Advocate - Issue 38 by advo

ADVOCATE

the magazine from the UK’s leading business advisory

Payroll - The Outlook for 2022 Page 12

Employee Benefits - The Outlook for 2022 Page 14

HR - Vaccine Mandate: Tribunal Results Page 18

Issue #38

who we are & what we do...

What’s in advo updates

advocate magazine is produced by advo and published quarterly.

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advo are an award-winning advisory, providing centralised management and advice, with bespoke technology platforms for HR, Payroll and Employee Benefit & Wellbeing solutions. Designed and priced with SMEs in mind, our technology platforms and services are delivered by our highly qualified and experienced advisors.

2021 Employment Tr

advo-one, our unique online portal, underpins and connects all three services - providing access to employee and employer 24/7 from any device. advo-one includes benefits information, company documentation, perks & total reward statements, online payslips, absence management reporting and the ability for employees to book and track holiday. More about advo advo will be celebrating its 25-year anniversary in 2022, and continues to grow rapidly as an organisation. Starting life as an Employee Benefits intermediary, advo recognised the need for increased efficiency within essential employer support services. The addition of Payroll and HR has resulted in advo being able to offer one solution for all three services. Speak to us for: Employee benefits: tailored to you and your business. Our ethos is simple, and as an investors-in-People Gold employer, we practice what we preach: employee well-being adds value to your business. Employees who feel valued and cared for are happier and so much more productive. We will help you create the right benefit solution that meets the needs of your workforce plus continue to support, review and manage this on an ongoing basis. Human resources: all the advantages of an in-house HR team. We believe passionately that HR is the heart of a well-run organisation. We ensure you are always legally up-to date, ready to meet any challenge and we are here for you whenever guidance is needed. Payroll: ensuring compliance, and that employees are paid correctly. Accuracy is vital when paying your employees. Our dedicated experts simplify the process, drawing on a wealth of experience and taking responsibility for both compliance and efficiency. t: 01622 769210 e: info@advogroup.co.uk w: advogroup.co.uk

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Annoying colleagues office return Page 8

Ask the Expert - Wel Page 10

Payroll - The Outlook Page 12

Employee Benefits Page 14

Employee Wellness a 2

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n this issue: Tribunal Results: Vaccine Mandate Page 18

ribunals

“Living with Covid” Page 20

s deter Brits from

A quarter of SMEs continue to avoid payroll solutions Page 22

llbeing Calendars

44% of UK office workers suffering burnout Page 23

k for 2022

Opinion blog: Dr Karolina Afors, Chief Medical Officer at Syrona Health Page 24

The Outlook for 2022

at advo 3

What’s new? advo’s direction of travel 2022 is advo’s 25th anniversary year!

2022 marks advo’s 25th anniversary year! During this time advo has been fortunate in having the ability to ‘see over the hill’, to spot market trends and adapt, allowing us to grow and thrive, successfully managing the employee benefits of global brands and household names from all around the world alongside thousands of other clients. In our Silver anniversary year, we remain one of the few significant UK advisory firms in private ownership. Originally a specialist health insurance intermediary, we adapted to encompass wellbeing and later a focus across employee benefits, creating our own technology platforms to help manage and promote staff benefits. Over the last five years, we have expanded to include supporting our SME clients with HR advice and payroll services. During this time our core culture has always been ‘client first’; whatever needs to be done to ensure we deliver our best service possible.

