Advocate Magazine | Issue 20

advocate The magazine from the leading employee benefits advisory

simplyhealth Director of HR & Engagement, Corinne Williams page 16

HR Experts Gail Watson on youR new year human resource resolutions page 10

teamviewer ceo, adreas König page 24 cover feature

ADVO’S BEST OF THE BEST CELEBRATING THE GREATEST ACHIEVEMENTS OF 2016 page 06

Issue #20 2016/17

advogroup.co.uk | who we are

LAUREN SMITH, EMPLOYEE BENEFIT ADVISOR, advo group

who we are and what we do...

Advocate Magazine is produced by ADVO Group and published quarterly.

ADVO Group Ltd is an independent employee benefits advisory with a broad-based clientele. Our objective is to be seen as the UK’s most trusted adviser on employee benefits and online management.

ADVO can test prospective clients’ arrangements against our connectedhealthTM benefit benchmark. Please be in touch for further details. We also offer a bespoke interactive online system for multi policy management and amendments.

Employees can also be given access to their personal benefit details, Total Rewards and Flex Benefits and benefit selection portals. Please follow http://soc.advogroup.co.uk for more information.

For general information, and/or to join our online HR community, please follow http://issuu.com/advogroup

advocate issue 20 | advogroup.co.uk | 02

Speak to ADVO for any specific query concerning: • • •

UK & International Private Medical Insurance Online multi policy management Total Reward Statements and Flex and Benefit selection portals • Cash Plans • UK & International Group Life & Dependents cover • UK & International Group Income Protection • UK & International Group Critical Illness cover • Dental & Optical cover • Health Screening • Staff Wellness • Occupational Health sourcing • Payroll & auto-enrolment solutions • HR consultancy & support T: 0845 2578833 F: 01622 769211 E: info@advogroup.co.uk

advogroup.co.uk | what’s inside issue #18

“what’s inside ” issue #20

ADVO were awarded the title of ‘Technology Innovation of the Year – Broker‘ from a vast array of entrants from the wider UK insurance industry

Welcome to issue 20 of Advocate magazine, the quarterly digital publication from ADVO Group, one of the UK’s leading employee benefits consultancy.

who discusses the recent research which found that many companies are not adequately supporting their line managers in managing employee absence. We also feature an interview with TeamViewer’s In this edition, we look at ADVO’s CEO, Andreas König, who recent ‘Oscars’ awards, celebrating explores the increasing desire the continued dedication and amongst workers to move away unrivalled expertise offered from the traditional format of the by its staff. We highlight the 9-5 working day. achievements of Benfits Advisor Jamie Tuffield, and host of other We look also at the latest human stars in the ADVO team! resource and health stories including how lack of sleep may be ADVO’s HR company, HR costing the UK economy up to £40 Experts, also outline the issues billion, how people’s energy in the that should be topping the list workplace is key to staff retention of New Year’s resolutions for and how stop smoking services every company’s human resource may boost mental health of people departments. with depression.

We also feature a series of interviews including with Corinne Williams, Director of HR & Engagement at Simplyhealth,

Remember that all editions of Advocate magazine are free to read online at issuu.com/advogroup

meet the team at advo group

For more information visit www.advogroup.co.uk

larry bulmer chief executive

colin boxall commercial director

kevin crew it director

gill mateo operations director

Larry Founded ADVO Group in 1997 and remains fully involved in the day-to-day running of the business.

Colin joined ADVO Group’s board in 2008 and has over twenty years employee benefits experience.

Kevin oversees our award winning online service and is further developing staff and flex- benefit platforms.

Gill joined ADVO in 2006 becoming Operations Director in 2013.

lbulmer @advogroup.co.uk

cboxall @advogroup.co.uk

kcrew @advogroup.co.uk

gmateo @advogroup.co.uk

advocate summer advocate2015 issue|20advogroup.co.uk | advogroup.co.uk||03 03

advogroup.co.uk | contents

CONTENTS ISSUE #20 | 2017 advo news Page 06

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The annual ‘ADVO Oscars’, celebrating the best of the best for 2016

Page 10

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New Year’s Human Resource resolutions, from HR Experts’ Gail Watson

Page 14

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ADVO Group supports a ‘Shed Load of Toys’ Christmas campaign, in conjunction with Kent’s KMFM

HUMAN RESOURCES news Page 16

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An interview with Corinna Williams, Director of HR & Engagement at Simplyhealth

Page 20

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Brexit, gig economy and pay will continue to define 2017 labour market according to the CIPD

Page 24

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An interview with Andreas König, CEO, Teamviewer

Page 28

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Lack of sleep costing UK economy up to £40 billion a year according to RAND Europe

Page 34

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People’s energy in the workplace key to staff retention suggests research from the University of Surrey

An interview with corrine williams, Director of HR & Engagement at Simplyhealth page 16

HEALTH NEWS Page 30

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The curse of the New Year’s Resolution – more than half of Brits admit to failure before they start according to Bupa

Page 36

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Stop smoking services may boost mental health of people with depression

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People’s energy in the workplace key to staff retention suggests research from the University of Surrey page 34

advogroup.co.uk | contents

Brexit, gig economy and pay will continue to define 2017 labour market according to the CIPD page 20

more than half of Brits admit to New Year’s Resolution failure before they start according to Bupa page 30

An interview with Andreas König, CEO, Teamviewer page 24

Lack of sleep costing UK economy up to £40 billion a year according to RAND Europe page 28 advocate issue 20 | advogroup.co.uk | 05

advogroup.co.uk |the annual advo oscars

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ADVO has always understood that the personal touch remains essential and so invest heavily in staff

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colin boxall, advo group pictured above: jamie tuffield, recipient of ADVO’s Advonian of the Year and Star of the Year prize advocate issuu 20 | advogroup.co.uk | 06

advogroup.co.uk | the annual advo oscars

THE annual ‘ADVO OSCARS’ celebrating THE BEST OF THE BEST FOR 2016 www.advogroup.co.uk ADVO Group’s annual ‘Oscars’ are a tradition for the company, celebrating the continued dedication and unrivalled expertise offered by its staff. Coinciding with the annual December festivities, the awards retrospectively highlight the key achievements of the last twelve months.

The ‘Oscars’ centre around two primary awards; ‘Advonian of the Year’ and ‘Star of the Year’. The ’Advonian of the Year’ award enables ADVO’s employees to vote themselves, determining who they believe has been the stand-out team member of the last year, routinely going above and beyond expectation. All of ADVO’s staff share these key attributes in their work, making the award a true testament to the dedication of the recipient. This year’s winner of the Advonian of the Year prize was Employee Benefits Advisor Jamie Tuffield. Comments from staff when registering their vote for Jamie included “…very dedicated & focussed”, “always willing to go above and beyond for clients”, “I find him a very helpful, fun, nice guy to work with, very approachable and hard-working” and “he’s glued to the phone all day every day and still finds time to help others”.

