally strong relationship many peoplehave with their amily doctor. This couldbe attributed to the lack o time doctorsnow have with their patients. Worryingly,a quarter o people we spoke to dont eelthat their GP takes them seriously. Thisincreases to 41% or the 18-24 age group.

The continuing trend or the greater use otechnology during a consultation may also beplaying a role in the breakdown o thisrelationship. It is already known that patientsand doctors can ind the computer a distraction

Relationships between doctors

and their patients

25.49%27.45%

16.67% 16.18%

38.24%

2.45%0.49%

5.39%3.92%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

Well Iwork hard andplay hard

Well Ipractice whatI preachregardinghealth andwellbeing

Well Ivegot agreat life,car, family

Good Imin great shapefor my age

OK, but I amoverstretched

Poor - Idrink a lot

Poor Itakerecreational/prescriptiondrugs

Poor Imstressedall the time

Poor Ioften find ithard to sleep


How healthy would you consider yourself to be?

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The impact of Government

initiatives Fit Notes

April 2010 saw the introduction o a new

Fit Note (medical statement) to replace the

traditional sick note that has been used

by GPs or the past 60 years. Introduced

in 1948 to protect the vulnerable, the sick

note system gave GPs the authority to sign

people o work or the irst six months o

incapacity beore they move into the state

incapacity beneits system.

48% o GPs admit that theyve beenasked to alsiy a sick note in the past


The introduction o the Fit Note aims to

change the sick-note culture to one that

encourages GPs and employers to work

together to help people with a medical

condition to return to work aster. Under the

new Fit Note initiative, line managers and HRproessionals will have an increased

responsibility in the decisions taken to

support an employees rehabilitation back

into the workplace. Whilst they arent

obligated to take the GPs recommendations,

they can use them to help bring the

employee back into the business aster,

which beneits both parties. The initiative

aims to help reduce the impact long-term

sick leave has on UK businesses, which is

estimated to cost the UK economy nearly

17 billion a year3.

When it comes to makingFit Notes work in practice,the Government is missing animportant trick by ignoring theimportant role group income

protection and occupationalhealth services that aidrehabilitation can play in theirsuccess. Currently occupationalhealth practitioners are themissing piece o the jigsawbut can perorm a potentiallycrucial support role in bridgingthe knowledge gap between

employers, HR, managers, GPsand workers. Without thisengagement, the introductiono Fit Notes may cause moreproblems than it solves.

Dr Doug Wright,


3. Source: CIPD/Pizer Absence and Workplace Health Survey 2010.

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1% increase rom the 2009 Health o the

Workplace study. When asked about theeectiveness o Fit Notes, 68% o GPs say

they eel that Fit Notes wont cut absence

levels. This compares to 54% last year prior

to their introduction.

GPs are unconvinced of the

benefits of Fit Notes

Worryingly, more than hal o GPs (65%)

taking part in our Health o the Workplace

4 study say they eel ill-equipped to provide

Fit Notes to the UK workorce. Despite

the initiative now being live, this is only a


3.92%

27.94%

31.37%

36.76%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

Strongly agree Slightly agree Slightly disagree Strongly disagree

How far do you agree with the following statement?

I feel Fit Notes will help control sickness absence.

Employers and employees

are unconvinced too

Aviva UK Healths Early Intervention

Prevention research conducted in January

2010 demonstrates that employers and

employees are equally sceptical about

the eectiveness o Fit Notes. O the 500employers we questioned, just 5% say they

think Fit Notes would reduce absence rates.

One in ten thinks that Fit Notes will be hard

to administer and 68% have little or no

knowledge o the change and how it will

work or them. On the employee side, the

majority o the 1,000 respondents (57%) donot think that their doctor is in a position to

say i they are it enough to work.

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Health Secretary Andrew Lansley, has called

a halt to NHS reconiguration in London

meaning the NHS in London will need

to ind an alternative means o saving the

5.1bn unding gap it estimates its Primary

Care Trusts will ace by 2016-17. The

Healthcare or London (Darzi) plan involved

shiting care out o hospitals and into GP-led

centres or polyclinics.

In June, the Government subsequently

announced its high level plans to review the

existing NHS operating ramework and GP

budget holding, signiying its intentions to

make prompt changes to the NHS.

Principles o GP Budget Holding (as described

by Andrew Lansley on the 24th June) include:

l GPs to hold a budget to enable them to

have control o commissioning decisions

l GPs to be supported in their decision

making by an autonomous NHS

commissioning board

l The NHS commissioning board will have

a ocus on quality standards that are

integral to eective commissioning.

This quality measure will be aligned to

standards used by the CQC.

At the time o writing this report its clear

that the new coalition Governments primary

ocus is on the recovery o the economy and

their uture health policy is yet to be ully

deined.

Earlier this year, the coalition announced its

programme or Government (The Coalition:

our programme or Government, 20 May

2010) which promises that health spending

will increase in real terms. Policies that

directly aect GPs ocused on a number

o key themes; improving accessibility,

increasing choice and quality o care,

prevention and wellness management:

NHS

l Develop 24-hour urgent care across

England, including GP out-o-hoursservices

l Patients to register with any GP they

want, regardless o where they live

Public health

l Give GPs greater incentives to tackle

public health problems

l Improve access to preventative care in

deprived areas

l The NHS is exploring the possibility o

using inancial incentives to encourage

people to lead a healthier liestyle.

Future Government policy

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Commenting on the changes, Andrew

Lansley said:

These are standards not diktats. It is not

politicians establishing these I am notpicking them out. I I started doing that I

would be distorting clinical standards.4

In July 2010, the coalition Government

released the white paper, Equity and

Excellence: Liberating the NHS. They identiy

three key themes that are integral to their

vision or the NHS:

l Patients at the heart of all new

policy - the plans are to give patients

more control over their care and

increase access through allowing more

choice no decision about me, without

me

l Increased focus on clinical outcomes

- this underlines the coalitions desire to

move away rom targets and with the

introduction o more evidence-based

outcome measures, there are plans

to remove any targets with no clinical

justiication

l Empowerment of health

professionals - announcements in this

area have created passionate debate,

particularly around commissioning, with

the primary theme on doctors and nurses

using their proessional judgement to

make decisions or their patients.5

In addition to this, the revised operating

ramework aims to scrap the 18-week target

or hospital waiting times, the 4-hour A&E

target and the 48-hour target or GP access.