The market is again undergoing tremendous change post-pandemic and post Brexit. We foresee a shift in what larger companies need with increasing globalisation and local legalisation, how staff are supported, staff benefits are managed and advice delivered. advo’s strategy on delivering PLC style benefit delivery to the SME community, backed by HR and payroll, will secure our future independence and continued growth. We will increasingly see advo’s much larger clients becoming non-core to our business, as our technology platforms are tailored ever-more to smaller and mid-sized employers that often require all three services of benefits, HR and payroll. There is clear realisation that you cannot be all things to all people. As such, advo is moving away from the large corporate market to work with SMEs with under 300 employees. Larry Bulmer, CEO at advo said of the move “We are clear where our future lies. It is to focus on continuing to work with like-minded clients where we can make a real difference to the health and wellbeing of their staff. To provide a hire-toretire people support, making sure managing their payroll and auto-enrolment is hassle free.” advo’s ‘One’ technology platforms are unique allowing SMEs to manage their reward, support and pay staff through one single, secure log-in. Larry continues “It is our aim to continue to allow smaller employees to compete and retain talent in direct competition with larger corporate clients. Here’s to the next 25 years!”

Employment tribunals Alison Gill’s take on the most notable tribunals of 2021 As an HR manager, I pay close attention to Employment Ttribunals in the UK. The decisions made at tribunal shape future case law and also provide us with insight into the areas where employers could fall foul. Here’s what I consider to be some of the most interesting tribunals of 2021!

1. Worker absent for 80 shi unfairly dismissed Over a twenty year career, a was absent for 808 shifts at Land Rover (JLR), before the dismissed the employee on grounds of “conduct and cap

The tribunal ruled JLR failed its absence procedures durin course of the employment. B of the failure to follow proce the worker was deemed to h unfairly dismissed. The work awarded damages of an und sum.

Alison says: To give some con employee in question had no full attendance record since the amount of shifts that he w equates to nearly four years! is not the first, nor the last wh employer failed to follow pro Had procedures been followe the employee called in sick, t have been a very different ca case is a stark reminder of th importance of following proc

2. NHS worker subjected to jokes by manager was unfa missed An NHS worker “ostracised” team and subjected to an “e stressful” prank was awarde £10,000 for bullying and har

The employee was sent fake by a manager, pretending th to give a presentation the ne When the worker expressed over the prank, they began t excluded by their colleagues incident was not isolated, wi employees desk drawers em

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and spreadsheets tampered with.

worker Jaguar ey the pability”.

These incidents were likely considered ‘banter’ - a word that I and most HR professionals dread hearing. One of the key takeaways is the importance of cultivating a culture based on kindness – one in which stressing a team member out in the interest of ‘banter’ would not be acceptable, or funny.

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3. Office manager denied remote working because boss ‘knew best for her’ An office manager who was told she was not allowed to work remotely from her son’s bedside as he underwent hospital treatment for cancer was unfairly dismissed and discriminated against on the grounds of sex.

The firm’s refusal to allow the employeee to work remotely were found to be “in stark contrast to the approach taken to male colleagues” with the request for remote working denied on the basis the managing director “knew best for her”. There were no suggestions over what might o practical be best for this employee’s male airly discolleagues.

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It’s clear that this manager made up his mind about remote work before giving it proper consideration. The elements of sex discrimination make it even more complicated. Considering flexible working requests properly will become increasingly important in the coming years for employers; the Work From Home coronavirus measures showed remote working can be successful. There is also a proposed Flexible Working Bill,

which would allow employees the right to request flexible working from day one of employment - although this not currently law. 4. Worker unfairly dismissed for complaining about boss on Facebook A paint sprayer was unfairly dismissed on the basis of an alleged social media policy breach. The claimant posted “I don’t think I’m a bad person but I don’t think I have ever felt so low in my life after my boss’s comments today” as their Facebook status. The claimant’s friends made comments on the post, including one suggesting he should punch his boss. The next day, the worker was called in for a disciplinary meeting over the posts, and was dismissed for breaching the company social media policy. The tribunal ruled the disciplining manager did not understand the company’s social media policy, as it did not require the employee to police the comments of others. The judge also stated the disciplinary procedure was not conducted correctly. There is a difference between social media posts that are damaging to employers, and posts employers simply don’t like - not all social media posts will justify dismissal. The key lesson is that if you are dismissing an employee based on breaching a policy, ensure that you have a comprehensive Social Media policy – and be sure whether or not it has actually been breached! advo can help you with drafting a comprehensive and compliant Social Media Policy.

