CIPD report on mental health problems in the workplace

Posted on February 22, 2012 by renieshaw

In December 2011 the CIPD (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development) published a report entitled ‘Focus on mental health in the workplace’, which outlined the findings of a survey of over 2,000 employees to identify their experiences and attitudes about mental health in the workplace. The full report can be downloaded from the CIPD website but some of the key findings are summarised below.

A significant proportion of respondents (26% – more women than men) report they have experienced mental health problems while in employment. Interestingly, more than half (53%) of people who describe their mental health as poor say they always go to work when experiencing poor mental health and 42% say they sometimes do. This suggests that managing people with mental health problems in the workplace is just as important as managing their absence when they go off sick.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, significant numbers of respondents reported that going to work with poor mental health affects their ability to do their job. This is a challenge for employers who will clearly want to keep staff at work but will want to avoid the problem of presenteeism (i.e. staff coming to work when they are really too ill to function effectively). Respondents reported a number of difficulties when at work with poor mental health, including:

  •  finding it difficult to concentrate;
  • difficulty juggling a number of tasks;
  • taking longer to do tasks;
  • being put off by challenging tasks;
  • being less patient with customers and clients;
  • reduced ability to make decisions;
  • increased likelihood of conflict with colleagues;
  • more difficulty learning new tasks.

So, taking into account that more than a quarter of respondents have experienced mental health problems and more than half of people who describe their mental health as poor say they always go to work when experiencing mental ill health with some significant impact on their ability to do their jobs, what did employees report about the support they receive in the workplace?

Only four in ten respondents would feel confident disclosing a mental health problem to their employer or manager, while only one in four say their organisation encourages staff to talk openly about mental health problems. Those respondents who have disclosed mental health problems, however, reported quite positive experiences. Of the 43% of respondents (more women than men) who described their mental health as poor and have disclosed their stress or mental health problems to their employer or manager, 73% said they had not experienced any adverse treatment as a result and only 13% of respondents reported having received no support at all – the significant majority reported having received a lot of support or some support.

Employers/managers have an important role to play not only in supporting employees who are at work with mental health conditions, but also in supporting those who want to return to work after mental illness (an important part of a person’s recovery). Of course, employers are not expected to deal with an employee’s problems themselves. Instead, they should learn to recognise signs that somebody is struggling at work, encourage employees to talk about their issues and know where to find professional advice. A good starting point is the Health for Work Adviceline for immediate, professional guidance and signposting to relevant services, where necessary. Call 0800 0 77 88 44 for more information.

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Eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia – the road to recovery

Posted on February 20, 2012 by renieshaw
One size fits all

Image by ausserirdische sind gesund via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence

It’s Eating Disorders Awareness Week from 20-26 February 2012, a time to shed some light on the serious issues of eating disorders, to inform people about them and try to remove some of the stigma surrounding them.

Clearly, individuals make decisions about what and when they eat depending on a variety of factors such as the time of day, levels of hunger, nutritional considerations, personal preferences, etc. However, people whose eating routine is determined predominantly by an intense fear of becoming overweight are classed as suffering from eating disorders, and they risk seriously damaging their health as a result.

Eating disorders can take a variety of forms:

  • eating too much;
  • eating too little;
  • using harmful ways to get rid of calories (e.g. inducing vomiting or taking laxatives to encourage the emptying of the bowels).

There are three most common eating disorders:

  • Anorexia nervosa: This condition is characterised by an intense fear of gaining weight, which will make sufferers try to keep their weight as low as possible by denying themselves food. The condition is more common in men than women and usually develops during teenage years.
  • Bulimia: Bulimia is more common than anorexia nervosa and the vast majority of sufferers are women. The condition is characterised by consuming large amounts of food in a short time then deliberately being sick or using laxatives to empty the bowels.
  • Binge eating: Binge eating (episodes of uncontrollable eating) usually affects males and females equally and usually appears later in life (between the ages of 30 and 40). Due to the difficulty of precisely defining ‘binge eating’, it is not clear how widespread the condition is.

Signs of a potential eating disorder might include:

  • Regularly missing meals.
  • Being preoccupied with being overweight despite appearing to other to be in no need of losing weight.
  • Being unwilling to eat in public or only eating low-calorie foods.
  • Regularly going to the bathroom after eating meals.