Instead the Government is recommending

a series o new evidence-based quality

measures to help the NHS in England

improve patient care. Andrew Lansley

recently unveiled the standards or the irst

three areas - stroke, dementia and blood

clots - that were put together by NICE in

consultation with doctors and patients. It is

anticipated that the Government is likely to

publish a set o quality measures or over

150 dierent areas o care over the next

ive years.

It is proposed that the new quality guidelines

will be used when services are commissioned

by managers and GPs when they take on

responsibility or managing local budgets.

Patients will be able to use the standards

to ensure they receive the best quality ocare. To help acilitate this, those services

that do not meet the standards will

struggle to attract unding. Unlike Labours

targets, there will be no requirement or

hospitals and other services to report to the

Government that they have met them, or

explain themselves when they do not.

4. Source: New goals to replace NHS targets, Nick Triggle, BBC

News Online July 2010.

5. Source: Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS, Department o

Health (2010)

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Although there is more detail to be

published on the proposals, the white

paper has already sparked much debate.

The responses have been both positive

and negative. Anna Dixon rom the KingsFund states the reorms will create a

healthcare system, unique internationally,

that gives groups o general practitioners

unprecedented control over public unding6

whilst Dr David Price o Edinburgh University

argues that it will remove the Governments

duty to provide a universal healthcare

service7 and senior clinicians are critical

about the lack o inclusion o the acute

sector in the commissioning review8.

Avivas response

We welcome the proposals to put patients

and carers at the centre o the plans or the

NHS. The intention to allow patients more say

in their care and promote understanding o

their health status could be an important step

in addressing some o the health challenges

aced by the nation. Furthermore, the aim to

achieve world-class clinical outcomes in the

NHS is a positive development that can only

beneit patients. The scale o the reorms has

surprised many commentators in the media

and led to considerable debate, especially

around the plans or GP commissioning.

Whilst this debate is important, we hope that

the ocus on patients and health outcomes

will not be lost and continue to drive thereorm process.

6. NHS Reorm? Great, Thanks or warning us, David Aaronovitch,

The Times 15/7/2010.7. We cannot allow the end o the NHS in all but name, Seumas

Milne, Guardian, 14 July 2010.8. Consultants criticise white papers lack o acute ocus, Claire

Lomas, HSJ Online, July 2010

We would welcome thescrapping o this target, as itwill give GPs greater lexibility

to organise their appointmentbooking system in a way thatbest suits their local patientpopulation.

Dr Laurence Buckman,

o the British Medical Association9

While the coalitionGovernment has outlined its

health policies ocusing onimproving access to GPs andoering a wider choice odoctors, both patients and GPsare clearly demanding a betterGP experience, and access timesand choice are just one piece othis jigsaw.

Dr Doug Wright,


9 Source: GP waiting time target scrapped, Nick Triggle, BBC

Online. 21st June 2010.

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Rather than having to wait to see

their GP, customers are reerred to

the Back-Up service to speak to a

dedicated case manager who conductsan in-depth assessment and oers

practical and clinical advice and support.

A personalised rehabilitation plan is then

tailored to their individual needs. Where

the customer is part o a group scheme,

the case manager can also work with

their line manager to advise how

they can be helped saely and eectively

at work.

Key results rom Avivas customers include:

l 50% o employees say the service

prevented them going absent or

restricting their duties

l O the 25% who were absent

prior to using the service, 100%

successully returned to work

through Back-Up

l Physiotherapy sessions have been

reduced by 37.5%

l At least a 15% saving on treatment

costs

l 98% rated their treatment as

excellent or very good*

* Percentage o customers giving a rating o between 7 and

10 out o 10.

Focusing on health

outcomes - Back-Up from

AvivaEvidence now shows that tailoring

treatment plans to the individuals

personal needs, has a ar better out-

come or all parties. Back-Up, which is

just one o a number o new specialist

case management initiatives introduced

by Aviva UK Health, relects the need

to move away rom a traditional one

size its all approach to private health

insurance claims management to

oering customers an expert-led service

tailored to their exact needs.

Developed with the UKs leading

proessional rehabilitation provider

HCML, Back-Up, which utilises evidence

based medical guidelines or managing

back and neck pain, has proven to

signiicantly improve the speed orecovery and return to work rate or

customers. In addition, the number o

physiotherapy sessions required has been

greatly reduced with ar ewer people

needing to be reerred to a specialist.

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The role of education

Our Delayed Diagnosis research clearly

shows that an individuals number one

priority is to ind out whats wrong with

them when they are unwell. Technological

advances have led people to expect quick

responses and i they cant access the

inormation promptly rom their GP, they are

instead turning to the internet or solutions.While sel-diagnosis on the internet is no

substitution or a thorough assessment

by a GP, the internet and media could

provide a useul source o inormation to

enable individuals to sel-manage simple

conditions once their GP or another medical

proessional (such as NHS Direct or a GP

Helpline provided by their medical insurer)

has ascertained what is wrong with them.

People thereore need to be educated to

choose the right support services or their

own personal circumstances. This in turn

will help to enable GPs (and indeed our

A&E departments) to ocus on providing

the appropriate advice and support to the

patients who need it most.

Our research shows that GPs are over

stretched and this can aect the quality

o support they are able to oer their

patients. Web based technology has

revolutionised the way we all work and

ast access to high quality inormation

can be an invaluable support or patients

and proessionals. Ultimately there is no

substitute or a thorough assessment by

a qualiied GP. From our research this isclearly not happening in all cases. We urge

the new coalition Government to support

and work with key stakeholders to ensure

delivery o the right care or patients,

whether it is via GPs or a wider network o

medical proessionals. This network could

include pharmacists, nurse practitioners

and third party providers, such as specialist

rehabilitation companies and occupational

health providers. The move to put GPs at

the heart o decision making in the NHS will

help to drive this agenda orward.

While improved access times and increased

choice are one part o the solution, there

are many other challenges that need to

be overcome. These include tackling the

current health problems driven by the

aging population, liestyle, behaviouraland environmental issues. We believe that

improved education and health promotion

can play a key role in this.

Summary

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Health promotion is by no means a new

concept, and one which the previous

Government took steps towards through its

Change4Lie programme. However, while

the NHS is exploring the use o inancial

incentives to encourage people to lead a

healthier liestyle, the Governments ocus

on the economys recovery means it is

unlikely that the previous investment weve

seen or mass marketing campaigns will

continue. Indeed, recent announcements on

the Change4Lie programme which will

see central investment being scaled back and

more involvement rom the private sector conrm this view.