There were also thoroughly deserved awards to other members of staff including Nadiya Gregory and Jacqui Schanz. ADVO’s directors felt that Nadiya, also an Employee Benefits Advisor within the company, was deserving of recognition through providing a fantastic level of support to management this year, unofficially taking a more senior role in the company. Jacqui, a Senior Telesales Executive, had also demonstrated great resilience, professionalism and enthusiasm in a very tough role.

A further award of note was for Lucy Pearce who is Head of Client Services who the staff voted the ‘most inspirational’.

The awards reflect ADVO’s full commitment to its staff development and recognition of achievement. Colin Boxall, ADVO’s Commercial Director commented.

“ADVO has always understood that the The ‘Star of the Year’ allows ADVO’s personal touch remains essential and so management have their vote on who invest heavily in staff, we demand a lot they believe should be highlighted as from them and are expected to always having been such a key asset to the be at the top of their game, but also team. This year broke from the pattern to enjoy their time at work. We have of previous years in seeing the winner of a fantastic team of people who do us ‘Advonian of the Year’ also collect the proud”. prize for ‘Star of the Year’. In addition to these two Accolades, Jamie has also This commitment to staff development given the ‘Human Handbook’ award, was also seen at the later end of last which celebrates the staff member year, with ADVO becoming one of the with a almost encyclopaedic level of very few companies in the UK to be knowledge and expertise on insurer awarded GOLD status by Investors in small print.

People, moving up from the previously

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advogroup.co.uk |the annual advo oscars awarded Silver accreditation. During this period, ADVO’s Commercial Director, Colin Boxall commented “ADVO invests heavily in developing Employee Management Systems but we know our technology is only as good as the staff behind it. Our goal is always to have great people and train them extensively within a supportive culture”.

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we know our technology is only as good as the staff behind

it. Our goal is always to have great people and train them extensively within a supportive culture

recognised equally in its contribution to the companies successes.

ADVO also looks to build upon its success with external industry awards into 2017. Last year saw ADVO win a number of industry awards including the ‘Technology Innovation of the Year – Broker‘ category at the Insurance Times Technology Awards, winning ‘Employee Benefits Intermediary of The ADVO Oscars, and the Investors the Year’ for the second year running in People accreditation, also both at the Cover Excellence Awards, being represent full staff recognition within highly commended for three categories every department of the organisation. at the Health Insurance awards and From the team of expert benefit advisors, being named as finalists at the Corporate through to IT and technical support, Advisor Awards. sales staff and management, each area is

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(pictured: jamie tuffield, recipient of ADVO’s Advonian of the Year, Star of the Year, and ‘the human handbook’ prize. advocate issue 20 | advogroup.co.uk | 08

discounts & savings for employees on a wide range of goods speak to one of our advisors today on 0845 2578833 to find our more about advo perks

For more information on Advo Group Limited, visit our website www.advogroup.co.uk Advo Group Limited, ADVO House, St Leonards Road, Maidstone, Kent, ME16 0LS is registered in England (No. 4500663) and is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

advogroup.co.uk | NEW YEAR’S HR RESOLUTIONS, FROM HR EXPERTS

NEW YEAR’S HUMAN RESOURCE RESOLUTIONS, FROM HR EXPERTS www.advogroup.co.uk “January is always a good time to plan ahead for the year and ensure that you are in good shape for the next 12 months” explains Gail Watson of HR Experts, part of ADVO Group. “This applies to your HR processes and procedures, as well as other parts of your business. HR Experts have put together a checklist to help ensure nothing is overlooked”. Gail outlines the key components of HR Experts new year’s checklist below...

EMPLOYEE CONTACTS

If your holiday year ended in December Do you have signed contracts in place for have you agreed with staff how many all employees? Under the Employment days holiday they took last year and what Right Act 1986 you are required to the policy is regarding any unused days? provide a written statement of the main Under the Working Time Regulations terms and conditions of employment 1998 you are not permitted to pay for within 8 weeks of joining. So you should unused holidays – only on termination of check that any last minute joiners in employment. the hectic period before Christmas have received their contract.

BANK HOLIDAYS FOR PART TIME WORKERS ANNUAL LEAVE

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If you have employees who work parttime e.g. 3 days a week, they are entitled to paid Bank Holidays in proportion to the number of days they work.

There are normally 8 Bank Holidays each year, so someone working 3 days a week instead of 5 would be entitled to 3/5ths x 8 paid Bank Holidays. You also need to consider when Bank Holidays fall. If you have someone who only works on Tuesday and Wednesday

advogroup.co.uk | NEW YEAR’S HR RESOLUTIONS, FROM HR EXPERTS

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Employees can self-certify for up to 7 calendar days of absence but on the 8th day need to give you a Doctor’s Fit Note

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GAIL WATSON, HR EXPERTS for example, and there are no Tuesday and Wednesday Bank Holidays in a year, then you need to increase their annual leave entitlement by 2/5ths of 8.

ABSENCE POLICY Do you have any employees suffering from post-Christmas blues and taking duvet days?

In this case you need to make everyone clear about your rules for notifying you under your Absence Policy that they are not going to be reporting for work.

Are people texting rather than calling in person?

If so you may like to review your policy so you can implement the disciplinary process later if you need to. Employees can self-certify for up to 7 calendar days of absence but on the 8th day need to give you a Doctor’s Fit Note.

If they don’t supply one they are effectively on unauthorised absence and pay can be suspended. You may want to consider the disciplinary process for repeat offenders as well.

PRE EMPLOYMENT CHECKS On a more positive note you may be taking on more people to staff up for the year ahead. Please make sure you carry out proper pre-employment checks and in particular obtain Proof of the Right to Work in the UK before making any job offers. Click on this link for the Home Office list of acceptable documents.

RETURN TO WORK INTERVIEWS

https://www.gov.uk/check-job-applicantright-to-work

If you don’t already have them in place, in our experience Return to Work Interviews can cut absenteeism by 30%.

If you employ a lot of foreign nationals now is also a good time to check that any visas and work permits are still valid.

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advogroup.co.uk | NEW YEAR’S HR RESOLUTIONS, FROM HR EXPERTS You can be sent to jail for 5 years and pay an unlimited fine if you’re found guilty of employing someone who you knew or had ‘reasonable cause to believe’ didn’t have the right to work in the UK. This includes, for example, if you had any reason to believe that: • They didn’t have leave (permission) to enter or remain in the UK • Their leave had expired • They weren’t allowed to do certain types of work • Their papers were incorrect or false NATIONAL MINIMUM WAGE, LAW & PAY CHANGES For those of you paying the National Minimum Wage or Apprentice rates of pay it’s also good to make regular checks to ensure no-one now qualifies for increased rates of NMW or Apprentice pay.