The causes of eating disorders can be quite complex (e.g. depression and emotional distress, social pressures, the need to feel ‘in control’ of one aspect of one’s life) so it isn’t always easy for a sufferer to ascertain the reason for the problem. The treatment route should involve a professional counsellor or nutritionist who specialises in eating disorders who can give advice on other available options such as counselling, therapy, support groups, etc. Information on eating disorders and available treatments can be found on the NHS Choices website. For guidance on supporting an employee you fear may be suffering from an eating disorder, call the Health for Work Adviceline on 0800 0 77 88 44.

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Work-related musculoskeletal disorders

Posted on February 13, 2012 by renieshaw

Musculoskeletal disorders can affect the muscles, tendons, ligaments, nerves and the blood system and can include carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis, lower back pain and tension neck syndrome. They can be a major cause of loss of productivity in the workplace. Common areas of the body to be affected by musculoskeletal pain include the hands, wrists, elbows, neck, shoulders, lower back, hips, ankles and feet. Work activities which are frequent and repetitive (e.g. prolonged keyboard use), or activities with awkward postures, heavy lifting or physical strain can cause, or exacerbate, these conditions.

It isn’t necessarily the nature of a person’s movements that cause the musculoskeletal pain (they are often ordinary movements such as bending, straightening, gripping, holding, twisting, clenching and reaching). It is the fact that a person may make the same movements repetitively, often at speed and using force, and with no recovery time between movements that makes them hazardous. In some cases the person’s work may be poorly designed, which means that their work position or posture is awkward.

The most common symptom associated with musculoskeletal disorders is pain although some sufferers report joint stiffness, muscle tightness, ‘pins and needles’ and redness and swelling of the affected area. Musculoskeletal disorders can range from mild to severe and, as they are cumulative in nature, can be measured depending on the severity/longevity of the pain and the extent to which the pain affects a person’s ability to work:

  • Early signs: Aching/tiredness of the affected limb may occur during the work shift but disappears when the person stops working and does not affect the person’s ability to work.
  • Signs that the condition is progressing: Aching/tiredness occur early in the work shift and persist at night, and may make it difficult for the person to do repetitive work.
  • Advanced condition: Aching, fatigue, and weakness continue constantly and the person may struggle to sleep and perform light duties.

In order to limit the number of cases of musculoskeletal disorders organisations should perform comprehensive risk assessments and ensure they comply with existing legislation and good practice guidance. Musculoskeletal disorders can cause acute symptoms however they can develop gradually, be cumulative and could lead to loss of productivity, sickness absence and, potentially, occupational disability. Employees feeling any pain or discomfort should be encouraged to report it to their line manager. Any individual experiencing musculoskeletal pain should seek advice from their GP.

Free advice on employee health issues is available for organisations on England from the Health for Work Adviceline. Call 0800 0 77 88 44 to find out more about looking after the health of your staff, including preventing employee health problems caused by their work.

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Employee health screening – why it’s worth doing

Posted on February 8, 2012 by renieshaw
Swimming

Image by Jim Bahn via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence

Employee health screening (or ‘lifestyle assessment’) can be used to help identify potential risk factors for future poor health and areas to focus on in order to optimise wellbeing. As an organisation’s employees are its most important asset, it makes sense to do what can be done to detect illness, where possible, and to promote a healthy lifestyle – keeping employees healthy and productive arguably makes sound financial sense. Recent estimates place the cost of sickness absence to the UK economy at £100 billion each year (source: 2011 independent review of sickness absence in the UK), which highlights the importance of keeping people healthy and in work, where possible.

Health screening/lifestyle assessment usually comprises a combination of tests such as blood pressure reading, cholesterol tests and lifestyle analysis (e.g. alcohol intake, smoking habits, physical activity etc.) which aim to give the individual an overview of their current health status and help detect disease or risk factors early so that a referral can be made to the individual’s GP for onward management. This is important as people may be aware that they have health issues but have not been tested to determine the risk that these problems may potentially present to their health.

