Evaluation of pilot stage of occupational health (OH) Adviceline services – Part 1: What it’s all about

Posted on March 28, 2012 by renieshaw

In 2008, Dame Carol Black’s review of the health of Britain’s working age population* estimated the economic costs of sickness absence and worklessness associated with working age ill-health to be over £100 billion a year. The review identified a number of key challenges to keeping Britain’s workforce healthy and in work, including the fact that:

  •  small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with fewer than 250 employees generally have little or no access to occupational health (OH) support to help them deal with employee sickness absence or employee health issues at work;
  • the business case for investment in the health and wellbeing of employees is inadequately understood by employers.

In response to the findings of this 2008 review, a number of measures were undertaken including the introduction of the ‘fit note’ (switching the focus from what employees are too ill to do to what they can do) and the introduction of an occupational health advice lines service (the Adviceline services) geared towards offering tailored advice and support to employers/managers in smaller organisations on employee health issues.

The Adviceline services were designed to test and promote the demand for OH services amongst SMEs and the pilot phase of the service ran from the end of 2009 until March 2011. Specifically, the Adviceline services aimed to provide SMEs with early and easy access to high quality advice concerning employee health issues. Three services were set up for the pilot phase covering:

The evaluation of the performance of the Adviceline services produced for the DWP** reported on in this two-part blog takes into account the results of all three services. Where possible, however, this blog will highlight results specific to the Health for Work Adviceline (England).

Data from the pilot phase was collected using:

  • a telephone survey of service users conducted four to eight weeks after using the service;
  • in-depth qualitative interviews conducted by phone with service users (recruited through the survey) which took place some months after using the service;
  • regular face-to-face and telephone contact with staff providing the service to identify process issues.

Overall, the evaluation of the Adviceline services was extremely positive and the services offered during the pilot phase were assessed as:

  • having been successful in targeting SME employers who needed help to manage an employee’s health problem in the workplace;
  • being highly valued by users and appearing to be addressing a genuine desire for professional OH support among SMEs (the overwhelming majority (more than 90%) found it useful and stated that they would recommend it to others);
  • providing fast access to professional advice.

Part 2 of this blog (to be posted on 11 April) will look at the feedback received from service users in more detail, and how experience gained during the pilot phase has influenced the design of the service going forward. In the meantime, if you’re looking for help with employee health issues, call the free Health for Work Adviceline on 0800 0 77 88 44.

*Black, C. (2008) Working for a healthier tomorrow.

**Sinclair, A., Martin, R., Tyers, C. (2012) Occupational Health Advice Lines evaluation: Final report.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

It’s Purple Day – raising awareness of epilepsy

Posted on March 26, 2012 by renieshaw

Photo by amandabhslater via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence

Purple Day (the 26th March each year) is an international grassroots effort dedicated to increasing awareness about epilepsy worldwide. People in countries around the world are invited to wear purple and host events in support of epilepsy awareness. Purple was chosen to represent the day based on the colour lavender, which is the international colour for epilepsy; the lavender flower is also often associated with solitude, which is representative of the feelings of isolation many people affected by epilepsy and seizure disorders often feel.

Epilepsy affects over 50 million people worldwide or approximately one in 100 people (more than multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy and Parkinson’s disease combined) yet it is a very misunderstood (and therefore feared) and stigmatised condition.

Epilepsy is a condition of the brain that is characterised by recurrent seizures (when there is a sudden excessive electrical discharge that disrupts the normal activity of the nerve cells in the brain). Approximately one in ten adults will experience at least one seizure during a lifetime (seizures can take many different forms, including  muscle spasms, uncontrolled movements, altered awareness, odd sensations, ‘losing a few minutes’ and not knowing what has happened, or convulsions) although having one seizure does not constitute epilepsy (epilepsy  is characterised by multiple seizures). If epilepsy is successfully controlled by medication, a person may be seizure-free so there is no reason why they shouldn’t lead a normal working life.