In the Autumn statement the Chancellor announced £4.3 million increase for enforcement of the minimum wage. This money will be used to set up HMRC teams to target employers not paying legal rates. 2016 saw a record number of employers ‘named and shamed’ April 2017 will see the commencement of the apprenticeship levy. Employers

with an annual salary roll of £3 million and over will have to pay 0.5% of pay into a digital apprenticeship account.

The government will give employers a £15,000 yearly allowance to offset against this amount which will be applied monthly. Smaller employers are exempt.

However schemes in place on April 2017 will be protected from change until April 2018 with some relating to cars, accommodation or school fees remaining protected until 2021.

There is also a new law from 6 April 2017 requiring employers with 250 or more employees to publish a gender pay gap report. Employers will have to calculate and publish the mean and median hourly pay gap and annual bonus gap between men and women who fall in to four pay quartiles. Employers with under 250 staff are exempt.

The gig economy, where Instead of a salary, workers get paid for the ‘gigs‘ they do, like a food delivery or a taxi journey, has seen one of the most important employment law decisions of 2016. Uber taxi drivers are to be seen as workers rather than self-employed.

BENEFITS OF SALARY SACRIFICE REMOVED Salary sacrifice has proved to be very popular with staff. Employers taking advantage of reduced taxation where the employee doesn’t pay income tax and National Insurance Contributions aren’t paid on the amount of salary sacrificed, and the employer saving on NI contributions. These schemes have expanded greatly over recent years at a significant cost to HMRC. This tax advantage will be removed for all salary sacrifice schemes from April 2017 except for pensions, childcare vouchers, cycleto-work schemes and ultra-low emission vehicles.

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For those of you paying the National Minimum Wage or Apprentice rates of pay it’s also good to make regular checks to ensure no-one now qualifies for increased rates of NMW or Apprentice pay

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GAIL WATSON, HR EXPERTS advocate issue 20 | advogroup.co.uk | 12

CHANGES TO THE ‘GIG’ ECONOMY?

The London Employment Tribunal is currently hearing the first claim of four to be brought against similar companies operating similar styles of business.

Alongside numerous tribunal claims, the government has launched a review of modern employment to consider how these new models and ways of working are affecting employment rights. We expect to see more clarification in 2017.

So in summary there are changes and there’s a lot of things to check and as ever please don’t hesitate to contact us for any help or advice.

For more information please email hrexperts@advogroup.co.uk

discover how working with advo improves employee engagement speak to one of our employee benefit advisors today on 0845 2578833

For more information on Advo Group Limited, visit our website www.advogroup.co.uk Advo Group Limited, ADVO House, St Leonards Road, Maidstone, Kent, ME16 0LS is registered in England (No. 4500663) and is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

advogroup.co.uk | ADVO supports ‘a shed load of toys’

“

ADVO has been involved in a wide range of charitable events over the years for a number of different causes but the enthusiasm and drive shown across the company for this particular cause has been incredible

colin boxall, advo group advocate issue 20 | advogroup.co.uk | 14

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advogroup.co.uk | ADVO supports ‘a shed load of toys’

ADVO group supports a ‘Shed load of Toys’ christmas campaign In conjunction with Kent’s KMFM www.advogroup.co.uk In the run to Christmas, KMFM partnered up with Skinners Sheds to launch its ‘Shed Load of Toys’ appeal. The appeal saw toys donated across Kent which were then distributed to children spending the festive season in hospitals, or in care, across the county. ADVO were delighted to get behind the appeal and provided a substantial donation.

Staff throughout ADVO Group spent significant amounts of their own money to donate toys to the appeal. The generosity shown through the company been overwhelming with boxes and boxes of toys donated. Staff from ADVO loaded the toys and delivered them to one of the designated drop off points. The gifts were then loaded into the cars of KMFM’s official Street Team before the station’s presenters took to the roads.

The aim of the appeal is described by Kent Online “...to make this Christmas a nicer one for children who will be spending time in care in Kent. Sometimes just by giving them a gift, it can mean the world to them”.

for a number of different causes but the enthusiasm and drive shown across the company for this particular cause has been incredible.

He also commented “We are incredibly proud to have a workforce that embraces such causes so wholeheartedly and we hope our contribution will have helped the momentum of KMFM’s appeal” The Children’s homes that benefited from the appeal were Joynes House, Gravesend, Dartford, Civic Centre, QEQM Hospital (Rainbow Ward, Canterbury Hospital (Dolphin Ward), Homestart Charity, Canterbury, MHS Broadside, Chatham and Oakwood House, Maidstone.

Andrej Skrilovs from Paddock Wood Garden Centre, ADVO’s local distribution drop off point, commented “Thank you [ADVO Group] for donating so many toys to the children who really needs them. We will do our best to put a smile on their faces this Christmas!”

ADVO Group has previously supported a number of charities including takoing part in ‘Movember ‘and donating a large volume of IT equipment to the locally based ‘Computers 4 Africa’.

Many members of staff at ADVO have also previously undertaken individual projects to generate sponsorship donations, or organised events. Such ADVO’s Commercial Director Colin examples include driving across Europe Boxall commented in the annual ‘Crumball Rally’, as “ADVO has been involved in a wide well as organising Cancer Research range of charitable events over the years fundraising days, amongst others.

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advogroup.co.uk | an interview with corinne williams, simplyhealth

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The number of people aged over 50 in employment is rising and now makes up over a third of the total workforce

�

patrick thomson, centre for ageing better advocate issuu 20 | advogroup.co.uk | 16

advogroup.co.uk | an interview with corinne williams, simplyhealth

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The key to supporting employee well-being at work is centred around investing in line manager training and support corinna williams, simplyhealth

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www.simplyhealth.co.uk

The recent CIPD/Simplyhealth Absence Management Survey of more than 1,000 employers found that many companies are not adequately supporting their line managers in managing employee absence. In this interview, Corinne Williams, Director of HR & Engagement at Simplyhealth provides her insight into the survey’s findings and comments on the increasing focus employers are placing on staff wellbeing, a potential rise in presenteeism and the best ways in which organisations can tackle the issue.

The survey found that organisations are realising the importance of line managers in managing employee absence, but are failing to fully support their line managers in this area. For example, in training, tools and support.

What do you think are some of the main reasons behind this?

Investing in line manager capability brings wider benefits than just the ability to manage absence specifically.