Employee health screening (lifestyle assessment) offers a variety of benefits both for organisations and the individuals who work for them, including:

  • reduced sickness absence levels;
  • improved productivity;
  • improved morale and loyalty amongst employees, particularly as health screening demonstrates that employers care about their staff and are dedicated to helping them stay healthy.

Common health screening tests include:

  •  Blood glucose levels.
  • Blood pressure and pulse rate analysis.
  • Cholesterol testing.
  • Vision screening.
  • Lung function tests.
  • ECG (to detect abnormal heart rhythms and investigate the cause of chest pains).
  • Height, weight and body mass index (BMI) tests.
  • Health and lifestyle interviews including discussion of family history of health issues.

The Health for Work Adviceline advisers can offer guidance on how to access lifestyle health assessments in your area appropriate to your organisational needs and budget. When a programme of health screening is commissioned, you can ask to be provided with an anonymised organisational report which may highlight areas for further interventions.  For guidance, speak to an adviser for free on 0800 0 77 88 44.

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What obesity means for organisations

Posted on February 3, 2012 by renieshaw
Weighing in

Image by redeyeˆ via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence

As we saw in the first part of this blog (Obesity and its effects) being overweight/obese can put people at risk of some serious health issues such as coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, certain cancers, etc. A survey carried out by Personnel Today in 2005 of more than 2,000 HR professionals in organisations of all sizes set out to investigate respondents’ views on obesity and the way they treat overweight people. The results were fairly shocking – an amazing 93% of respondents stated that during the recruitment process they would choose to hire a person of ‘normal weight’ over an obese individual purely on the basis of their weight.

Interestingly, whilst almost 50% of respondents in the survey believed that obesity negatively affects employee output, around three-quarters admitted that their organisation was doing nothing to actively tackle staff obesity. Despite being a serious and growing problem, obesity isn’t a topic that is often discussed openly in the work environment. But, why?

It may have to do with the stigma surrounding obesity. It is assumed by many that obesity is something that could be controlled by the individual (i.e. by not over-eating), which suggests that obese individuals are somehow lacking in willpower or self-control and can lead to them being stigmatised. Related to this is the fact that it is common for people to feel more sympathetic towards those whose obesity can be put down to a health condition (e.g. thyroid problems) as though this makes it somehow ‘excusable’.

In addition, many believe obesity to be caused by emotional problems so they steer away from the topic for fear of ‘opening a can of worms’ by probing for information. (It is generally acknowledged that people find it much easier to discuss physical health issues than mental health problems for precisely this reason.)

Because of the rising levels of obesity in the UK it is a problem that employers increasingly have to face. Because employers are legally obliged to assess any risks to staff and take reasonable steps to reduce these risks, it should really be clear from the outset whether a person’s weight is likely to prevent them from doing their job safely and effectively. However, some people may become obese as a result of underlying health conditions such as diabetes, arthritis or depression. If an individual’s functional ability is impacted as a result of the obesity or other illness, the Equality Act 2010 may apply.

Whilst not covered by legislation, organisations should promote healthy lifestyles and wellbeing amongst employees so that people become more aware of making healthy choices. Employers will also need to be aware of any discrimination against obese individuals in the workplace and take steps to put an end to it.

Ultimately, obesity and obesity-related illness can cause a significant drop in employee and organisational productivity, so everything possible should be done to deal with the issue for the sake of the individual as well as the organisation. For guidance on this complex issue, contact the Health for Work Adviceline on 0800 0 77 88 44.

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Obesity and its effects

Posted on February 2, 2012 by renieshaw
Measuring time

Image by aussiegall via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence

In this first part of a two-part blog on obesity and work, we’ll be looking at what actually constitutes obesity, and how it can affect people. The second part (to be posted tomorrow) will investigate employers’ responsibilities towards employees who are obese.

Obesity is a major (and growing) problem in the UK, particularly among young adults. The number of obese adults in the UK has nearly tripled since 1980 and has come to be known as ‘the obesity epidemic’. It has been estimated that around 60-70% of men (and 50-60% of women) in the UK are classed as being ‘overweight’ and around 25% of men and women in the UK are classed as being ‘obese’ (Department of Health, Obesity General Information).

Generally, assessment of whether a person is overweight/obese is made by:

  • calculating body mass index (BMI);
  • measuring waist circumference.