Employers need to carry out a risk assessment of employees diagnosed with epilepsy in order to identify any possible safety risks to the employee or others in the workplace. As epilepsy affects each person differently and every workplace is different it is not possible to have set guidelines for risk assessments for people with epilepsy. Each person must be assessed individually for any potential risks to health and safety that they may face at work. A risk assessment may indicate that a person’s epilepsy would have little effect on their ability to continue with their job, that some changes may be needed (i.e. avoiding the use of dangerous machinery) or, in some cases, that certain parts of a person’s job pose too much risk and should therefore be avoided. Information from the risk assessment (and subsequent re-assessments) should then be used to make reasonable adjustments in the workplace (see our guide ‘Making workplace adjustments’).

More information on epilepsy can be found in the guide on our website (‘Employees suffering from epilepsy’) or further guidance on epilepsy in the workplace (or other employee health issues) can be sought from the Health for Work Adviceline on 0800 0 77 88 44.

Posted in Employee Sickness | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Focus on stress – Part 3: Supporting employees who are suffering from stress

Posted on March 23, 2012 by renieshaw

Photo by www.traveleden.com/brighton via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence

Problems with stress are on the increase so employers will need to become proficient at recognising the signs of escalating stress amongst employees and offering them support. Managers and employers should remain approachable by maintaining an ‘open door policy’ in order to encourage staff to come forward with their issues. This is clearly in the interests of the organisation as employees who are dealing with prolonged stress will not generally be at their most productive even if they have not yet shown any signs of stress-related illness. As some people are able to tolerate much higher levels of stress than others before becoming ill, employers/managers should err on the side of caution if they suspect that an employee may be struggling to cope by sensitively broaching the subject with them with the aim of alleviating their stress.

Some questions employers could ask themselves when trying to prevent an escalation of employee stress could include the following (more information can be found in our blog from September 2011) about helping employees deal with stress in the workplace):

  • Are employees completely clear what their roles and responsibilities are, and what is expected of them?
  • Are potentially stressful periods counteracted by periods of fewer tight deadlines? Are employees able to predict what their workload might be over the coming weeks rather than being surprised by sudden high workloads for which they were not prepared?
  • Do employees have the resources available to them that are required for them to do their jobs?
  • Are workplace conflicts developing within the organisation? If so, are they being dealt with before they escalate?

It is vital for employers to monitor sickness absence trends in order to keep track of the reasons for employees’ absences and to try to make it more likely that they will be at work in the future. In cases where an employee appears to be taking high levels of sickness absence, employers should be seen to be taking steps to remedy the situation so as not to damage the morale of others in the team/organisation.

For advice on managing sickness absence or supporting employees who are suffering from stress-related issue, or for guidance on any other employee health-related queries, call the free Health for Work Adviceline on 0800 0 77 88 44.

Posted in Mental Health | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Focus on stress – Part 2: The symptoms of stress

Posted on March 21, 2012 by renieshaw

Photo by Maxwell GS via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence

The first part of this blog (‘Why do people become stressed?‘, 14 March 2012) looked at the question of why some people are more prone to stress than others. This second part of our ‘focus on stress’ will look at short-term and long-term stress and the symptoms that may signify a problem.

Occasionally we are all faced with situations that we find difficult to cope with. For some, these situations can become extremely stressful and this stress can manifest itself in a number of ways, including:

  • rapid heartbeat and breathing;
  • sweating;
  • cold hands, feet or skin;
  • ‘butterflies’ or feelings of nausea;
  • tightening of muscles a tense feeling;
  • dry mouth;
  • muscle spasms;
  • headaches;
  • fatigue;
  • shortness of breath.

Generally, once the stressful situation is over, people suffering from short-term stress can recuperate and get back to normal. In some cases, however, stress is prolonged or long-term and can cause a number of physical/behavioural and mental/emotional effects, which can be damaging over time. For some, the build-up of stress can ultimately culminate in ‘burn-out’ (i.e. an inability to cope). Symptoms of longer-term stress can sometimes be difficult to pinpoint, mainly because people adapt to feeling the way they do. These symptoms can include the following:

Physical/behavioural effects Mental/emotional effects
Change in appetite Feeling overwhelmed and out of control
Feeling of tiredness and fatigue Difficulty making decisions
Susceptibility to common illnesses and bugs (e.g. colds, flu, etc.) Mood changes (e.g. impatience, irrationality, irritability)
Change in sleep patterns Worrying and feeling anxious
Nervous behaviours (e.g. nail biting, fiddling, etc.)  
Increased dependence on alcohol, cigarettes, etc.  