The capability to manage absence comes partly from line managers’ understanding of the impacts of absence, and then the ability to translate the legal framework around absence management into sensible and timely activities to nip absence in the bud – such as return to work interviews. However, this is mainly about soft skills – the ability to hold a conversation with an employee that’s often emotive, deeply personal and may touch on issues that neither the employee nor the manager are comfortable with.

Another reason that some organisations may not be supporting their line managers as effectively as they could do in this area could be down to the fact that the benefits of this type of training are not tangible. Additionally,

the direct impact on employee absence may not be immediately measureable.

As a result, this may be why some organisations may choose to invest in their management training activities elsewhere. Also, many line manager soft skills, such as the ability to hold difficult or personal conversations, are gained through other development activities and general professional experiences. This could be a contributing factor to why some companies don’t invest in training their senior leaders to manage employee absence as a priority.

The survey also found that employers do seem to be placing an increasing value on the general wellbeing of their employees. What do you think are some of the most common reasons for this increase in awareness?

At Simplyhealth, our purpose is helping people make the most of life through everyday health. We do that by giving more people access to better everyday health support. We empower Healthcare professionals to give better care to more people. By virtue of what we do and why we exist, we also empower our own employees to focus on their own everyday health & wellbeing ensuring they are able to balance and make the

most of their day to day working and home lives.

We know that our own employees value the range of wellbeing benefits and initiatives that we provide at Simplyhealth and we know from our employee surveys that this is a consistent indicator of good employee engagement. As a result, we truly believe that this level of engagement and support of our employees’ health and wellbeing enables us as a company to drive great customer service and great productivity.

Do you think we will see employers continuing to increase their focus on employee wellbeing further still into 2017?

Yes, from the work that we do in collaboration with our intermediaries and corporate partners, we believe that employers will continue to increase their focus on employee wellbeing simply because health and wellbeing activities and related benefits are the strongest element of any employee value proposition (EVP). Employers that offer these types of benefits, alongside day to day pay and rations, are differentiating themselves from other employers in

advocate issuu 20 | advogroup.co.uk | 17

advogroup.co.uk | an interview with corinne williams, simplyhealth what is today a challenging talent attraction market.

The impact on employee engagement and consequently the impact on good attendance is an additional benefit from this type of investment. We absolutely believe that using employee wellbeing benefits is a great talent attraction tool as much as it’s an absence management opportunity.

It was found that absenteeism was generally more common in larger sized organisations. What do you think may be leading larger companies to experience this more frequently?

Employee incapacity or illness will have an impact on a business or team, no matter the size of the organisation.

Employee engagement and a true sense of role purpose plays a key part in the decision that employees may take whether to be in work or not. There is a perception that in larger organisations there may be times when an employee exercises a conscious decision to attend work when they are unwell but equally there may be employees who take time off work when they are not genuinely unwell. Factors such as company sick pay, the size of the impact on the rest of the team and the visibility of an employees absence might be some of the contributors that lead larger organisations to experience higher absence. It’s a complex area and every

“

organisation will experience different employee wellbeing; and having the right levels of absenteeism and presenteeism conversations early – even the tough for varying reasons. The important ones. aspect of this is implementing effective management techniques that benefit both the organisation, its individual employees and wider teams.

A potential rise in presenteeism at work was also suggested by the survey. Do you think presenteeism is likely to increase further?

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Every organisation, including our own, needs to ask whether they truly want to stop presenteeism and ensure employees feel empowered to make the right choice for the right reasons. Setting the right cultural expectation – that health comes first – and then demonstrating commitment to that, is the key to ensuring people know that it’s okay to be off sick when they are genuinely unwell.

What do you think are the best ways for employers or line managers to manage this?

The key to supporting employee wellbeing at work is centred around investing in line manager training and support; setting the right cultural expectations about employee health and wellbeing; considering the internal and external factors that impact employee wellbeing and putting in place targeted activities to reduce negative impacts and increase positive ones; listening and recognising the signs of change in

Employee incapacity or illness will have an impact on a business or team, no matter the size of the organisation

”

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The key to supporting employee wellbeing at work is centred around investing in line manager training and support

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This is about line managers knowing their people and their teams, understanding a bit about their people and their lifestyles and watching for changes in behaviour or productivity. Any absence or presenteeism that is outside of ‘normal’ individual behaviour patterns should be broached by the line manager. If it’s believed that there are factors causing an employee to either choose to be at work when they shouldn’t or choose to be absent when they could attend work, it’s the line manager’s responsibility to explore this further with the employee through early conversations, setting expectations for the future around what is acceptable and sustainable – for the benefit of the individual employee, the wider team and the organisation as a whole.

NATASHA GUNNING, advo group

discover our award winning customer service speak to one of our advisors today on 0845 2578833

For more information on Advo Group Limited, visit our website www.advogroup.co.uk Advo Group Limited, ADVO House, St Leonards Road, Maidstone, Kent, ME16 0LS is registered in England (No. 4500663) and is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

advogroup.co.uk | brexit, gig economy and pay to dominate 2017

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Very few employers want a ‘hard’ Brexit and the Government must consider this when planning its strategy for both the final arrangement and the transition towards it

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advogroup.co.uk | brexit, gig economy and pay to dominate 2017

Brexit, gig economy and pay will continue to define 2017 labour market according to cipd www.cipd.co.uk After a turbulent 2016, the next 12 months are set to prove even more challenging for the UK Government and businesses as the key issues of Brexit, the gig economy, pay and productivity will continue to dominate the labour market, according to the CIPD, the professional body for HR and people development.

In the CIPD’s annual labour market predictions, Ian Brinkley, acting chief economist, anticipates slower economic growth, a modest rise in unemployment, fewer new jobs and downward pressure on pay, as the UK continues to suffer from low productivity and continued uncertainty about its Brexit arrangement.