Its thereore important that other

stakeholders continue to engage and

encourage individuals to take more

control o their own health by promoting

the beneits o leading a healthy liestyle

and communicating the message that

prevention is better than cure. This can

be achieved through a number o means,including education and advice delivered

through primary care acilities such as GP

surgeries, industry sponsored activity days

and promotions, a continued ocus on more

responsible ood labelling and healthier

content, and new product and service

development. For an employer, there is the

opportunity to provide wellness initiatives in

the workplace that also contribute to this

wider public health imperative.

The health o the nation isa crucial issue to address. Asthe largest insurance services

provider in the UK we are morethan aware o the impact oliestyle choices and lack oawareness on peoples long-term health. We are committedto raising awareness o thebeneits o leading a healthierliestyle to help improve thenations health and wellbeing.

Dr Doug Wright,Principal clinical consultant, Aviva UK Health

Wellness Management

In its simplest orm, health promotion is

about adopting a more pro-active approach

to health that ocuses on positively

managing the healthy so that they are

less likely to all ill, rather than treating

symptoms once they have occurred. Such

an approach should ocus on an individuals

mental and physical wellbeing. Wellness

management should not just be associated

with someone who doesnt have an illness,

but rather a positive state o good physical

and mental health and wellbeing. A person

with diabetes, or example, can eectively

manage their condition and lead a healthy

liestyle with the right education, mentalattitude and support.

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Avivas ambition is to not only provide

products to support customers health,

but to positively change peoples,

behaviours and attitudes to health.We are encouraging our customers

to lead a healthier liestyle, through

regular customer communications and

MyHealthCounts.

Designed by medical experts,

MyHealthCounts contains a wealth

o invaluable inormation including a

health assessment tool and an online

coach oering personalised advice onthe simple steps individuals can take to

improve their health.

Aviva is in support o Change4Lie through our

sponsorship o UK Athletics and by promoting

Change4Lie messages that align with MyHealthCounts.

How is Aviva helping?

Aviva has been proud to be the No 1

sponsor o UK Athletics since 1999 and

is committed to developing the sport at

every level rom the playground to the

podium.

Each year we put on six world-class

athletics events on home soil and help

the Aviva GB & NI junior, senior and

paralympic teams as they prepare or

all major events and championships.

Through the Aviva UKA Academy it is

our aim that by 2012, well have given

every child in the UK the opportunity to

get involved in athletics.

Since July 2009, Aviva has also promoted

Change4Lie through our UK Athletics

grassroots programmes, which has

included inormation sent to all schools

in the UK and at the indoor season

athletics events.

The role of business leaders

in managing health

As we have seen, the Government has

already taken steps to encourage employees

and indeed GPs, to help people return

to work ollowing ill-health through its

introduction o the Fit Note. However,

to have the biggest impact, we eel that

they should take this one step urther

and pro-actively encourage employers to

help their employees to lead a healthier

liestyle - preventing them going o sick

in the irst place. We discuss this urther in

the summary o our research with business

leaders later in this report.

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Potential benefits for all

stakeholders

Whilst managing wellness is never going

to completely eradicate absence or visits

to the GP, companies who look ater their

sta by promoting health and wellbeing

eectively and consistently could see a

positive impact on their organisation. Sta

turnover, absenteeism, accidents and stress

10Source: Building the case or wellness, PriceWaterhouseCoopers,

4th February 2008.

levels could all as ast as morale, loyalty and

productivity rise. Evidence also indicates thatthere will be signiicant beneits to other key

stakeholders - long-term sickness will all

generating potential savings on incapacity

beneit and reducing the direct health costs

borne by the NHS10.

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l Over hal o social events include

alcohol, but nearly as many business

leaders say they would worry they

were having a damaging eect on

their employees health i they called

in sick the next day

l Over hal o employees and around the

same amount o business leaders dont

really enjoy these events but attend

them because they eel they should

l Business leaders believe they have an

open relationship with their employees.

However, theres a distinct lack o

communication between employees

and employers when it comes to

personal problems or health issues.

Key trends identiied in this report:

l Productivity and proit continues to

be prioritised above employee health

and wellbeing, yet the two are

intrinsically linked

l Business leaders are generally happy

with the atmosphere at work

although pressures are still evident

l Business leaders are still rewarding sta

but the majority ocus on the short-termgains rom sta social events, rather

than investing in their employees

long-term health and wellbeing

l Business leaders recognise the

important role work/lie balance and

teamspirit can play in their employees

health and wellbeing

Section 2 - Business leader

and employee indings

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As expected, the nations stress levels

continued to be a much-covered topic

throughout 2009. Findings rom the

CBI/Pizer 2010 absence and workplace

health survey show that mental illness

continues to be a leading cause o sickness

absence or UK industry. In act, analysis

rom the employee assistance programme

Aviva oers its customers has shown that

the number o work stress cases assessedhas increased by 64% between 2008/9

and 2009/10. The number o act sheets

accessed on topics relating to redundancy

and changes at work have trebled in the

same period and the number o calls

directly relating to the credit crunch

doubled.

When we conducted our third Health o the

Workplace report a year ago, the outlook

looked less than positive with both GPs

and business leaders predicting stress levels

would soar in the year ahead. Worryingly,

employee behaviours were already beginning

to demonstrate that their predictions could

be correct.

Nearly six in ten workers said that their

work environment was making them eel

stressed and under pressure. Employees

were working longer hours, taking ewer

lunch breaks and spending less time on

leisure activity. Moreover, instead o turning

to their employers or help, they were

smoking, indulging in a poor diet and

drinking alcohol to help them deal with

the stress. The situation was already

having an adverse eect on employeeshealth and wellbeing, with nearly hal o

workers struggling to sleep due to work

related-stress and a third suering rom

neck and backache.

The outlook or the insurance industry also

looked challenging. Whilst ew companies

had cut spending on private medical

insurance (12%), group income protection

(8%), group lie (7%) and counselling

services (9%), there were ew signs o new

investment, with just 1% o businesses

planning to introduce new health and

rehabilitation beneits in 2009.

Introduction

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While employers are makingsome very positive movestowards ostering a healthierworkplace environment, theoverwhelming priority is stillon chasing proitability. In the

short-term, this strategy cansustain a business through adiicult trading period, butit will undermine businessperormance in the longer termby damaging sta morale andallowing conditions like stressto lourish.