A certain amount of pressure at work can help to focus the mind and encourage people to work more productively, yet this pressure can easily give way to stress, which can be damaging if left unchecked. The third and final part of this ‘focus on stress’ blog (to be posted next week) will look at how employers/line managers can support employees who are struggling with stress. Guidance on reducing stress levels in the workplace can be sought from the free Health for Work Adviceline on 0800 0 77 88 44.

Posted in Mental Health | Tagged | Leave a comment

Focus on stress – Part 1: Why do people become stressed?

Posted on March 14, 2012 by renieshaw

Photo by University of Salford via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence

Due to the number of enquiries we receive about stress on the Health for Work Adviceline website (by far the most popular topic over the past few months), we shall be running a sequence of three blogs over the coming weeks about stress in the workplace. Stress is recognised as being a growing issue, which, when left unchecked, can lead to other mental health conditions (e.g. anxiety and depression), or physical health issues (e.g. high blood pressure, fatigue, etc.).

The Absence Management survey (October 2011) by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and corporate healthcare provider Simply Health, found that stress is the most common cause of long-term sickness absence for both manual and non-manual employees – the first time this has been the case in the 12 years the report has been published.

So, why do people become stressed?

Being in employment is generally accepted to be good for a person’s health, wellbeing, morale, confidence and feeling of self-worth. However, the demands placed on a person at work can sometimes exceed what they can cope with and this is generally when work-related stress develops. People who work full-time spend a significant proportion of their lives at work. If their workload is unmanageable, the working environment is not conducive to performing well, or perhaps relationships with co-workers or line managers aren’t as positive as they could be, people can become very disheartened at work, which can lead to a build-up of stress. Similarly, people may be negatively affected by what’s going on in their lives outside work and these issues, combined with work pressures, may cause stress to develop.

Part of the problem with dealing with stress is that it affects people very differently – what is extremely stressful for one person may not seem at all stressful to another. This means that a person’s stress may sometimes be misconstrued as an over-reaction or, within a work context, perhaps as a pretext for avoiding certain work tasks. Sometimes it may be quite clear why a person is feeling stressed (e.g. financial problems, relationship issues, bereavement) but at other times it may not be so obvious to others. This is because some people unintentionally put themselves under pressure due to their own psychological make-up (e.g. a predominantly pessimistic outlook, lack of assertiveness, perfectionism or unrealistic expectations) whilst people who are naturally self-confident and positive may put themselves under less pressure yet perform equally well.

The second part of this blog (to be posted next week) will look at the symptoms of short-term and long-term stress. In the meantime, more information on stress in the workplace can be found in our guide on workplace stress. Or for help with specific queries, contact the Health for Work Adviceline on 0800 0 77 88 44.

Posted in Mental Health | Tagged , | 1 Comment

How discouraging smoking is in the interests of employers

Posted on March 12, 2012 by renieshaw
No smoking

Photo by khawkins04 via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence

This year’s national No Smoking Day is taking place on 14 March 2012. Most of us don’t need to be reminded of the significant health risks associated with smoking, such as:

  • heart disease (the main cause of death amongst smokers);
  • cancer (e.g. lung cancer, pancreatic cancer, cancer of the larynx and mouth);
  • COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) and emphysema;
  • strokes.

Despite the risk of significant health damage and potential death (around half of regular smokers will eventually die due to smoking, according to Ash, July 2011) approximately one sixth of the adult population of the UK smokes (22% of men and 21% of women). Encouragingly, this is a significantly lower figure to 1974 when nearly half of the adult population were smokers (Ash, July 2011).

A positive move was made in the UK from 2006-2007 (Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and finally England) when it became illegal to smoke in all enclosed workplaces. Employers, managers and those in control of premises are now required to take reasonable steps to ensure that staff, customers, members and visitors do not smoke in buildings. This has been a positive step towards protecting non-smokers from second-hand smoke which is another major health risk (it has been estimated that non-smokers exposed to passive smoking have their risk of lung cancer raised by about a quarter*.