Annoying colleagues deter Brits fro UK workers are more worried about sharing offices with annoying colleagues than they are about catching Covid, a new survey has revealed. Four in ten (40%) of those currently working from home said they dreaded being trapped with annoying colleagues the most. Workers were not just concerned about their colleagues’ personalities. Almost a quarter (23%) most dreaded having to put up with annoying habits, like humming, singing, or clicking. Even worries over the temperature of the office beat Covid worries, with over a third (35%) saying this was their main concern. Just over a quarter (26%) said their top worry was Covid. A further fifth (20%) said their biggest concern was having to face their coworkers’ poor hygiene. It’s clear that such a long period of home-working has made people less tolerant of colleagues’ idiosyncrasies. 33% of employees currently working from home have not been in the office regularly since March 2020. Brian Kropp, chief of HR research at research and consulting firm Gartner, said: “We have to remember that employees are going back to offices that look and feel very different to the

ones they left back in 2020. Steve Whittall, group director of R&D and operations at Airdri, said: “The hybrid work structure means working patterns and modes of interaction are more varied. Meanwhile, there are new areas of conflict with people having different ideologies around COVID health and safety for example.” “Working alone means a lot of people have forgotten the unwritten rules of sharing an office and slipped into bad habits that could get people’s backs up.” “I wouldn’t think it would take too long for people to readjust and start to find the positives in working from the office again. “Collaborative working, social interaction and the mental health benefits of getting up, dressed for work and out of the house - to name just a few.” Kropp added: “Leaders should not underestimate the disruption caused by a return to regular office working. “To tackle the problems and support this transition, organisations should be looking to re-onboard employees as though they are joining a brand-new company, creating new philosophies around office etiquette and collaboration.”

om returning to offices

Ask the Expert - Wellbeing Calendars Perhaps you’re a small organisation and haven’t done anything formal in the past but wonder if there is something that could help improve the health of your staff. Wellbeing calendars can be an extremely useful tool in communicating important wellbeing messages to your employees. Wellbeing calendars cover everything from healthy eating, alcohol and sleep, to men and women’s health, mental health and coping with change. There are a huge range of topics to choose from, to suit the needs of your teams. What is a wellbeing calendar? Essentially, it is a targeted health and wellbeing awareness program. It also

provides a framework for communications staff to work alongside, to make sharing these important messages as simple as possible. Wellbeing calendars can inspire your employees to lead healthier lives, making informed choices to live well, stay healthy and feel fitter. This can enhance engagement, and boost morale and motivation. How do you create a wellbeing calendar? Decide your goals by identifying the main issues for your organisation. Perhaps you have an aging workforce, where heart disease and heart health

s might pose the biggest challenge. You could build your calendar around this, with some time spent on encouraging assessments and check ups, a month or two spent on the effects of stress on heart health, and another period encouraging exercise, diet, and finally a focus on sleep and its effects on heart disease rates. Piggyback on national and international event days; World Cancer Day, Diabetes Awareness Week, It’s Time to Talk Day, Women’s Health Week, Mental Health Week, Movember and many more. There are plenty of opportunities to highlight certain issues in the calendar and align yourself with broader events.

Wellbeing calendars have the power to inspire your employees, however simply putting together a calendar will not spark overnight change. Your sedentary workforce will not turn into gym warriors within the week - it might even take longer than year! While it’s worth incorporating different activites to ensure employees stay engaged, the goals shouldn’t chop and change from year to year. Sticking to one overarching goal is likely to be far more effective in the long run. The Employee Benefits team here at advo can help you to compile a wellbeing calendar. Talk to us today!

Ask the Expert - What does 2022 hold for payroll? In payroll, change is a constant and 2022 will most certainly be no different. In this article, Lisa Wichlaz, Payroll Manager at advo Stockport, looks to 2022 and the challenges it may bring for payroll.

