April HR News Roundup

Welcome to our April HR News Roundup! It’s a busy time in the world of people management. With continuing industrial action, pay disputes and lengthy discussions over Elon Musk’s unexpected BBC interview (it wasn’t just us, was it?). As always, we’ve scoured the HR channels for the latest updates to bring you a bite-sized summary of this month’s key talking points.

Flexible working continues to be a focus and the results of a study into employee needs when working from home make for interesting reading. The findings have clear links to health, wellbeing, and indirectly, escaping workplace stress, all hot topics included in this roundup.

Human connections are essential for wellbeing

While many organisations work on ways to encourage employees back into the office, research from TravelPerk found that one fifth of Brits aren’t fussed about meeting colleagues in person. Thankfully, almost 6 in 10 people agree that personal meetings create a sense of belonging in the team, and 4 in 10 think it boosts productivity and creativity.

Avi Meir, CEO of TravelPerk says, “Real-life connections enable meaningful interactions, business opportunities and team success stories, which are necessary for businesses to thrive.” We couldn’t agree more, Avi!

Is twitter a toxic workplace?

Elon Musk’s hastily-arranged interview with the BBC, in which he talks about his approach to sacking thousands of twitter employees, has created plenty of debate around employee rights. If you haven’t watched it yet, his interview (this is an abridged version) raises questions around toxic workplaces and their impact on mental and physical wellbeing. At one point Musk even admits to having occasionally slept on a sofa in the office library. If you ask us, Elon needs to find a better work-life balance.

What are the top requirements when working from home?

According to Purplebricks, 58% of British people say superfast WiFi is an absolute essential when working from home, swiftly followed by access to a good quality laptop (38%). Interestingly, the remaining 7 out of 9 top requirements stated are all linked to health and wellbeing. From good light levels to access to outdoor space, peace and quiet. Maybe it’s time to create a ‘working from home checklist’ to ensure remote employees have everything they need to work effectively.

Young people fearful of discussing mental health

A Global Mental Health Report by TELUS Health, highlights that half of young workers, aged 20-29 fear opening up about their mental health will impact their career. Personal stress, anxiety and depression are the main reasons why employees seek assistance. Worryingly, the report also found that mental health is getting worse with each generation. Gen Z recorded the lowest mental health scores. Raising issues of trust and fear of discrimination in the workplace.

When did you last review and update your expenses policy?

A study by PayCaptain has highlighted a link between work expense claims and workplace stress. When travelling for business reasons, it’s common practice for organisations to expect employees to cover the cost of work-related travel, accommodation and meals themselves and then claim them back on their return.

The survey found that just over a third of employees say paying for company expenses impacts their mental health and they are left out of pocket after having expenses reimbursed. Some employees are having to wait months to have their money repaid. In some cases employees are being forced to look for alternative employment because they struggle to cover their work expenses on top of the household bills and other financial pressures.

It’s good practice to regularly review all your policy documentation. If you would like any advice on adjusting your expenses policy, please get in touch.

UK workers mental health is declining

Another research study by Westfield Health found that workplace stress is having a greater impact on individuals than relationship breakdowns. More than a quarter of workers (27%) ranked their job as more stressful than a relationship breakdown (8%). These worrying statistics are consistent with other studies highlighting that mental health in the UK workforce is declining.

Richard Holmes, Director of Wellbeing at Westfield Health adds, “With increased cost-of-living pressures accompanying high levels of workplace stress, this can become a huge risk factor for organisations. Not only does workplace stress impact morale and culture, but it can also have detrimental effects on productivity, staff turnover and ultimately the company’s bottom line.

Employers must be aware of the tell-tale signs of workplace stress to reduce the negative impact it can have on the business. Team members having difficulty concentrating, forgetting deadlines or displaying unusual behaviours can all be indicators of stress. Additionally, employees taking an unusual number of days off, particularly sudden instances of extended annual leave, may also be a warning sign.”

Further reading

There are lots of additional resources available on our website that you may find useful. Here you’ll find a series of free eBooks available to download. You might also enjoy a more in-depth look at Storing and Using People Data and Change Management in our recent blogs.

How we can help you

If you’d like to discuss any of the issues covered in this blog, get in touch with us today on 0161 941 2426. We’re here to help.