The chemicals in cigarettes can cause a whole host of other health effects which, whilst not as terrifying as cancer and heart disease, can be unpleasant and have a significant detrimental effect on an individual’s health. These include:

  • raised blood pressure;
  • fertility problems;
  • worsened asthma;
  • eye problems (e.g. cataracts, macular degeneration);
  • accelerated skin ageing.

From the perspective of employers there are significant gains to be made from encouraging staff to give up smoking. A report by the Faculty of Public Health and the Faculty of Occupational Medicine stated that “an estimated 34 million days a year are lost in England and Wales through sickness absence resulting from smoking-related illness”. Further reductions in productivity stem from smokers taking regular smoking breaks at work. Employees are an organisation’s main asset so keeping them healthy should be considered a priority. Free, professional help is available from the Health for Work Adviceline (0800 0 77 88 44) for organisations that want to achieve this aim.

Posted in Employee Sickness | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Early detection important factor in effective treatment of cancer

Posted on March 8, 2012 by renieshaw
Daffodil

Image by teach mama via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence

A survey of 2,000 people conducted for Cancer Research UK has produced some worrying results. It appears that many people (around 40% of people according to the research) delay going to see their doctor about health symptoms that are troubling them either because they are concerned about wasting their doctor’s time or because they are worried about what the doctor might find. This is particularly concerning as cancer that is detected early can be treated much more effectively. On a more positive note, however, the number of people dying from cancer is falling overall and death rates from three of the UK’s most common cancers (breast, bowel and male lung cancer) have dropped to their lowest level for almost 40 years (Cancer Research UK). Survival rates are improving and many cancer patients are going on to lead normal, active lives after treatment.

Some cancers cause early warning signs/symptoms although these are often ignored, particularly as they aren’t unique to cancer and could be presumed to be something far less serious. These symptoms include:

  • fatigue;
  • lumps;
  • bowel/bladder problems;
  • bleeding;
  • pain that is persistent, severe, or can’t be attributed to anything else;
  • faster than expected weight loss.

Anyone experiencing symptoms that seem unusual for them should visit their doctor rather than waiting to see whether they resolve themselves. Employers can play an important role in encouraging staff not to put off visits to the doctor and may find the whole host of campaigns designed to raise awareness of particular conditions helpful. For example, the Great Daffodil Appeal is run every March by Marie Curie and aims to get people to wear a daffodil in support of Marie Curie nurses and raise money to help the charity provide more free care to people with terminal cancer and other illnesses. Organisations that become actively involved in these campaigns can help raise awareness and encourage dialogue about topics that might otherwise remain shrouded in stigma and taboo. Employers can also promote healthy lifestyles as an important way of helping to prevent cancers, perhaps by promoting the healthy lifestyle quiz.

Organisations requiring advice on supporting employees suffering from cancer or other illnesses (including their legislative responsibilities), or those that want to find out more about preventing staff illness or sickness absence from negatively affecting their organisation, can get help from the Health for Work Adviceline website or by speaking to an occupational health nurse for free on 0800 0 77 88 44.

Posted in Employee Sickness | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

New BSI standards for managing stress in the workplace

Posted on March 6, 2012 by renieshaw
British Standards Institute

Image by markhillary via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence

Following demands for formal regulation, three new standards have been/are being developed under the guidance of the British Standards Institute (BSI) to provide guidance on managing psychosocial risks (stress) in the workplace and a structured framework for effectively managing risks, adopting best practice in organisational management and exceeding legal requirements. The standards are set out in PAS (Publically Available Specification) documents (standards) and it is hoped that all three PAS documents will have been introduced and form part of organisations’ wellbeing or stress management policies by the end of 2012.