Dr Doug Wright,


New era, new opportunities

A year on rom our Health o the Workplace

3 report, were oicially out o the recession

and embarking on a new political era. Whilsttheres some cause or optimism, our Health

o the Workplace 4 research shows that

business leaders are still acing the same

dilemma that they were a year ago - the

need to balance the cost o investment in

employee health and wellbeing with the

inancial priorities or the businesses.

Whilst business leaders recognise the

importance o a healthy happy workorce,they are still prioritising productivity and

proit over sta motivation and work/lie

balance.

l Nearly a third (31%) want maximum

proitability or headcount

l Two in ive (39%) demand a highly

productive team who are lexible and

can respond to change.

That said, its good to see that there is

evidence o paternalism in some companies,

with over a quarter (27%) saying that their

main priority is to create a motivated team

who enjoy working together and a quarter

(25%) saying that their number one priority

is achieving a riendly company with a good

work/lie balance.

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This paternalistic approach appears to be

reaping rewards. Our employee research

shows that ocusing on creating a healthy,happy working environment has a knock-on

eect to employees morale, with nearly a

third (29%) working or companies with up

to 249 employees saying that they work in a

riendly company with a great social lie.

Bigger isnt always better

Consistent with the indings rom our Health

o the Workplace 3 report, our research

shows that company size plays a key rolein business priorities. Smaller companies

appear to place a stronger emphasis on

paternalism and nurturing strong

inter-personal relationships in the workplace.

The smaller the company, the more important

work/lie balance appears to be, with hal

o companies with less than nine employees

citing this as their number one priority or

their business. This alls to just 12% or

companies with over 100 employees.

Source: Health o the Workplace 4, business leader research, April 2010.

30.88%

22.55%

27.94%

39.22%

18.63%

25.00%

12.25%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

Maximumprofitabilit forhead count

Award winningservice offering

Creating amotivated teamwho enjoy wokingtogether

A highlyproductive teamwho are flexibleand can respondwell to change

Creating avibrant officelife, where staffwillingly give 110%

A friendlycompany with agood work / lifebalance

.

A flexible /creativeenvironment readyto respond tonew challenges

What do you consider to be the main priorities for your workplace to achieve?

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A quarter (24.5%) say that the workplace is

riendly enough but admit that they dont

have much social lie. This answer was

avoured most by people aged between

25-64, with the highest proportion o those

in agreement in the 45-54 year age group

(31%). Only 13% o those aged 16-24 and

65 or older agreed with the statement.

Our research re-conirms that there are two

distinct types o people those who see

their work lie as an integral part o their

social lie and those who see it purely as a

vocation. These indings relect the long-held

view rom behavioural psychologists that

people all within one o two categories;

those that are tasked ocused putting

emphasis on getting the job done as the

highest priority and those more concerned

with emotion and wellbeing.

There is a general belie that i people are

happy they will be motivated and loyal. In

addition, it is also thought that they will

take ownership or their work and will plan,

monitor and improve much o what they

are doing. Understanding the signiicance

o work in a persons lie can lead to more

successul leadership. It can also improve

sta motivation, morale, productivity and

wellbeing. Moreover, by understanding what

motivates their employees, employers can

adapt their management style and rewards

strategy accordingly.

When asked about the atmosphere in their

oice the responses are generally positive

with only 2% o employees stating that they

dont ind people at work riendly.

l A quarter (24.8%) o employees are

generally happy saying that they work in

a riendly company with a great social lie.

This was particularly true or those aged

16-34 years. Interestingly, this was also the

most popular answer or those aged 65

years or more, with around a third (32%)

saying that they work in a riendly company

with a great social lie. In act, our research

revealed that nearly a quarter (23%) o this

age group considers their work to be their

only social lie, suggesting that people maycontinue to work post retirement or reasons

other than inancial.

In comparison, there is another group o

people ocused less on atmosphere at work

and more on the task in hand with one in ive

(21%) saying that they get the job done and

go home. The proportion o people giving this

answer was airly well balanced across the age

groups, with the 16-24 year olds (24%) and65 and over (27%) showing a slightly higher

preerence to the answer.

How do employees eel about

their workplace?

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However, as with most things, theres also

another side to the story with nearly one

in ive (19%) employees saying that their

boss creates a stressul atmosphere and one

in ive saying that their boss makes surethat everyone pulls their weight. Perhaps

more worrying, nearly a quarter (22%)

o employees say that they dont think

that their boss has any control over the

atmosphere suggesting that they too are

under pressure.

45% o business leaders say they are

more stressed at work than at home.Source: Health o the Workplace 4, business leader


How are employers

contributing to the

atmosphere?

When asked i their manager does a goodjob at maintaining health and happiness

in the workplace, a high proportion o

employees say that their boss is having a

positive eect on the atmosphere:

l Nearly a third (30%) agree that their

boss ensures that they have a good

work/lie balance

l Nearly one in ive (19%) say that their

boss takes a personal interest in how

each person is perorming and makes

sure they are not overloaded.

Source: Health o the Workplace 4, employee research, April 2010.

24.80%

21.12%22.31%

2.39%

4.88%

24.50%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

Its a friendlycompany, with a

great social life

We get the jobdone and go home

I have a core ofgood friends

at work butdont socialiseas a team

I dont findpeople very friendly

at work

We work hard,play hard

Its friendly enoughbut we dont have

much social life

Which of the following best reflects the atmosphere in your job?

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Friend versus colleague

When asked about relationships with

colleagues, indings rom the business

leaders and employees research are very

similar. Not surprisingly, our research shows

that the workplace still plays a key role in

nurturing personal relationships or the

majority o business leaders and their sta:

l Nearly three quarters (73%) o businessleaders say that they would consider

a ew o their work colleagues to be

personal riends

l A third (33%) o employees say they

have two to three work riends who they

love to socialise with

Relationships in the workplace

l Nearly three quarters (72%) o

employees say that they have close

riends either at work, or that theyd met

at work

Conversely:

l One in ive (20%) business leaders like

to keep their home lie and work liecompletely separate

l A quarter o employees say that they

keep their work and home riends

completely separate.