May-October 2016 and this trend of very weak job growth is expected to continue into 2017. He also predicts a modest increase in unemployment with fewer new jobs – possibly as few as 100,000 – being created throughout the year. It’s also expected that 2017 could be the year when inward migration to the UK from the rest of the EU starts to move towards permanently lower Commenting on 2016 Ian Brinkley said: levels. There was a sharp slowdown “The Brexit vote didn’t cause the in inward migration between Julyeconomy to fall off a cliff edge in September according to the Office of 2016, but there’s been a clear loss of National Statistics. The CIPD’s latest confidence in international markets Labour Market Outlook (Nov 2016) signalled by the fall in the pound and also found that almost four-in-ten (38%) slowing inward investment. The single of employers think it will be harder to biggest thing that the Government recruit EU workers in the year ahead could do to help in 2017 would be to and 28% have concerns that their give businesses greater certainty over current migrant workers may wish to the direction of travel, the residence leave the UK. status of migrants already in the country and the likely extent of restrictions On pay: on new flows of migrants. Very few employers want a ‘hard’ Brexit and Against a backdrop of anticipated higher the Government must consider this inflation, real wages are set to fall in the when planning its strategy for both the next 12 months. Most employers are final arrangement and the transition also likely to find that they are either towards it. We simply cannot afford for unable to or don’t need to offer higher businesses to live in limbo.” wages, making 2017 a year of no real terms pay rises for most people. The On the UK labour market: CIPD’s latest Labour Market Outlook (November 2016) saw employers expect Brinkley’s prognosis for UK labour median basic pay settlements of just market in 2017 is fairly bleak; with 1.1% for the 12 months ahead. slower economic growth, increased unemployment, fewer new jobs and On the gig economy and working a lack of pay rises for most. Overall, practices: employment stopped growing between

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advogroup.co.uk | brexit, gig economy and pay to dominate 2017 By international standards, the UK has a high share of permanent work and a high share of good quality jobs, but 2016 was marred by stories of poor employment practices, particularly amongst certain high street retailers and employers engaged in the gig economy, with the use of agency workers and the employment status and rights of people involved in different forms of atypical working coming under the spotlight.

Brinkley comments: “While the gig economy works for many people, we know that, for significant minorities, the experience of work is poor and getting worse. The publication of the independent review into employment practices led by Matthew Taylor next year will be the first real test of the new Government‘s appetite to regulate new forms of employment and ensure that flexible working works for all and that, where needed, employers make concessions on pay, hours and conditions. However, we expect the trend of flexible or ‘atypical’ employment practices – through agency work, zero

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hours and self-employment – to continue.

How to manage, train and progress an increasingly arms-length part of the workforce will remain a major and growing challenge for organisations and the HR profession in particular.”

On productivity: The CIPD welcomes the Government’s revamped productivity plan, backed by £23 billion of public investment, but calls for it to be more strongly focused on skills development in order to boost productivity.

Brinkley continues: “Once again in 2016, UK productivity has failed to turn a corner but we should expect a better year in 2017, thanks to investments announced in the Autumn Statement.

The National Productivity Investment Fund is a step in the right direction but it contained no specific measures to boost workforce skills and development.

At a time when the supply of migrant workers coming into the UK from the EU is likely to be restricted it’s a massive

the Government’s new industrial strategy for 2017 should focus much more strongly on the workplace and skills, with the single aim of improving productivity IAN BRINKLEY, CIPD

”

advocate issuu 20 | advogroup.co.uk | 22

oversight to not take the necessary steps to invest in developing the skills of the UK workforce. This is a major omission, given the strong link between skills and productivity. Diverting just five per cent of the fund towards skills development would provide over £1 billion in additional investment over the next four years.

“Equally, the Government’s new industrial strategy for 2017 should focus much more strongly on the workplace and skills, with the single aim of improving productivity. 2017 provides a chance to break from the old narrow focus on a handful of high tech and export sectors that has achieved little to date. Our economy is broad; investment in productivity must be too.

“Until we crack the UK’s productivity problem, and find ways to sustain productivity growth, it’s unlikely that we will see any improvement to living standards for some time.”

advo group are fully independent, private medical insurance experts speak to one of our employee benefit advisors today on 0845 2578833

For more information on Advo Group Limited, visit our website www.advogroup.co.uk Advo Group Limited, ADVO House, St Leonards Road, Maidstone, Kent, ME16 0LS is registered in England (No. 4500663) and is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

advogroup.co.uk |AN INTERVIEW WITH Andreas Konig, TeamViewer

“

Our research revealed that 79% of people across all demographics considered work-life balance more important than salary

andreas König, ceo, teamviewer advocate issuu 20 | advogroup.co.uk | 24

”

advogroup.co.uk | AN INTERVIEW WITH Andreas Konig, TeamViewer

“

workers are turning their back on the standard 9-5 office life, agreeing that it’s not relevant for the twenty-first century Andreas König CEO, teamviewer

”

www.teamviewer.com TeamViewer, a global provider of online meeting and remote support software, recently released ‘The End of Nine-to-Five’ report, which reveals that millions of workers would welcome a six hour working day as part of a rejection of the traditional 9-5 working week and towards a more flexible approach. TeamViewer’s CEO, Andreas König, provides some expert insight into the finding of this report, exploring issues around work-life balance, the role of management and the recent studies on working hours conducted in Sweden.

‘The End of Nine-to-Five’ report found that 11 million UK workers would wish to introduce a six hour working day.

Were you surprised that this figure was so high?

Technology, societal change and the rise of flexible, remote working and hot-desking are just some of the things challenging traditional office culture.

This is resulting in a fundamental shift in many of the ways of working that society has taken for granted, such as taking weekends off, working nine-tofive and commuting to an office.

At TeamViewer, we wanted to understand the true extent of this cultural shift, which is why we commissioned an independent survey of UK office workers. The research findings are summarised in ‘the End of Nine-to-Five’ report and reveal that, 72% of workers are turning their back on the standard 9-5 office life, agreeing that it’s not relevant for the 21st century.

We were not at all surprised by these findings, for the first time workers are demanding how, where and when they want to work and interest in a six-hour

advocate issuu 20 | advogroup.co.uk | 25

advogroup.co.uk | AN INTERVIEW WITH Andreas Konig, TeamViewer working day is just another example of this.

have this option. It’s clear that the UK workforce is keen for flexible working to It was highlighted that Sweden revealed become the norm. in 2015 that the country was moving to The report also found that 79% of people a six-hour day after successful trials. Do believe their work-life balance to be more The culture shift now needs to come you predict this will be successful move important than salary. Do you think this from the management levels within for this country? perspective belongs largely to certain these organisations to allow them this demographics or age groups, or is this freedom. As long as any concerns from For the past year the Swedish opinion felt across the workforce as a the business are addressed up front government has been conducting studies whole? and clear guidelines are in place on to try to determine whether a shorter what is expected from employees who workday increases productivity. The Our research revealed that 79% of people are working remotely or flexibility the results so far show that it does. across all demographics considered culture change should be relatively work-life balance more important than straightforward.

The project compared nurses working at salary, however this figure rose to 80% a retirement home, with a control group for 16 to 24 year olds, 81% for women The study found that not only would at a similar facility. The data showed that and 82% in the 35 to 44 age bracket. a six-hour day improve employees’ 68 nurses who worked six hour days took work-life balance, but that it could also half as much sick time as those in the The findings also showed a strong desire be beneficial for employers in boosting control group. And they were 2.8 times to introduce more flexible working. Do overall productivity. Do you think you think employers are yet to fully employers may be cynical of this, and if less likely to take any time off in a twoweek period. realise how sought after flexible working so, what do you think could change this is across the workforce? perception?