If employees have changed their working arrangements to facilitate home working, it cannot be guaranteed they will be eligible for this allowance in the next tax year.

Health and social care levy In September 2021, Boris Johnson announced the introduction of a new health & social care levy, set at 1.25%. For 2022/23 tax years, it will be added to National Insurance rates.

Pay and holidays To mark the Queen’s platinum jubilee, there is an additional extra public holiday on Friday 3 June, and the late May bank holiday has been moved to Thursday 2 June to make a four-day weekend.

Those responsible for payroll should ensure employees are aware of the additional costs. Uninformed employees will create a tidal wave of queries come April payday if they are not aware of the increase. Employers are also being encouraged to include a payslip message to aid employee understanding. Employers will also need to ensure sufficient budget has been allocated to this new employment cost.

Depending on your employee contract wording, not all employees will have an automatic entitlement to the extra day, it’s worth noting that some employers will acknowledge it regardless as a well-being or good-will gesture.

In the 2023/24 tax year the health and social care levy is to be separated from NI. Flexible, hybrid and remote working With the removal of the temporary home working rule on the 6 April 2022, employees wishing to claim any kind of tax relief must show they are eligible under 336 of the Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) rules, which are far more restrictive.

National Minimum Wage On 1 April 2022, the national living wage will increase to £9.50 per hour, which is an increase of 6.6.%. With the 1.25% additional health and social care levy, it’s really important to consider any salary sacrifice agreements and all working hours. Employers must ensure employees do not fall into a non compliant state when the increase becomes effective.

Employee Benefits - Outlook for 20

Perks for your employees are a signal that shows their time, contribution, experience, and them as a person is valued. Many employers are now rolling out a ‘cafeteria style’ approach, offering a range of perks extending beyond lifestyle and wellness perks to fundamental benefits, like medical and dental insurance. This approach allows employees to engage with benefits that best meet their needs. As we’ve spent significant amounts of the last two years working from home, employees have had ample time to consider what they really want.

In a candidate short market, essential. A tried and tested listen to employees, and offe genuinely useful. Bear in min the same for everyone - pers 2021, a trend which is likely and beyond.

If you’re looking to enhance y offering, but aren’t sure of wh on. Here’s a list of benefits w

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retaining employees is retention strategy is to er benefits considered nd usefulness doesn’t look sonalisation became key in to continue through 2022

your employee benefits hat’s out there, then read we’ve seen our clients and

other businesses offering their employees in the last 12 months. At advo, we practice what we preach, and we offer many of the employee benefits below! • • •

• • • • •

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Employee Assistance Programmes Grandparental leave Update leave policies: adoption leave, Bereavement leave, Miscarriage leave, Fertility leave, Menopause leave Review your maternity policy Hybrid working Flexitime Early finish on Fridays Genuinely consider flexibility requests, such as reduced working hours over the summer in order to accommodate childcare arrangements Private health insurance Increase paid sick leave allowance Income protection Cash plans Online GP services Online counselling services Discounted gym memberships Discounted virtual fitness classes Walk and talk meetings Free access to sleep or meditation apps Mental health first aiders at work Base salary increases Performance related bonus Free financial advisor Retail and entertainment discounts Salary sacrifice purchase schemes for bicycles.

If you’d like to add any of the above to your employee benefits offering, or review your current offering, talk to advo today. It’s also worth remembering that any change to employee benefits or policies will need to be backed up in your employee handbook, which our HR team can also help with.

Employee wellness at advo This issue we speak to Chris Lock, Account Manager at advo!