47.11%

24.70%

2.39% 2.79%

23.01%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

50%

Yes, I have acouple of friends

I have a numberof friends whoI met at work

No, I have only justjoined the companyso I havent made anyfriends yet

No, I dont likewhere Im workingand wouldnt considerany of my colleaguesa friend

No, I like to keepmy work and personallife seperate

Would you consider any of your colleagues to be personal friends?

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How often do employees

socialise together?

The general trend across the whole sample

shows that it is commonplace or employees

to socialise with their work colleagues every

ew months (23%). This increases in the older

and younger segments, with one in our

(20%) 16-24 year olds, and nearly a quarter

o those aged 65 or over, saying that they

socialise with their colleagues every week.

O the one in six (15%) who say they never

socialise with their work colleagues, men are

more likely to keep their home and worklie separate, with one in our (19%) saying

they never socialise with their colleagues

compared to one in ten (12%) women.

Role models

Despite the high proile o many o todays

business leaders and the increased time

many employees are spending in the

workplace, it is apparent that home lie still

plays a greater role in deining peoples

behaviours and belies. Interestingly, 44%

o business leaders say that they dont

have a role model in their lie and less than

4% mention another well-known business

leader. O those who cited a role model:

l A quarter (25%) say their mum

l One in ive (19%) say their current or aormer boss

l 15% say their partner.

Fewer employees have a role model (39%)

and its evident that home lie plays an

even greater role in deining employee

behaviours:

l Nearly a third (32%) say their mum

l 27% say their dad

l 14% say their partner.

Worryingly, only 4% say their current or

a ormer boss is their role model, despite47% o business leaders eeling that they

are good role models. This demonstrates a

contradiction between how business leaders

perceive themselves and how employees

perceive them.

47% o business leaders think thatthey are good role models yet only 4%o employees cite a current or previous

boss as their role model.

Source: Health o the Workplace 4 business leader


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Role models in the workplace

When asked speciically about role models in

the workplace:

l One in ive (20%) business leaders say it

is their boss or line manager

l 18% say a senior colleague

l 16% say their colleagues / peers.

When asked i they are a good role model

43% say that they dont know, which is

concerning considering the importance o

good leadership in the workplace.

In addition:

l Nearly a third (29%) eel that they

are good role models because theyve

sacriiced a lot to get to where they are

l Nearly one in ive (18%) say they are

good role models because theyve built

their company up rom nothing.

Despite speciically asking about role modelsin the workplace, nearly hal (45%) o

employees say they dont have a role model

at work. O those that say they do have one,

the closer the employee is to the person in

seniority, the greater the inluence:

l Nearly a quarter (24%) say a colleague/

peer

l Nearly one in ive (17%) say their boss/

line manager

l Just 2% say their company CEO slightly

less than motivational books.

Role models play animportant role in an individualsbehaviour, particularly when itcomes to health. I parents leadan unhealthy liestyle, its likelythat their children will too,

meaning that they are likelyto suer rom similar healthissues. The workplace can alsoplay a key role in employeebehaviours. Worryingly 45% obusiness leaders admit that theyare more stressed at work thanat home, and its evident thatthis is aecting their employees.

Employers recognise what theyhave to do and they now needto lead by example.

Dr Doug Wright,


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Behaviours and leadership

When asked i they behaved dierently

at home than at work, over a third o

business leaders (37%) say that they aremore dominant at work than at home. 61%

o employees eel that they were equally

dominant at work and at home.

Interestingly, when this is split by gender,

both male and emale business leaders

eel that they are more dominant in the

workplace. However, when we asked

employees the same question, stereotypes

came into play with women tending to saythey are more dominant at home (27%) and

men eeling that they are more dominant at

work (21%).

When asked speciically about their stress

levels, we saw similar results or both

business leaders and employees:

l 45% o business leaders say they are

more stressed at work than home,

compared to just under hal (47%) o

employees

l Only one in ten (10%) business leaders

and employees say that they are more

stressed at home.

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Employee benefits

Despite the challenging economic

environment, just over hal o business

leaders (51%) oer one or more o the key

health and group risk beneits. With nearly

a third oering private health insurance,

it continues to be the most popular

employee beneit, ollowed by group lie

(29%) and group income protection (14%).

Interestingly, less that one in ive (18%)

oer an employee assistance programme,

despite rocketing stress levels in 2009.

Do you have any of the following in your employee benefits package?


Group LifeAssurance

Group IncomeProtection/PermanentHealth Insurance

Group CriticalIllness

Employee AssistanceProgramme

Group PrivateMedical Insurance

None of these

29.41%

14.22%

11.76%

17.65%

30.88%

49.02%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

50%

Sta motivation and reward

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45.59%

30.88%

36.76%

27.94% 28.43%

18.14%

22.06%

18.14%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

50%

Organise regularsocials

Run an employeenewsletter

Operate anintranet

Operate (PRP)bonus

/ Awardsemployee ofthe month

/

Teambuildinggames

Employeecouncil /representation

None of these

despite business leaders unding socials,

the responsibility or arranging the eventsis given to their employees. Over a third

(37%) o employees say that they and their

colleagues arrange things inormally between

themselves. Just one in ten (12%) say that

their boss arranges their social events.

Given this, youd expect employees to value

and enjoy these events but our research

suggests otherwise, prompting the question

whether the motivational budget allocated

to these events could be better spent

elsewhere. We explore this more in the

value o social events section o the report.

31% o business leaders arrange socialevents every ew months

20% rarely, or never have socialsSource: Health o the Workplace 4 business leader


Wider initiatives to motivate

and reward employees

When considering the wider motivational

initiatives and rewards package, employee

communications and engagement eatured

highly, with around a third o those we spoke

to saying that they run an employee newsletter

(31%), operate an intranet site (37%) and

recognise the importance o giving sta a

voice through an employee council (28%).

Monetary reward appears to be less widely

oered with just over a quarter o business

leaders saying that their company operates a

bonus scheme (28%) or runs an employee o

the month or similar reward scheme.

Overall, social events prove to be the most

common means to motivate sta, with

over hal o the business leaders we spoke

to saying that their company organises

regular get togethers to help build team

spirit. Interestingly, our research shows that

Thinking about building team spirit, do you offer any of the following?


