Health and Wellbeing

Creativity counts in times of crisis

It has been widely acknowledged that creativity is one of the key ingredients for business success. It’s also a particularly useful attribute to possess when running a company in the worst health pandemic in living memory.

COVID-19 has forced all of

us to re-evaluate the way we do things, particularly when it comes to working practices. It has called into question the viability of the physical office, with thousands of staff across London spending the last few months working from the confines of their own home.

In truth, remote and flexible working had become more common by the time COVID-19 hit UK shores, with technology allowing more people to work from home or on the move. The virus has merely reinforced the message that, in many cases, it’s possible for people to carry out their day jobs remotely.

However, this is not necessarily a good thing; several reports have highlighted workers’ increased anxiety and isolation due to being away from the office environment. Other studies have reported an erosion in the divide between work and home life, with some workers feeling unable to switch off from work to enjoy time with their families.

❛❛The COVID-19 crisis has

also been a major trigger for a rise in poor mental health in the workplace. According to a new study by the HSE, more than 820,000 people experienced work-related stress, anxiety or depression in the last year, with around 1.7 million workers in

total suffering from a work-related illness.❜❜

The COVID-19 crisis has also been a major trigger for a rise in poor mental health in the workplace. According to a new study by the HSE, more than 820,000 people experienced work-related stress, anxiety or depression in the last year, with around 1.7 million workers in total suffering from a work-related illness. A total of 645,000 workers reported that their work-related illness was caused or made worse by the coronavirus pandemic; 70 per cent of these were cases of stress, depression or anxiety. In addition, 93,000 workers reported catching COVID-19 at work, with 52,000 of them working in the human health and social work sector.

Another important consequence of COVID-19 has been its impact on the creativity of the workforce. Even before the pandemic happened, a survey of 1,000 UK employees by Paragon Customer Communications revealed that 58% of staff thought their performance was stifled as they didn’t have adequate access to business support services when working remotely. With more staff working from home due to COVID, that figure is likely to have risen further in the last couple of years. Creativity can help companies solve problems for their clients, stand out from the crowd and win new business. It’s therefore a vital ingredient for any successful business. Individuals can be creative on their own, but many studies have shown that a culture of creativity is best fostered in a shared environment, where bright minds can work together to tackle everyday issues. This doesn’t necessarily need to happen in a formal meeting; some of the best ideas come from that chance encounter with a work colleague over a cup of coffee in the common room.

Andy Haldane, chief economist at the Bank of England, has studied the impact of COVID-19 on the way people work in the UK, and considers what this might mean for people’s creativity and wellbeing, as well as the health of the economy. His analysis considers a range of issues, including the effects of home-working on productivity and output, creativity and relationships, wellbeing and happiness. The home-working trend, which has been fast-tracked by COVID, therefore seems to be a double-edged sword, as Andy Haldane alludes to in the report: “COVID has re-shaped our working lives, our economic contributions and our well-being, certainly in the short-term but probably in the longer term too. Whether this change is for the better is one of the key questions of our time, as workers, businesses, policymakers and citizens. “The evidence so far on these issues cannot at this stage be more than illustrative. There is a balance to be struck between events which distract and events which fire the imagination. For me, the 0-5 model of home-working strikes this balance in the wrong place, as with hindsight did my pre-pandemic 5-0 model [of working full-time in the office].”

Health and Wellbeing The conclusions of the report are striking. It found that, in general, home-working has led to increased workplace happiness and a greater sense of workplace empowerment, although there has been no discernible rise in workplace productivity and output. However, the isolation of being away from the office appears to have resulted in a loss of creativity that tends to be gained from those chance, five-minute conversations or informal meets in the workplace.

❛❛COVID has re-shaped our working lives, our economic contributions and our well-

being, certainly in the shortterm but probably in the longer term too. Whether this change is for the better is one of the key questions of our time, as workers, businesses,

policymakers and citizens.❜❜

Regardless of the working practices that companies and individuals choose to adopt, the key is to ensure that productivity and creativity levels among the workforce remain high. This can be achieved in a number of different ways, such as establishing a rigorous timetable for each working day, ensuring that staff take regular breaks from their PC screen, and encouraging them to take some form of daily exercise outside in the fresh air.

A healthy, productive workforce can also have a positive impact on a company’s bottom line. For example, several firms have saved thousands of pounds by ditching their expensive town or city centre office and moving to a more cost-effective working model, which includes co-working and flexible renting of office space. The traditional 9-5 working model appears to be dead in the water. Since March 2020, companies have discovered that they don’t need to be located in large, expensive offices, where they are ❛❛Creativity can

help companies solve problems for their clients, stand out from the crowd and win new business. It’s therefore a vital ingredient for any successful

business. ❜❜

saddled with a long-term lease and their staff may have a long daily commute. While home-working has benefited many people, others miss the camaraderie and interaction with colleagues on a personal and professional level. They crave for some level of interaction now and then. This is why more companies may be tempted to take up the option of flexible co-working space, which would allow people to meet on an ad-hoc basis for client meetings or to share ideas with colleagues.

Sharing ideas can foster creativity, which can ultimately lead to greater operational efficiency and the development of new products and services. Many London companies have showcased their creative qualities in the pandemic, which has enabled them to survive and, in some cases, thrive. More of the same will be needed throughout 2022 and beyond as businesses seek to capitalise on a future economic recovery. ❛❛A healthy, productive workforce can also have a

positive impact on a company’s bottom line. For example, several firms have saved thousands of pounds by ditching their expensive town or city centre office and moving to a more cost-effective working model, which includes co-working and flexible

renting of office space. ❜❜