What are the hobby/hobbies that you feel help you with wellness? I love running as it is “me” time. With a young family plus work it is not often I get time and space to myself. Running not only enhances physical wellbeing it also gives me a great opportunity to “clear my head”. I often come up with some of my best ideas whilst out on a run – much to my wife’s dismay! I enjoy a project, something to focus on. This can range from a DIY project, to teaching my kids new skills: • I am currently learning Guitar with my 7-year-old where he learns in school then brings what he learnt home to practice; • My 6-year-old is starting out at Karate and I take him to his lessons. We then also practice what he learnt (although

soon he may actually be able to hurt me so this could change!) Why did you start? Lockdown Mark One first and foremost. I needed to get out of the house and break the well-known habit of overindulging – Lockdown was like a second Christmas! However, I took it up a notch at the turn of 2020-21 as it was my late mothers 10th anniversary of her passing. I decided to dedicate my running to a fundraising challenge and that really progressed my efforts – taking on two marathons, running the length of the country, 4 hour run on a treadmill and various other new locations for running were experienced.

Why do you believe it is effective with wellness? As highlighted earlier, running really has given me space and time to myself. Whether I have had a bad day at work, other things are playing on my mind or I just need to “escape” the day to day, it really does help with my mental wellbeing. Physically the benefits were superb. I got down to a weight I would be happy to remain at, could keep up with my kids in all their activities (and their energy) and just generally felt a happier and healthier me. What is your ‘I wish someone had told me before I started’ and why? Don’t run two marathons close together! I did two in the space of just over three weeks and my body suffered to the point

where I had to stop for a few weeks. Rest is so important and I don’t mean just alternate days – where big runs have taken place you have to give your body a chance to recover – read up and research on what that is! Are there any other ways that it has affected you positively? Conversation starters from both a personal and professional perspective – I started the running challenge when I was at my old company and it really gave my clients a personal connection to me and visa-versa. It has also strangely improved my social life – people recognise me around the village and approach myself and my wife. Through this we have created a few new friendships and, if I decide to join a running club, that can only improve further.

First employment tribunal around

The vaccine mandates for care workers caused great upheaval in the ca The first Employment Tribunal around this hotly contested issue has no The claimant was employed at Scarsdale Grange Nursing Home from 2007 until February 2021 and told the court that any form of ‘non-natural medication’ would go against her Rastafarian beliefs. However, the tribunal found the claimant told her employer the reason she refused the vaccine was because “she did not trust what [the care home’s director] or the wider authorities were saying about the safety of the vaccine”, did not trust the vaccine, and had read conspiracies online. Prior to the disciplinary hearing, her religious beliefs had never been mentioned. Allette, the claimant, was in a client facing care position in the care home and was initially offered the COVID-19 vaccine in December 2020, as part of the rollout to health workers and residents, but refused. After an outbreak of coronavirus in the care home, the vaccine date was postponed to the 12 January. The morning before Ms Allette was due to be vaccinated, Allette listed her concerns in a phone call with the care home’s director, McDonagh. During the phone call, there was no mention of Rastafarian beliefs. During the call, McDonagh attempted to reassure Allette, but made it clear she would be suspended and disciplined if she refused. Allette did not take the vaccination and was handed a letter of suspension on her next shift.

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vaccine mandate concludes

are sector. ow concluded – and ruled in favour of the employer.

e tribunal found while there was no ntractual term requiring the claimant to ve the vaccine, or indeed any other ccine, the home’s instruction for all staff as a ‘reasonable management struction’. The claimant’s refusal mounted to gross misconduct and as ch, the dismissal was indeed oportionate.

son Gill, HR Manager at advo, said that hile the tribunal did not doubt the aimants fear, fear does not equate to a otected belief. Had the claimant’s uctance to take the vaccine been nuinely due to a religious belief (which e tribunal ruled in this case, was not), e outcome may have been very ferent.

he dismissal occurred before ccination became a legal requirement care workers. This decision shows mployers that it is possible to introduce andatory vaccination and defend their sition if challenged in court, but there e a few essential takeaways from this se: 1) the employer had taken clear eeting notes, 2) had set reasonable time mes for the employee to get vaccinated, d 3) completed a thorough investigation fore following disciplinary procedures per the company policy. Had the mployer fallen short in any of these eas, the outcome may have been ferent.