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57.35%

13.24%

18.63%

22.55%

60.29%

10.78%

14.71%

4.41%

9.80%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

Go to the pub/ bar fordrink

Gym /sportingpursuits

Cinema /theatre

Teambuildingdays

Restaurant /team lunch

Watchingsportingfixtures

Quizzes /games andcompetitions

Other,pleasestate

I do not takepart in worksocials

The most popular social

activities

When we asked business leaders what orm

their social events take, going to the pub

or drinks (57%) or out or a team lunch

(60%) are by ar the most common ways o

socialising. In comparison, only one in ive

(23%) run teambuilding days and just one in

ten (13%) participate in sporting pursuits.

As expected, the indings rom the employee

research relect those rom the business

leaders with:

l Over hal (52%) o employees saying

that they go to the pub or a drink

l Over a third go out to restaurants (37%)

l Less then one in ten (7%) participate in

sporting activities.

Which of the following do you regularly do on work socials?


The role of alcohol

Although many social events are held in

pubs, only 45% o business leaders say that

theres no obligation to drink alcohol atthese events. In act, over a quarter (26%)

admit that they dont mind their sta having

a ew drinks, as long as they dont get out

o hand.

Our research shows that alcohol is seen as a

way to encourage employees to relax with

just over one in ten (13%) saying that a ew

drinks helps people come out o their shell.

A similar amount (12%) o business leaders

even admit they get the inside track on the

workplace once their employees have had

a drink.

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13.24%

26.47%

2.94%

10.78%

1.47%

45.10%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

50%

A drink helps bringpeople out of theirshell

I am all for a fewdrinks, but dontlike things toget out of hand

I would like to varywhat we do but theteam enjoys goingto the pub

We work very hard,and are due a chanceto let off steam

People should be ableto take drink if theywant to fit in here

Theres noobligation to drinkalcohol on our socials

Despite doing little to discourage their

employees rom drinking alcohol, it is clear

that business leaders dont see excessive

alcohol consumption as an excuse or

absence. I this happened, over a quarter

(27%) o business leaders would be

unsympathetic, saying that employees

should be able to handle their drink.

If most of your social events involve drinking, which one of the following

best reflects how you feel about it?

Source: Health o the Workplace 4, business leader research, April 2010


16.67%

26.96%

40.20%

17.16%

26.47%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

Id find it amusing- as long as it didnthappen too often.

Ive got no sympathy-they should be able tohandle their drink.

Id be concerned thatwork organised eventscould be having such anegative impact ontheir health.

Id wonder if it was asign of a bigger problemfor the employee.

Id worry that otheremployees might get theidea that it was OK to takesickies!

The same amount would worry that

employees may think it is acceptable to take

sickies ollowing a work night out.

40% o business leaders say they wouldworry that they were having a damaging

eect on their employees health i their

employee called in sick the next day.

Which of the following best reflects how youd feel if an employee

called in sick after a work night out?

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The value of social events

Our research shows that business leaders

appear to accept socialising with sta as part

o their role, although nearly nine in ten (87%)say that they socialise with their riends and

amily more than their work colleagues.

Just under a hal (43%) o business leaders

say that they really enjoy getting to know

their team in an inormal setting. A third

say that they enjoy them but admit that

they can be a bit o a drag. Only one in ten

(10%) eel obliged to attend socials to keep

their sta happy.

Conversely, employees tend to enjoy

socialising with their close work colleagues,

but over hal (52%) arent particularly

enthusiastic about going out with their

wider team:

While employers areattempting to make the lives o

their employees more un in abid to oster a more harmoniousworkplace environment, theirover reliance on alcohol isperhaps misguided. In the shortterm, this strategy can be a greatway to relax and help colleagueslet o steam. However, in thelonger term, employers need to

look or other ways to engagewith sta to ensure everyoneis involved and that unhealthyhabits are not sanctioned in theworkplace.

Dr Doug Wright,


l One in ive (21%) admit that they dont

like socialising with work colleagues

l 16% say they dont mind socialising

with their work colleagues once in a

while but resent them taking up any

more o their time

l 15% eel obliged to show their ace, but

dont really enjoy it.

These indings pose the question could

that money be better spent on something

that adds real value to both the employeeand employer? Typical cost-eective

examples include an employee reward

scheme, workplace wellness initiatives to

aid employee wellness or an employee

assistance programme oering impartial

support when its needed most.

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29.41%

7.35%

13.24%

23.53%

12.75%

2.94%

10.78%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

Instigate abetter work/lifebalance

Discouragedrinking / smokingamong staff

Encourage companywide health andfitness initiatives

Foster teamspirit andencourage asupport network

among staff

Tackle stresshead on

Introduce newbenefits such asprivate medicalinsurance

I dont think Ican do anythingto affect thehealth and wellbeing

of the workplace

What single action do you think could make the biggest difference to the health and wellbeing

of your organisation?


Recognising the importance o a healthy

workorce, one in ten (10%) business

leaders say they encourage company wide

itness beneits and 7% said that they

discourage smoking and drinking among

sta. Whilst levels are still relatively low,

this is a positive step in the right direction,

particularly when you consider that our

Health o the Workplace 3 research showed

that people were working longer hours,

doing little exercise, smoking more anddrinking more alcohol.

Improving employee health

and wellbeing

When asked what was the single action that

could make the biggest dierence to sta

health and wellbeing, most business leaders

looked internally, ocusing on cost-eective

improvements they could make to their

company culture and working practices:

l Over a quarter (29%) say that the

biggest improvements to sta health

and wellbeing would be made i they

instigated a better work/lie balance

l Nearly a quarter (24%) say the best

single action would be to oster a good

team spirit and encourage a support

network among employees.

29948_M_NS_UNP_GEN3666.indd 34 16/12/10 10:56:57


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see a counsellor or GP or extra support.

By contrast, 14% o business leaders eel

that it is not their position to pry, showing

theres still more work to do around this

topic. Hopeully initiatives such as MINDs

Taking Care o Business campaign will help

change the stigma associated with stress

and encourage more employers to take

pro-active steps to help their employees

overcome their issues.

Workplace Stress

Our research also shows that employers

have a growing awareness o the beneits

o tackling issues such as workplace stress,

with 13% saying that theyd tackle stress

head on. The good news is that 35% o

business leaders say that they would take

an employee aside to discuss the issue

and 28% would advise the employee to

MINDs Taking Care

of Business campaignobjectives

l Businesses to make it a corporate

priority to address mental health in

their workplaces

l Employers to recognise that all sta

are vulnerable to developing mental

health problems and need to be well

supportedl An end to mental health stigma at

work. Employers and employees

should stop seeing mental health

problems as a sign o weakness and

start inding solutions or the good

o our workorce and businesses.