To calculate BMI a person’s weight (in kilograms) is divided by the square of their height (in metres). So, for example, a person weighing 75 kg who is 1.70 metres tall would perform the following calculation:

BMI = 75 / (1.70 x 1.70) = 26

The table below gives an indication of how to interpret BMI measurements using the UK classification of BMI.

BMI Category
< 18.5 Underweight
18.5 to 24.9 Ideal
25 to 29.9 Overweight
30 to 39.9 Obese
40+ Very/morbidly obese

Measuring waist circumference can also give some idea of whether a person is at risk of developing weight-related health issues. This is because it is not only a question of how much weight a person is carrying, but where they are carrying it. People who carry excess fat mainly around the waist (people who are ‘apple-shaped’) are at greater risk of developing health issues that people who carry excess weight around the hips and thighs (‘pear-shaped’). So if two people are measured as having the same BMI, the person with the larger waist measurement will be considered to be at greater risk of health problems.

Overweight or obese individuals can experience a whole host of day-to-day issues, including:

  • tiredness and a lack of energy;
  • shortness of breath or difficulty managing sudden bursts of physical activity (e.g. running for a bus);
  • increased perspiration;
  • skin irritations;
  • difficulty sleeping;
  • back and joint pains affecting mobility.

In terms of health problems, overweight or obese individuals are at an increased risk of developing:

  • type 2 diabetes;
  • high cholesterol;
  • high blood pressure;
  • coronary heart disease;
  • stroke;
  • fertility problems;
  • stress incontinence (leaking urine when laughing, coughing, etc.);
  • gallstones;
  • cancers (including colon, breast and womb cancer);
  • gout;
  • fatty liver.

So, it is clear that obesity is a serious issue that will progressively cause problems for working-age adults as more people become obese and obesity increasingly becomes a topic that employers/line managers need to broach with staff. However, as we’ll see in the second part of this blog (to be published tomorrow), obesity isn’t something that people find easy to discuss openly and can therefore be very difficult to manage.

If you are worried about obesity and its effects in your organisation/team, visit the Health for Work Adviceline or call 0800 0 77 88 44 for free, professional advice.

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Cancer and work

Posted on January 25, 2012 by renieshaw

This week (23-29 January 2012) is Cancer Talk Week, which aims to help raise awareness of cancer and encourage people to talk openly about it. Receiving a cancer diagnosis is a life-changing event. In addition to dealing with the diagnosis, prognosis and prospect of on-going treatment, people can often find it very hard to talk to others about their condition, not least because other people may feel awkward or uncomfortable talking about such a sensitive issue perhaps because they aren’t sure of the ‘right’ thing to say or are scared of saying the ‘wrong’ thing.

According to Macmillan Cancer Support (which offers support and information to people affected by cancer) more than one in three people will be affected by cancer at some point in their lives so the likelihood is that most people will know people who are suffering from cancer. Cancer can occur at any age although the risk of developing cancer increases with age. The most common cancers for men and women are:

Men Women
Prostate cancer Breast cancer
Lung cancer Colon and rectal cancer
Colon and rectal cancer Lung cancer
Bladder cancer Uterine (womb) cancer

Importantly for employers, cancer is now covered as a disability under the remit of the Equality Act 2010 either because the illness itself may limit a person’s day-to-day activities, or because possible effects of the illness (such as depression, which may occur as a result of the diagnosis) can be classed as a disability. Because of this, employers must offer appropriate support to employees suffering from cancer in order to fulfil their legislative duties.

Being diagnosed with cancer does not necessarily mean the end of someone’s career. Whilst participation in (and recovery from) treatments may mean a certain amount of time off work, not all cancer sufferers take long-term sickness absence. However, because no two cancer diagnoses are the same, employers need to remain flexible when working with employees to decide on issues such as:

  • what they are and are not capable of doing;
  • how their treatment is likely to affect their ability to work (how long they may need to be off work, etc.);
  • what adjustments should be made to their work in order to allow them to continue working (in so far as this is possible);
  • whether they need to be restricted from specific working environments (e.g. exposure to infection sources during chemotherapy);
  • discussion of any external support services that could be of help;
  • what on-going support employees feel they may need.