“While not legally binding for other tribunals, this could serve as an early indication of the approach tribunals may take to cases concerning vaccination requirements, but success at tribunal should not be assumed. “At the time of this case, the vaccine was still relatively new. The extensive resources on vaccination available now mean future tribunals may take a stricter view as to whether employers have adequately provided this information, so I’d advise communicating vaccination information as much as reasonably possible to cover all bases. Mandatory workplace vaccination gives rise to many ethical issues, employment law issues and even data protection issues. Whether vaccination can indeed be enforced as a condition of employment is situational to each case. I would always urge caution, and seeking expert HR advice prior to implementing any kind of policy on vaccination. Avoiding any chance of employment tribunals in the first instance by taking care with your employee relations and ensuring robust policies and procedures are in place and always followed, is of course, best!

Boris strat good

The prime min tailed the ‘Livi strategy, including mea removal of se testing and ch pay.

As of 24 Febru positive for Cov longer have to will be asked to personal respo £500 quarantin payment introd in England on l have to self-iso

From 24 March a-week Statuto will go back to the fourth cons illness, rather t Free testing wi

Johnson told th “Restrictions p on our econom mental wellbei chances of our do not need to longer.”

The move has b mixed reviews.

s Johnson’s “living with Covid” tegy could do more harm than d, business leaders and union warn

nister has deing with Covid’

National Health and Safety Director, warned the plan to remove SSP will prolong the asures such as the pandemic, causing more elf-isolation, free outbreaks and was an act of hanges to sick ‘national sabotage’.

uary, those testing vid-19 will no self- isolate, and o “exercise onsibility”. The ne support duced for workers low incomes who olate will also end.

Mr Shears said: “The UK’s SSP rates, among the lowest in Europe, are a public health hazard as workers cannot afford to stay home when they are ill. The situation will be made even worse in April when SSP is cut in real terms against a backdrop of rampant inflation.”

requirements for employers to provide a safe space to work despite the move, and advises employers carry out a risk assessment of their offices to identify and reduce specific risk to infection and transmission, with a particular regard for those particularly susceptible to the virus, adding ‘businesses should not see this as a green light that allows them to insist everyone return to the office.’

She said: “Allowing an employee to work from home – especially if they have done so successfully Frances O’Grady, the Trades for the last two years or so – is h, the £96.35 Union Congress general bound to be viewed as a ory Sick Pay (SSP) secretary, said low income reasonable adjustment and any being available on workers would suffer the most at employer who imposes a blanket secutive day of any a moment of mounting pressure ‘office-based working only’ than on day one. on households. “Charging for policy is likely to face claims. ill end from 1 April. Covid tests in the middle of a Tribunal risks aside, employee cost-of-living crisis is a crazy turnover is high at the moment he Commons: decision,” she said. “Ministers and businesses wanting to place a heavy toll have been warned again and attract and retain good staff will my, our society, our again by unions, businesses need to offer flexibility.” ing and on the life and public health experts not to r children. And we scrap free Covid tests. But they Talk to us today about managing o pay that cost any have ignored these pleas.” your return to the workplace.

Samantha Dickinson is a Partner been met with at law firm Mayo Wynne Baxter, . Dan Shears, GMB and says there are still legal