The results also showed that the nurses were 20% happier and had more energy TeamViewer’s recent survey revealed The business value of flexible working at work and in their spare time. This that 72% of UK office workers agree that is two fold. Firstly, allowing your allowed them to do 64% more activities being able to work remotely or flexibly employees to work remotely increases with elderly residents, one of the metrics makes them more effective in their jobs their productivity – if they’re on their researchers used to measure productivity. and 73% also agree that having the ability way to a meeting and arrive early to work flexibly or remotely makes them they can put this time to good use by feel more valued as an employee, making accessing important documents on the go. What would you recommend as additional tips for improving overall them more likely to remain loyal to the work-life balance for today’s employees organisation.

Secondly, recent research has shown that employees who are allowed to work and employers?

Companies need to respond if they want remotely are happier and with higher to continue to motivate their teams and levels of job satisfaction. As such, Our experience with flexible working attract the top talent. To fully support companies are far more likely to attract models is overwhelmingly positive – and today’s workforce, organizations need to the top talent by giving them the option we can certainly say that it brings about a realise that they can no longer enforce of flexible working. variety of benefits for both employee and policies that restrict remote and flexible employer. That is why we are preparing working. Instead they need to provide Our survey revealed that, 83.5% said comprehensive teleworking concepts for technologies that make it beneficial for that they don’t need to go into the office our own staff. the employees and the company. every day to be productive. What’s more, 82% agreed that all employees should be A common concern for businesses is Why do you think there is such a offered flexible working hours without that remote working is expensive and/or discrepancy between the number of it affecting their careers. A happy work difficult to implement. However, with the employees seeking a more flexible force can only mean better results! advent of online applications businesses approach to their working hours and the can give staff access to documents and 9-5 working timeframe offered by so let them collaborate easily and cost many employers? effectively.

The main issue holding businesses back from imposing flexible working is the idea that not only will it be difficult to implement, it will also be costly, time consuming and difficult to manage. None of this has to be the case.

A point to bear in mind is that online applications can give staff access to documents and let them collaborate easily and cost effectively. However, the most important point to consider is that by not implementing flexible working they are at serious risk of not being able to attract the top talent who will chose to go somewhere that meets their needs better.

TeamViewer’s recent survey revealed that 42% of office workers don’t have the ability to work flexibly but would like to

“

Our survey revealed that, 83.5% said that they don’t need to go into the office every day to be productive. What’s more, 82% agreed that all employees should be offered flexible working hours without it affecting their careers

advocate issuu 20 | advogroup.co.uk | 26

”

The technologies required to enable flexible working are straightforward.

Whether it’s a tablet, phone or laptop the employee is using they need to be allowed to access the company information and documents from home.

Access regulations can help organizations control who accesses what part of their infrastructure.

It’s also important to give the employee access to creative tools such as good quality video and online conferencing software as well as the ability to easily share documents.

For more information on TeamViewer visit www.teamviewer.com

ILLNESS OR INJURY CAN STRIKE ANYONE AT ANY TIME speak to one of our advisors on 0845 2578833 TO DISCUSS FINANCIAL PROTECTION COVER, protectING income against long-term absenteeism

For more information on Advo Group Limited, visit our website www.advogroup.co.uk Advo Group Limited, ADVO House, St Leonards Road, Maidstone, Kent, ME16 0LS is registered in England (No. 4500663) and is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

advogroup.co.uk | lack of sleep costs uk £40 billion a year

Lack of Sleep Costing UK Economy Up to £40 Billion a Year according to RAND Europe www.rand.org A lack of sleep among U.K. workers is costing the economy up to £40 billion a year, which is 1.86 per cent of the country’s GDP. According to researchers at the not-for-profit research organisation RAND Europe, sleep deprivation leads to a higher mortality risk and lower productivity levels among the workforce, which, when combined, has a significant impact on a nation’s economy.

A person who sleeps on average less than six hours a night has a 13 per cent higher mortality risk than someone sleeping between seven and nine hours, researchers found, while those sleeping between six and seven hours a day have a 7 per cent higher mortality risk. Sleeping between seven and nine hours per night is described as the “healthy daily sleep range”.

In total, the UK loses just over 200,000

working days a year due to sleep deprivation among its workforce.

Productivity losses at work occur through a combination of absenteeism, employees not being at work, and presenteeism, where employees are at work but working at a sub-optimal level.

The study, Why Sleep Matters – The Economic Costs of Insufficient Sleep, is the first of its kind to quantify the economic losses due to lack of sleep

advocate issuu 20 | advogroup.co.uk | 28

among workers in five different countries—the U.S., UK, Canada, Germany, and Japan. The study uses a large employer-employee dataset and data on sleep duration from the five countries to quantify the predicted economic effects from a lack of sleep among its workforce.

Marco Hafner, a research leader at RAND Europe and the report’s main author, says “Our study shows that the

advogroup.co.uk | lack of sleep costs uk £40 billion a year

with lower productivity levels and a higher mortality risk among workers.”

“

sleep deprivation not only influences an individual’s health and wellbeing but has a significant impact on a nation’s economy

”

He continues “Improving individual

sleep habits and duration has huge implications, with our research showing that simple changes can make a big difference. For example, if those who sleep under six hours a night increase their sleep to between six and seven hours a night, this could add £24 billion to the UK economy.”

over 200,000 working days being lost) and the U.K (up to $50 billion, with just over 200,000 working days lost) have similar losses. Canada was the nation with the best sleep outcomes, but still has significant financial and productivity losses ($21.4 billion, with around 80,000 working days being lost overall).

The U.S. has the biggest financial losses (up to $411 billion) and most working days lost (1.2 million) due to sleep deprivation among its workforce.

This was closely followed by Japan (up to $138 billion, with around 600,000 working days being lost overall).

Germany (up to $60 billion, with just

When looking at GDP, Japan has the largest loss (2.92 per cent) due to sleep deprivation among its workforce, followed by the U.S. (2.28 per cent) and the U.K (1.86 per cent). Canada and Germany have the smallest GDP loss due to worker sleep deprivation (1.35 per cent and 1.56 per cent, respectively).

advocate issuu 20 | advogroup.co.uk | 29

advogroup.co.uk |THE CURSE OF THE NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION

“

It is no surprise losing weight tops the New Year ambitions for Brits, but we need to be realistic in how much you want to lose

”

Dr Steven Luttrell, Interim Director for Bupa Cromwell Hospital advocate issuu 20 | advogroup.co.uk | 30

advogroup.co.uk | THE CURSE OF THE NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION

The curse of the New Year’s resolution – more than half of Brits admit to failure before they start according to bupa www.bupa.co.uk Many of us are thinking about our New Year’s resolutions. It’s no surprise that the top health resolution for 2017 is to lose weight, followed by exercising more and being less stressed. However in a poll of 2,000 Brits, Bupa found that of the people who said they would be setting a New Year’s resolution, half were not confident they would stick to it.