With budgets being tight itmay be better or employers toconsider allocating this money toinitiatives that beneit both theiremployees and their company.Supporting the holistic andphysical wellbeing o their teamthrough workplace wellnessprogrammes or example,can be equally as eective inengaging sta and buildingmorale and team spirit. For arelatively low cost, not only can

workplace wellness programmessuch as Avivas MyHealthCountsor Business help employersimprove the health o theirworkorce, but theyve also beenproven to have a positive eecton sta morale and loyalty.Whats more, as employeesbecome healthier and happiertheir productivity should rise assickness absence levels all.

Dr Doug Wright,


29948_M_NS_UNP_GEN3666.indd 35 16/12/10 10:56:57


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Atrecruitmentphasei.e. inoffer letter

We offer arewardstatementfor allbenefits

We includethisinformationon outintranet

We mentionthis atappraisalmeetings

HR hasdocumentationwhichemployeescan access ifrequired

Hi techapplication- i.e.iphone App /social mediafeed

I haventgot roundto it

I dontthink itsnecessary tocommunicatethis

I dontcommunicatethis as I fearstaff will abuseit if they know toomuch about thesystem

No demandfrom staff

17.65%

15.20%

17.16%16.67%

11.27%

0.49%

2.45%

3.43%

0.49%

15.69%

0%

2%

4%

6%

8%

10%

12%

14%

16%

18%

beneits include: at recruitment phase

in the oer letter (18%), during a sta

appraisal (17%) and in a reward statement

covering all beneits (15%).

Despite investing in employee beneits,

many business leaders admit to either not

pro-actively communicating the beneitsto their sta, choosing or HR to hold

the documents instead (11%), or not

communicating the beneits because theres

no demand rom sta.

Communicating with theworkforce

Although nearly a third o business

leaders (32%) believe that ace-to-ace

communication is still the most eective

way to engage their employees they are

increasingly avouring online communication.

Nearly two thirds o employers believe that

new web-based technology enables them

to communicate much more cheaply and

eectively with their workorce.

The company intranet plays a key role in

the communication o employee beneits

with nearly one in ive (17%) business

leaders holding details o their employee

beneits on their intranet site. Other

popular ways to communicate employee

Which of the following best reflects the way you communicate employee benefits to your staff?


Workplace Communications

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l Over two in ive employers (41%) say that

they have an open door policy and pride

themselves on being open and supportive

l Four in ten (40%) make a point o

keeping their ear to the ground and

speaking to sta who appear to be

having issues

l Only 4% o employers think that it is

an HR issue or dont eel that it is their

business to snoop on employees.

Breakdown in communication

Despite their best intentions, this years

Health o the Workplace study uncovers a

communications gap between employeesand employers that could jeopardise an

employers ability to support their employees

when they need it most.

When asked whether they eel that they are

good at spotting issues, employers eel that

they are good at spotting personal problems

and recognise that it is their responsibility to

do so in their team:

The role of new media

Social media is increasingly being used as a tool to support business leaders in their

daily role:

l 70% are using social networking tools to communicate with colleagues

l A third (33%) are using them to learn about new developments/best practice

l One in ive (20%) use them as a resource or decision-making

l 6% use social networking tools as they dont have time to read up or consult with

colleagues.

39.71%

8.82%

41.67%

3.92%1.96%

3.92%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

Yes, I make a pointof keeping my earto the ground andspeaking to any staffwho look / appear tobe having issues

I found it easierwhen the companywas smaller, nowI have to rely on mymanagers to keepme updated

Yes, I have an opendoor policy andpride my self onbeing open andsupportive

I dont see it as mybusiness to snoopon my employees

I am looking forways to capturethe informationbetter

This is an HR issue

Do you think that you are good at spotting potential personal/professional

problems amongst your team?


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Only 17% o employees would turnto their employer or help i they had a

health-related or personal problem.

Source: Health o the Workplace 4, employee research,April 2010 .

This situation not only opens employers

up to potential duty o care risks, but also

highlights another potential issue with the

Governments Fit Note introduced earlier

this year. Lack o employee engagement

will hinder an employers ability to intervene

early and oer their employees the right

support at the right time.

However, while employers eel that they

have an open door policy and are easy to

approach, our employee research paints a

dierent picture. When asked who theyd

tell i they elt that one o their colleagues

was unwell, stressed or has a drink or

drug problem less than one in ive (17%)

employees would encourage their colleague

to speak to their employer. Instead, nearly

six in ten (59%) would speak to the person

direct and more worryingly; over a quarter

(26%) would do nothing.

When asked the same question about

themselves employees gave a very similar

answer with 60% turning to their partner

and a third (33%) to their doctor. Only 4%

would turn to their line manager or help.

Just 1% would look to their HR department

or support.

If you suspected that a colleague was unwell, stressed, had a personal problem, or alcohol or drugs

issue which one of the following would you do?

17.13%

58.96%

11.55%

25.70%

9.86%

5.18%

16.73%

4.38%

22.91%

27.69%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

50%

55%

60%

I would

inform myemployer /HRdepartmentIts theirwelfare

Id try to

speak tothem.They mightneed ashoulderto cry on

Id point

them in thedirectionsof ourintranet /supportwebsites /helplineswhich couldhelp them inconfidence

Id keep

an eye onthem butwouldntstep inunless thingsseemed to begetting worse

I dont

think itsmy placeto pry

Id cover

up forthem asI wouldntwant theirjob to be atrisk becausetheyre notwell

It depends

whatswrong withthem.Id haveto inform onthem if Ithought theyhad a drink ordrugs problembut be discreetabout a serioushealth problem

It depends

on whatswrong withthem. Idinformsenior staffif they werestressed / ill butwould try to hushup a drink/drugsproblem as theycould get the sack

Id

encouragethem tosee theirGP

Encourage

them totalk to friendsand familyoutside work

Source: Health o the Workplace 4, employee research, April 2010

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60.36%

39.74%

31.47%

3.69% 4.98%

1.10%

33.17%

1.00% 1.99%5.08% 5.88%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

Partner Family(parents /childrens)

Friends /extendedfamily

Employer /linemanager

Website /forum egMumsnet,net. doctor

Anonymoushelpline - AA,occupationalhealth

Familydoctor

HRdepartment

Theoccupationalhealthspecialistat work

Acolleague

None ofthese

Who are you most likely to turn to if you are worried about your own

health or you have a personal problem?

job prospects. This situation could also be

contributing to the scepticism in the 12%o employees who say that they dont trust

their employer.