A quarter of SMEs continue to avoid payroll solutions A new report, ‘Demystifying payroll for SMEs’ found almost a quarter of teams are still failing to utilise payroll solutions, instead opting to use manual payments and spreadsheets. The research surveyed 500 respondents who work for companies with up to 250 employees. Key findings include: Payroll is still a manual, time-intensive task: • Over a third (37%) of respondents said they spend around 12-17 hours a week managing payroll, equivalent to 110 working days a year • Over half (51%) claimed they do not use cloud-based software for people management due to security concerns • Respondents were asked what areas of administration (on top of their payroll duties) if any, they were responsible for managing each year, and the contrast is clear: • 33% (a third) of respondents said HR admin (+5% YoY comparison) Lisa Wichlacz, Payroll Manager at advo Stockport said: Payroll is possibly one of the most important functions of a business. It’s impossible to foster a positive company culture and keep employee morale high if you can’t pay your people correctly and on time. In addition to highlighting the amount of time spent on payroll tasks, the report shows that since the last report in 2019, HR has taken on more payroll tasks, cutting into their time that they should be spending on any SMEs biggest asset: their people. Outsourcing your payroll, to payroll providers such as advo can help to reduce this costly time investment and allows your people to do what they do best. One of the key advantages of working with advo is the considerably lower risk of encountering cybersecurity issues – with 51% of SMEs citing security as a reason to not go to the cloud, this appears to be an obvious contention point. advo achieved ISO 27001 in 2020, demonstrating our competence, resilience and reliability when it comes to information security, ensuring peace of mind for all of our clients. Talk to us today about payroll solutions.

44% of UK office workers suffering burnout, survey reveals A new nationwide survey has revealed 44% of office workers in the UK say they often feel burnt out at work. The Digital Detox survey, from Just Eat for Business, reveals unhealthy work habits when it comes to screen time. The survey included responses from 200 UK workers. When asked if they’ve ever felt burnout, 44% of UK workers stated they felt it often. Burnout was described in the survey as ‘a state of physical and mental exhaustion which occurs when one experiences chronic workplace stress’. Office workers in management positions accounted for the highest proportion (46%) of those who sometimes or often feel burnt out at work. The survey revealed over a third (36%) of workers are skipping more lunch breaks now than last year. There is a correlation between those who skip breaks and those who feel burnout, with 73% of those reporting feeling burnt out admitting they don’t take a break til lunch, and 46% don’t stop looking at their screen until the end of the working day. With widespread remote or hybrid working, employers must encourage employees to take regular screen breaks to avoid these repercussions. When we’re focusing on screens, we’re depleting our psychological resources, including energy, motivation and concentration. These resources are like batteries and need recharging regularly.

Yet, we often find ourselves taking breaks from our computer screens – to scroll on a phone screen instead! In the evening, we take a break from our phone screen – to watch TV! While these activities might feel pretty mindless, they’re not the restorative activities we might think they are. We then find that when we put our head on the pillow at night, all the concerns and ideas of the day start to flood into our awareness when we should be sleeping, stopping our batteries from getting a proper charge. “Take a break” strategies can be particularly effective if supported by senior management and implemented throughout the organisation. These can be supported through company IT systems, for example messages which pop up periodically saying “remember to take a break”. Without taking regular breaks, it’s not surprisingly that so many workers are feeling more burnt out than before. The current emphasis on wellbeing means it’s more important than ever that employers and employees prioritise sustainable and healthy working habits, which includes taking regular screen breaks. To see the full results from the Digital Detox survey, click here.

Opinion blog: Endometriosis - Dr K Officer at Syrona Health One of the positive effects of the Covid-19 pandemic is the increased value placed on health and wellbeing, particularly in the group risk and employee benefits space. Consultant obstetrician & gynaecologist and chief medical officer at Syrona Health, Dr Karolina Afors, says one of the key drivers for change has been a generation of women that are in a “sandwich as a caregiver” looking after both children and parents, while also juggling fulltime employment - situations exacerbated by the switch to remote working during the Covid lockdowns. “I personally think the change has been quite slow and it’s taken a worldwide pandemic to be discussed. It’s always been there, but all these things really came to a head at once. People are sort of talking with their feet a bit, so they’re looking at employee benefits as decisive when it comes to taking on new roles or moving within their sector of expertise,” she says. “There’s certainly a lot more awareness in the workplace; they’re talking a lot more about

what would have typically been taboo topics, things like miscarriage. Nowadays it’s recognised that women may take time off from work because they’ve had a miscarriage, whereas I think the language used wasn’t always appropriate or it wasn’t really felt that you needed it.”

women will be the workforce, not going to ne things or have s of their sympto even leave the