For advice on supporting an employee who has been diagnosed with cancer, or for help with any other employee health issues, call the free Health for Work Adviceline on 0800 0 77 99 44. In addition, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) has a downloadable guide on its website entitled ‘Cancer and working: guidelines for employers, HR and line managers’, which offers guidance for employers on dealing with the issues arising at different stages of the illness.

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Unravelling the terms ‘health + safety’ (H&S) and ‘occupational health’ (OH)

Posted on January 23, 2012 by renieshaw
?

Image by Colin_K via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence

The terms ‘occupational health’ (‘OH’) and ‘health + safety’ (H&S) can be confusing. They are both very important but are often mistaken for each other, and both encompass a wide range of activities, which overlap with each other to a certain degree.

The mere mention of H&S is enough to make some people groan as they conjure up images of over-zealous health and safety inspectors and overly-stringent health and safety rules. In reality, however, H&S is a vitally-important discipline defined by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) as “preventing people from being harmed by work or becoming ill by taking the right precautions and providing a satisfactory working environment”.

OH could be described as “the promotion and maintenance of physical and mental well-being of all staff and the prevention of ill health”. It is about the effects of work on a person’s health and ensuring that employees are fit for the work they do.

H&S practices may appear to be pro-active (preventing risk) and OH practices re-active (dealing with employee health issues once they occur). However, there is significant scope within OH to monitor employee health and prevent illness before it occurs.

The differences…

One way of considering the difference between H&S and OH might be to consider the difference between accidents and illnesses. For example, some work practices may put employees at risk and therefore need to be tightly controlled (e.g. production lines, organisations that require staff to work with heavy machinery, toxic substances, etc.). These safety aspects would be controlled by health and safety legislation. Similarly, particular types of work can put employees’ health at risk (e.g. lead poisoning or noise-induced hearing loss, stress or musculoskeletal disorders, etc.). The process of trying to prevent ill health, monitoring employee ill health and helping employees stay at work or return to work during/after illness might fall under the remit of a person involved in the provision of OH services.

The similarities…

The cross-over between the two disciplines is present in the areas of ‘risk assessment’ (ensuring that processes and policies are put in place to reduce work-related ill health). If the aim of H&S is to make working environments as safe and risk-free as possible, then risk assessment is vital. The same goes for OH: as OH sets out to check prior to exposure that employees are satisfactorily assessed for fitness to do their allocated jobs, to ensure that employees do not carry out tasks that they are unable to do due to a health issue, and to monitor the health of staff who at risk of developing occupational disease due to their work (health surveillance), then risk assessment is vital on all counts. One other notable similarity between the two disciplines is that they both require commitment and involvement from both employers and employees.

It is often the case that more attention is given to health + safety issues in the workplace because these are easier to quantify and manage than OH issues. For example, it is easier to work out what has caused an accident at work than to assess whether an employee’s on-going health problems have been caused by, or exacerbated by, the working environment.

Any organisation whose employees are suffering from health issues that are affecting their ability to do their jobs would benefit from OH guidance. The Health for Work Adviceline offers free, professional advice on employee health issues with the aim of reducing sickness absence and keeping people and organisations healthy and productive. Visit the website or call Freephone 0800 0 77 88 44 for more information.

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Multiple sclerosis (MS) and work

Posted on January 18, 2012 by renieshaw

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neurological condition that is often diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50 (i.e. prime working years) and is one of the most common causes of disability amongst young adults. MS is a ‘hidden/invisible’ disease (i.e. it can be extremely debilitating for the sufferer but the extent of its impact is not visible to others), which can make it very difficult for others to appreciate the difficulties sufferers face day-to-day.

The symptoms of MS fluctuate and worsen over time, which can be a challenge at work and can lead sufferers to step out of work prematurely unless they are offered support to help them to continue. Because sufferers require additional support in order to work effectively, they may feel vulnerable at times of economic downturn when there is a real risk of job losses.

Some of the symptoms of the condition can limit sufferers’ ability to work, including:

  • fatigue;
  • depression and anxiety;
  • limitations in mobility;
  • reduced dexterity;
  • slurred speech;
  • urinary and faecal frequency and urgency;
  • cognitive impairment causing memory and concentration difficulties.