In a bid to counter this trend, 52% said that setting small, more achievable goals will help them stick to their New Year’s resolution. Around one in five people also admitted to setting overly ambitious, potentially unsustainable goals.

More women (58%) than men (45%) say setting smaller and realistic goals will help them keep their New Year’s resolutions, while more men (26%) than women (21%) say technology is the key to helping them keep their goals on track.

Commenting on the survey, Dr Steven Luttrell, Interim Director for Bupa Cromwell Hospital, said: “Many of us set ambitious targets at the end of the year but fail to stick to them when the regular routine kicks back in after Christmas break.

“

Many of us set ambitious targets at the end of the year but fail to stick to them when the regular routine kicks back in

”

He added: “It is no surprise losing weight tops the New Year ambitions for Brits, but we need to be realistic in how much you want to lose – everyone is different and it may take time to see the results.”

Steven recommends the following tips to building will power and sticking to New Year resolutions:

Establishing new routines is always a challenge, but taking small steps will 1. START SMALL help you on your way. You don’t need to make drastic changes to achieve your Habits are challenging to en-grain into New Year’s resolution.” everyday life; set smaller, more realistic

advocate issuu 20 | advogroup.co.uk | 31

advogroup.co.uk | an interview with corinne williams, simplyhealth goals and gradually build on them. If you you motivated. want to improve your fitness, start with easier exercises and work your way up 3. PROMPTS AND REMINDERS from there.

Leave prompts that will remind you of 2. PLAN your goals. If your New Year’s resolution is to walk more, leave your running shoes Routine is the key to sticking to a goal. somewhere you’ll see them, like the front When we’re not in a routine, we have to door or in the kitchen. Setting yourself make decisions quickly, which opens us reminders on your mobile phone or using up to weaknesses and temptation. If your apps that send you notifications will goal is to lose weight or eat healthier, encourage you to stick to your goals. plan your meals for the week ahead, write a shopping list and don’t go shopping 4. CHANGE YOUR ENVIRONMENT when you’re hungry!

Acknowledge your weaknesses and There are lots of health apps which can the things in your life that might help you plan and track your goals. The have stopped you from reaching your Bupa Boost app focuses on four key resolution. For example, if you want to areas: nutrition, fitness, mindfulness and eat less, use a smaller plate, if you want relaxation, and allows you to compete to cut back on snacking, don’t put snacks with your friends or colleagues to keep near you and if it’s the smell of a bakery

“

Establishing new routines is always a challenge, but taking small steps will help you on your way. You don’t need to make drastic changes to achieve your New Year’s resolution

”

Dr Steven Luttrell, Interim Director for Bupa Cromwell Hospital advocate issuu 20 | advogroup.co.uk | 32

on the way which triggers you to relapse, then think about taking a different route home.

5. ADDRESS EMOTIONAL STRESSES One of the reasons we adopt unhealthy habits is to help us cope with other issues in our life. Look to see how you can address these underlying areas. This will help build your mental strength to take on change.

6. SOCIAL SUPPORT Friends and family are some of the biggest influencers in our lives; sharing your goals with them can often help.

They will also often support you to keep on track and congratulate you on success which is also an important part of achieving your goals.

discover your perfect dental plan with advo group speak to one of our employee benefit advisors today on 0845 2578833

For more information on Advo Group Limited, visit our website www.advogroup.co.uk Advo Group Limited, ADVO House, St Leonards Road, Maidstone, Kent, ME16 0LS is registered in England (No. 4500663) and is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

advogroup.co.uk |energy in the workplace key to retention

“

When someone leaves a job, it is rarely a total surprise – usually colleagues and bosses are aware that the person is growing more distant

Professor Alexandra Gerbasi, University of Surrey advocate issuu 20 | advogroup.co.uk | 34

”

advogroup.co.uk | energy in the workplace key to retention

People’s energy in the workplace key to staff retention suggests research from the university of surrey www.surrey.ac.uk A research study has found that people’s energy towards colleagues has a major influence on how likely they are to leave their job voluntarily. The in-depth study was undertaken with IT workers over a four-year period by academics at the Grenoble Ecole de Management (France) and the Surrey Business School at University of Surrey.

Retaining staff is a key focus for companies since staff turnover causes huge costs in terms of recruitment fees, training and loss of organisational performance. It is estimated that replacing a high level executive can cost up to 4.5 times’ the employee’s salary.

The study reveals that people who have ‘energetic activations’ with colleagues are less likely to leave an organisation voluntarily than those with low energy towards workmates. However conversely, energized people who are also high performers are actually more likely to leave an organisation – probably because they have good alternatives elsewhere.

At the other end of the scale, low performers who do not energize others are likely to be asked to leave.

The research concludes that the people who are most likely to stay in their job voluntarily are those who are in the middle of the energy and performance spectrums. The research builds on the idea – developed in the early 2000s – that relationships have a strong bearing on how ‘embedded’ people are within an organisation, and how likely they are to leave.

The researchers conducting the study

believe that there are a number of strategies managers can implement in order to retain staff, such as including enthusiasm and energy as dimensions in rating schemes used during the hiring process, and in performance evaluations, and focusing on increasing energy in leadership training.

Since the research shows that high performers are likely to voluntarily leave an organisation, it is also important to address this by linking performance with a range of appropriate rewards.

Professor Alexandra Gerbasi, Director of Surrey Business School’s Centre for Leadership & Decision Making at the University of Surrey, commented: “While there has been much research in the past into staff turnover (with at least 1,500 published to date), there has not been a consensus about what causes people to leave their jobs.

“When someone leaves a job, it is rarely a total surprise – usually colleagues and bosses are aware that the person is growing more distant. What this research shows is that having a low level of energizing interactions, which causes an individual to feel isolated in their job, is often a major factor behind their decision to leave.”

advocate issuu 20 | advogroup.co.uk | 35

advogroup.co.uk | stop smoking services may combat depression

“

stop smoking services can be very effective at supporting people with depression, and that increased visits greatly improve the success of quit attempts

�

Dr Leonie Brose, Cancer Research UK advocate issuu 20 | advogroup.co.uk | 36

advogroup.co.uk | stop smoking services may combat depression

Stop smoking services may boost mental health of people with depression according to cancer research uk www.cancerresearchuk.org Smokers with depression who successfully quit smoking using stop smoking services may see an improvement in their mental health, according to new research, funded by Cancer Research UK and published in Annals of Behavioural Medicine.