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Karolina Afors, Chief Medical

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health has been much more on the spotlight than women’s health, especially as women are more likely to suffer from chronic diseases. You could put in small changes that would have a huge impact and benefits, because of these conditions that we’re more likely to suffer from, and I think it’s recognising that our healthcare needs are different to men. And In conjunction with more women in full-time employment, for a very long time, we were the UK is also grappling with an very much treated the same way,” she says. ageing population. As a result, many women who are now reaching a menopausal age, are Tailored approach Of course, the menopause is not near or in senior positions and have an opportunity to help shift the only health and wellness issue working women will have the dial by bringing the to contend with; indeed, some conversation out from employers and insurance historically closed doors. providers have established support pathways and access to Afors also points out that, in many instances, women weren’t services for miscarriage, fertility and cancers that primarily affect included in historic studies women, such as breast cancer or measuring the effectiveness of cervical cancer. medications on certain conditions as natural hormone Afors states that menopause fluctuations were considered shouldn’t be viewed in isolation too difficult to study, or simply but rather as part of a “whole seen as “outliers” compared to health” approach, whether that male study specimens. be with general screening for monitoring blood pressure or to “It’s as important to focus on men’s health as well, but men’s reduce the risk of cardiovascular educated about on the menopause, recognising where women are suffering from menopausal symptoms and trying to put in place or to have an inclusive language where they can support employees or provide - or signpost them to - guidance to help them with that,” Afors says.

disease, diabetes, assessing gynaecological or re-productive health conditions, such as polycystic ovarian syndrome. “The reality is that if we’re living longer, we’re also going to be working longer and women are more likely to develop chronic conditions. It’s at that menopausal age that these chronic conditions come to a head; things like being more likely to have arthritis, for related fractures, when they’re more likely to suffer with dementia as well,” Afors explains. “That’s why maybe we’re talking about the menopause; by having an awareness of menopause and making simple lifestyle changes that’s going to improve your brain health, your bone health, your heart health. By addressing these and chronic conditions, you will have a healthier workforce, so I think they go hand in hand.” With the NHS currently facing record backlogs and resource shortages, access to health services has become a hot button issue, that is further exacerbated by a historic lack of expertise among professionals when it comes to women’s health issues, the effects of which are still being felt today, Afors says. “When you really look at the risk, if you’re overweight for example and there is far greater risk of developing breast cancer if you are on HRT - or if any risk was put into perspective - it

wasn’t communicated well. As a result, there was a missed opportunity where we have, unfortunately, a generation of doctors who are lacking training within this area,” she explains. Digital drive With restricted access to health services set to be the default for many going forward, digital health services - as part of an insurance proposition or an employee benefits package - will continue to rise in prominence for women seeking support or treatment. “The digital health sector at the moment is really interesting and it provides you the opportunity to expand the services on offer in a short time,” Afors says. “It means that it can also be cost effective, whether that’s the employer, or even the government, who are incorporating digital health solutions within the NHS and its infrastructure.” Digital health services have the flexibility to provide specialised and tailored health services that the NHS cannot, as well as expediating access to treatment. Afors says access to information and support is only part of the puzzle, offering a community for women who are going through similar experiences is just as important.

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Bupa’s Opinion: Endometriosis When an employee tells you they’re struggling with endometriosis at work, they might be faced with challenges such as: Coping with a range of symptoms including severe pain and fatigue. Taking time off work if they’re feeling unwell, or for tests or treatment. Feeling embarrassed or guilty about any absences, or that they’ve created an additional burden for their colleagues or manager. The more you know about endometriosis, the more you can understand the effects on an employee’s physical and mental wellbeing, and their need for support. Understanding endometriosis, and having ideas for how to manage its effects in the workplace, are the keys to supporting your affected employees and their performance. Workplace awareness of different conditions is growing all the time, and many companies now offer in-house training on issues like mental health and dementia, for example. The national charity Endometriosis UK offers endometriosis training for employers.

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