Whilst there is no cure currently available for MS, there are interventions that can significantly reduce the impact the condition has on the lives of sufferers and their ability to remain in employment. In fact, continued participation in work for people with long-term conditions is now a specific goal in the new NHS Outcomes Framework and interventions now focus on the capacity of individuals with MS, rather than their incapacity.

When an employee is diagnosed with MS, an employer/line manager will need to begin to understand the condition and how to support the employee. It is important that employees are clear about their duties under the Equality Act 2010 not to discriminate against people with disabilities. Because the symptoms of MS fluctuate over time particular consideration needs to be given to creating a flexible working environment and making necessary adjustments to help people with MS to stay in or return to work. For advice on supporting employees with MS or other health conditions, call the Health for Work Adviceline on 0800 0 77 88 44.

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Official launch of ‘new’ Adviceline to help businesses manage sickness absence

Posted on January 13, 2012 by renieshaw

This week (11 January 2012) saw the official launch of the new Health for Work Adviceline (the Adviceline). This enhanced service continues to offer free telephone advice to businesses with particular emphasis on organisations with fewer than 250 employees who often feel the burden of sickness absence the hardest, particularly during this period of relative economic instability.  Now, however, further services have been added, which means that the Adviceline now offers advice in three ways:

  1. Free telephone advice for employers on Freephone 0800 0 77 88 44.
  2. Self-service information through access to an extensive, intelligent, on-line knowledge base.
  3. On-line communication with a contact centre by submitting a question to the support team, or ‘chatting’ directly with a member of the team (a form of instant messaging).

The launch of this enhanced service follows the publication in November 2011 of the Government’s independent review of sickness absence (the Review) undertaken by health and business experts Dame Carol Black (expert adviser on health and work to the Department of Health) and David Frost (former Director General, British Chambers of Commerce). The Review found that all too often the sickness absence system pushes people away from work and that employers, especially those who do not have their own occupational health services, find it very hard to get independent, bespoke advice for more complex sickness cases.

Each year around 11 million employees in the UK take sick leave and, while most people return to work, around 300,000 people go on to claim health-related benefits. This costs the taxpayer £13bn a year and causes the country as a whole to miss out on £15bn in economic output. Overall, working-age ill health and sickness absence cost the UK economy more than £100 billion each year. The impact is particularly significant for small businesses for whom the cost of sickness absence is around £700 per employee per year (CIPD, 2010) – a substantial cost for small businesses to cover.

Building on the success of a pilot service, which provided over 2,000 one-to-one advice sessions and achieved a 98% satisfaction rate and over 4,000 website visits per month, the new Adviceline provides swift access to individually-tailored and free professional advice and guidance that aims to enhance business performance, increase productivity and improve staff morale. With this new service, managers in small businesses based in England can now access precisely the type of advice and support they told the Review they needed by getting help:

  • finding the information and support they need to help an employee experiencing ill health;
  • developing a plan to deal effectively and sympathetically with employee sickness absence;
  • establishing how to manage similar problems in the future, should they occur;
  • thinking differently about their business and the returns they will get from investment made in maintaining a healthy workplace.

By managing sickness absence more effectively at an organisational level and improving the health and wellbeing of employees, SMEs will also make a significant contribution to the health and wellbeing of the economy at a time when it is most needed.

“The Health for Work Adviceline provides managers in small and medium-sized businesses with access to high quality professional occupational health advice, getting employees back to health and back to work.” (Dame Carol Black – expert adviser on health and work to the Department of Health)

“The Health for Work Adviceline is a significant element of the Government’s plan to create healthier workplaces.

“It gives small and medium sized businesses access to professional and tailored occupational health information, advice and guidance. This means that employers can support the health of their employees to reduce incidents of sickness absence, help their timely return to work following mental or physical ill health absence, and help to reduce the numbers claiming sickness benefits.” (Lord Freud – Work and Pensions Minister)

“A healthy workforce is key to a successful, healthy business and this free Adviceline is good news for small businesses… Employers can now receive professional advice that is tailored to their needs, helping them to retain an employee’s services or assist them back to work sooner after a period of sickness absence.” (Sayeed Khan – Chief Medical Advisor for EEF, the manufacturers’ organisation)

 

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