Researchers at Kings College London and the Charles University in Prague who studied people attending a stop smoking clinic in the Czech Republic, found that successful quitters had a considerable improvement in their depression.

And two-thirds (66.3 per cent) of those who had moderate or severe depression when smoking described no or minimal symptoms during a one-year follow up.

fellow based at King’s College London and senior author of the publication, said: “Our study shows that stop smoking services can be very effective at The researchers also found that all those supporting people with depression, and who received the specialist behavioural that increased visits greatly improve the support and medication provided by success of quit attempts. the clinic, were more likely to remain smoke free for a year if they went back “The findings also suggest that giving for repeat visits. up smoking may improve depressive symptoms, improving mental as well as But they noted that people with physical health. depression were still less likely to quit successfully than those without. This highlights that different groups can benefit to different extents from the same support, and suggests that people with mental health problems need extra help.

Smoking rates among people with mental health conditions are more than double those of the general population (approximately 40% vs. 20%).

It’s estimated that of the 9.6 million adult smokers in the UK, around three million have a mental health condition.

Smoking is the single biggest factor contributing to a lower life expectancy associated with a mental health condition – a decrease of about 1020 years compared to the general population.

“

Giving up smoking may improve depressive symptoms, improving mental as well as physical health

”

“While there’s been an overall fall in smoking rates in recent decades, there hasn’t been the same decline among people with mental health problems.

“We hope that this research will help boost mental health services and stop smoking services in the UK giving effective support and medication to those who need it most.”

around three times more likely to quit successfully than those using no support at all.

The research is published as stop smoking services across England face continued budget cuts.

Local councils run the services, but funding comes from Westminster.

Year on year, cuts to the Public Health Grant from HM Treasury have placed considerable strain on local councils, and budgets for stop smoking services have been repeatedly slashed since 2013.

Alison Cox, Cancer Research UK’s director of cancer prevention, said: “This study draws attention to a vulnerable group who need more specialist support in their attempts to give up smoking.

“When it comes to tobacco-related illness, reducing the dramatic difference in the health of social groups is a really important issue.

“Because of this, it’s vital to protect funding for specialist stop smoking services, which remain the most effective route to quitting.”

This new study highlights just how vital Dr Leonie Brose, a Cancer Research UK stop smoking services are. In England, smokers who use similar services are

advocate issuu 20 | advogroup.co.uk | 37

advogroup.co.uk | thanks for reading

thank you for reading see you in the SPRING for the next edition of advocate magazine! issuu.com/advogroup Thanks for catching up with us here at ADVO Group for this Winter 2016/17 edition of Advocate magazine. Advocate will be back once again in the Spring to provide you with the very best human resource, occupational health, employee benefit and private medical insurance news, interviews, features and more!

ADVO Group’s account on In case you missed our key contacts at Issuu.com will continue to be the primary the start of the magazine you can get in home for Advocate magazine. touch with any of them on the contact details below.

The best way to stay in touch is by subscribing to the news section on the LARRY BULMER ADVO Group website. You can do this Chief Executive by entering your email address at lbulmer@advogroup.co.uk news.advogroup.co.uk/subscribe.

The subscription process is incredibly COLIN BOXALL simply and best of all; it’s absolutely Commercial Director free! cboxall@advogroup.co.uk If you’ve got a story that you think belongs in Advocate magazine, whether it’s news focusing on health insurance, human resources, occupational health or if you’d like to be interviewed then don’t hesitate to get in touch. Send your inquiries to info@advogroup.co.uk

KEVIN CREW IT Director kcrew@advogroup.co.uk GILL MATEO Operations Director gmateo@advogroup.co.uk

Just to remind you about who we are and what we can offer, ADVO Group is a multi award winning employee health benefit advisory looking after the requirements of many customers, from small businesses right up to multi national corporations. Whatever your health insurance or employee benefit needs, we are here to help. We offer entirely indepent, free and expert advice so don’t hesitate to pick up the phone and give us a ring on 0845 2578833. You can also email us at info@advogroup.co.uk.

advocate issuu 20 | advogroup.co.uk | 38

You can also get in touch by calling us on 0845 2578833, faxing us on 01622 769211. We also have three offices across the country.

Head office: ADVO House St Leonards Road Allington Kent ME16 0LS Oxford Office: 8 Old Station Yard Abingdon Oxfordshire OX14 3LD Newhaven Office: 36-37 Newhaven Enterprise Centre Denton Island Newhaven BN9 9BA You can also get in touch through any of our social media channels. You can find us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Google+. Thanks again for reading and see you in the Winter for the next edition of Advocate magazine.

advogroup.co.uk | thanks for reading

find every copy of advocate magzine online at issuu.com/advogroup Issue #19 AUTUMN 2016 In this edition, we look at ADVO’s fantastic win at the 2016 Insurance Times Technology Awards. ADVO were awarded the title of ‘Technology Innovation of the Year - Broker’ from a vast array of entrants form the wider UK insurance industry. We also look at ADVO being highly commended for ‘Best Group PMI Intermediary at the 2016 Health Insurance Awards, as well as winning the category of ‘Employee Benefits Intermediary of the Year’ at the 2016 Cover Excellence Awards. We also look at the latest human resource and occupational health stories including the CIPD’s research that almost 1 in 3 people have experienced mental health issues while in employment.

Issue #18 summer 2016 In this edition, we look at ADVO’s recent move towards unifying financial and payroll services with employee benefit management through the acquisition of ‘Payline’. Also, in light of the uncertainty following the result of the EU Referendum, ADVO’s Colin Boxall provides his opinion on whether staff benefits also face a period of change.

We are also looking at the biggest human resource and occupational health news including the studies that found that 1 in 2 employees feel they must switch companies to achieve a meaningful pay rise, that employees are spending more time with tea than on work based learning, and that flexible working may be the key to better working lives for Londoners.

Issue #17 spring 2016 This edition of the magazine features ADVO’s Colin Boxall and Emma Shaw who comment on the the recent trend in lower cost private medical insurance products and the use of technology in delivering employee benefits. Also featured are the studies which found ‘millennials’ may be the most demanding workforce demographic, that over a third of employees know or suspect their colleagues have a drug problem and that hip replacements have increased by seventy per cent for under fifty-fives. Also included are three interviews with industry leaders including Aviva Health UK’s Elizabeth Naulls and Dr Subashini MM who discuss the recent findings that only 43% of UK adults are a healthy weight.

don’t miss a copy, subscribe to our issuu channel... its 100% free! advocate issuu 20 | advogroup.co.uk | 39

Head Office ADVO House, St Leonards Road, Allington, Kent, ME16 0LS

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