Worryingly, nearly one in ive (18%)

employees dont think that their employer

would be best placed to answer their

questions, despite many oering employee

beneits such as employee assistance

programmes, private health insurance and

occupational health services. This once

again highlights the need or employers

to eectively communicate their employee

beneit and rewards package.

Whats causing this

behaviour?

Our research shows that employees

preer to keep their personal problems to

themselves with nearly a quarter (23%)

saying that it would be their own personal

business despite it potentially aecting

their work, and also an employers duty o

care requirements. Less than 4% would turn

to their employer or help.

Unsurprisingly, the economic climate is

driving some o these behaviours, with

24% o employees saying that they would

worry that telling their boss about a

personal problem may aect how they are

treated in the workplace or their uture

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7.67%

13.84%

2.89%

17.83%

2.29%

22.91%

11.95%

3.59%

17.03%

0%

2%

4%

6%

8%

10%

12%

14%

16%

18%

20%

22%

24%

Dont want tobe labelledfragile and

treated withkid gloves

I would beworried thatit might

affect mycareerprospects

Id not begivenchallenging

jobs to do

I dont thinktheyre bestplaced to

answer myquestions

I wouldntwant to addto the

concern ofthe company

Its my ownpersonalbusiness. I

dont wantmy employer/manager to knowthat Im sick

I dont trustmy employer

I dont wantto burdenmy

colleagueswith lots ofextra work

I would turnto my employer /manager

for help

The breakdown in communication betweenemployers and their sta means that healthrisks such as stress in the workplace are not

being eectively managed. Lack o employeeengagement will also hinder an employersability to intervene early and oer theiremployees the right support at the righttime. With the help o providers such asAviva, employers can start to break downthese communication barriers by ensuringthat they have specialist support networksand services in place or their employees.

Dr Doug Wright,

Principal clinical consultant at Aviva UK Health

If you would not turn to your manager/employer for help if you had a health or personal problem

which of the following best reflects why?


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Workplace report are likely to continue

throughout 2010. Indeed, our recent Early

Intervention Prevention research shows that

stress continues to be an on-going issue.

Almost a quarter (23%) o businesses claim

that the recent economically diicult times

have taken a lasting toll on employee stress

levels, which has led to an inevitable rise in

absence rates.

The good news is that despite the diicult

conditions, the atmosphere in the workplace

appears to be good in many cases. The

indings suggest that employers recognise

that sta motivation, morale and productivity

are intrinsically linked and while expenditure

continues to remain under the spotlight, many

employers are taking steps to instil a riendly

work culture and encourage their employees

to have a good work/lie balance.

Right sentiment, wrong

approach?

However, our research highlights that the

methods employers are commonly using to

oster teamspirit may not be delivering the

value they hope. Events to help motivate sta

oten take place in a pub or a restaurant.And, while just under hal (45%) o employers

say that theres no obligation to drink alcohol

at these events, over a quarter (26%) admit

that they dont mind their sta having a ew

drinks, as long as they dont get out o hand.

This years Health o the Workplace

research indings clearly show that the

work environment remains challenging

or both business leaders and employees.

Whilst theres some cause or optimism,

many employers are still acing the same

dilemma that they were a year ago - the

need to balance the cost o investment in

employee health and wellbeing with the

inancial priorities or the businesses. Whilstemployers recognise the importance o

a healthy, happy workorce, they are still

prioritising productivity and proit over sta

motivation and work/lie balance. Nearly a

third (31%) want maximum proitability or

head count and two in ive (39%) demand

a highly productive team who are lexible

and can respond to change.

While employees should be able to copewith the associated pressures o this task

ocused approach in the short-term,

sustained pressures could have a negative

impact on their long-term health and

wellbeing. This in turn could have a knock-

on eect to their motivation and ultimately

their productivity. This means that unless

employers allocate unds to invest in the

appropriate support or their sta, they

could be creating a sel-ulilling prophecy

and all short o their business objectives.

This continued ocus on results means that

the UK workorce is likely to ace another

challenging year. So its not unrealistic

to iner that the unhealthy behaviours

we witnessed in our last Health o the

Summary

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Moreover, this lack o communication could

be opening employers up to unnecessary

risks. Our research clearly shows that whilst

employers recognise the importance o

having an open door policy when it comes

to their employees health and wellbeing,

just 4% o employees would approach their

employer with a health-related or personal

problem. Whilst many employees are

concerned that admitting to an issue may

aect their uture job prospects, nearly one

in ive (17%) eel that their employer is not

best paced to help them. This suggests that

some employees may not be aware o theconidential, impartial support services their

employers are oten providing.

This situation not only opens employers

up to potential duty o care risks, but

also highlights another issue with the

Governments Fit Note introduced earlier

this year. Lack o employee engagement

will hinder an employers ability to intervene

early and oer their employees the rightsupport at the right time.

The apparent communication gap between

employee and employer highlights the

importance o giving employers the

appropriate occupational health training and

support to be able to recognise changes

in their employees behaviour. Coupled

with the appropriate specialist occupational

health support and eective communicationschannels, this insight will help employers

pro-actively support their employees through

personal and health-related problems. This

in turn can help to prevent issues esculating,

speed recovery and help control the amount

o time (i any) that employees spend away

rom the workplace.

While these events may be relatively low

cost (depending on how much alcohol is

consumed), the real value they deliver is

debatable. This is particularly true when

you consider that our research shows that

while business leaders see socialising with

sta as part o their role, over hal (52%) o

employees say that they dont really enjoy

going out with their wider team.

With todays economic climate making the

smart employee beneit choices even more

important than ever, these indings raise

the question could that money be better

spent on something that adds real value to

both the employee and employer? When

you also consider the impact excessive

alcohol could have on an employees health,

not to mention an employers absence

rates, theres a strong case to suggest that

employers may be better placed to look or

other ways to engage with sta to ensure

everyone is involved and that unhealthy

habits are not sanctioned in the workplace.

A need for more effective

communication

Employee beneits play a key role in sta

motivation, morale and retention. While

hal (51%) o employers are already taking

positive steps to tackle health issues through

beneits such as pr

Aviva Health of the Workplace Report - 4 Oct 2010

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