Work-related stress (i.e. when work demands exceed a person’s capacity to cope) is a significant cause of illness and sickness absence. Well-designed jobs and workplaces, and good management practices, can help prevent stress problems from escalating. The aim of the three new standards is to provide a clear and quality-controlled route for effective stress management across any sector:

  • PAS 1010 (Guidance on the management of psychosocial risks in the workplace): Guidance and good practice on assessing and managing psychosocial risks at work, and implementing a risk assessment and policy for dealing with stress. This standard was published in 2011.
  • PAS 1011 (Management Competencies and Standards): This standard is based on management standards and competencies. It provides guidelines for managers to ensure they have the core knowledge to implement their organisation’s policy and to understand their own responsibility in relation to the policy and managing stress. This standard will be available sometime in 2012.
  • PAS 1012 (Resilience, Well-being and Returning to Work): This standard (available sometime in 2012) is split into two parts:
  • The first part provides guidance in relation to prevention or resilience in the workplace by individual employees taking personal responsibility for their own wellbeing.
  • The second part lays out clear procedures to ensure that employees receive an effective return to work programme.

According to BSI Standards, standards are “codes of best practice that improve safety, efficiency, interoperability and facilitate trade”. Implementing BSI standards helps organisations ensure that they are working to the same standards of best practice as other organisations in their industry, and that they can improve their systems and processes in order to achieve excellence. These three new stress standards will help organisations ensure that they are doing all they can to tackle stress in the workplace. For more information about supporting employees who are suffering from stress, or for help with any other employee health issues, call the free Health for Work Adviceline on 0800 0 77 88 44.

Posted in Tips & Ideas | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Anywhere Working Week to mark the benefits of flexible working

Posted on February 29, 2012 by renieshaw

This week (beginning Monday 27 February) is ‘Anywhere Working Week’, an initiative begun by Anywhere Working, a group initiative established to show how flexible working can increase productivity and wellbeing, save the environment, and improve an organisation’s bottom line.

The initiative is supported by the Department for Transport, WWF and the TUC and its founding members include:

  • Business in the Community (BITC);
  • Microsoft;
  • Nokia;
  • Nuffield;
  • Regus;
  • Vodafone UK;
  • Transport for London (TfL).

According to Gordon Frazer, Managing Director at Microsoft UK, flexible working is important for organisations that want to remain competitive:

“It’s no longer viable for businesses to stick to rigid, inefficient ways of working if they want to compete successfully in the market.”

Remote/flexible working can have a number of benefits including:

  • allowing organisations to grow without necessarily needing a larger workplace;
  • attracting better staff by:
  • showing commitment to employees’ work/life balance;
  • not necessarily requiring employees to live in the local area (therefore being able to recruit from a wider pool of people);
  • improving staff retention as people have the flexibility to work when, where and how they want to;
  • (very importantly) helping to keep staff happy and motivated, which could reduce levels of sickness absence and increase productivity.

Information on the benefits of flexible working can be found on the Anywhere Working website, which also includes case studies about organisations that have already adopted flexible working practices. Employers who are interested in providing opportunities for flexible working need to be aware, of course, that care needs to be taken to ensure that the implications of flexible working have been considered and the correct procedures have been put in place to ensure that remote staff:

  • remain motivated;
  • don’t feel isolated;
  • are performing as well as they should;
  • have all the necessary equipment and facilities in place to be able to work productively away from the workplace.

For more information on flexible working, see the Anywhere Working website or to find out more about the possible health benefits of flexible working, or to discuss any employee health-related issue, simply contact the free Health for Work Adviceline on 0800 0 77 88 44.

Posted in Tips & Ideas | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Signing up to the health and wellbeing of employees

Posted on February 27, 2012 by renieshaw

The Workplace Wellbeing Charter (the Charter) was launched in May 2010 and is a set of entirely voluntary workplace standards to promote good, safe and healthy work. The Charter provides a simple, structured way for organisations of any size and in any sector to:

  • establish their strengths and weaknesses in terms of health and wellbeing;
  • pinpoint ways to improve health and wellbeing practice;
  • demonstrate their commitment to the health and wellbeing of the workforce.

So what are the benefits of demonstrating commitment to employee health and wellbeing? It is generally accepted that healthy, happy employees will be more productive, committed and loyal to an organisation, which may well impact on an organisation’s bottom line. In addition, keeping the workforce healthy may reduce sickness absence levels and related costs, which makes good business sense. Furthermore, employers are obliged under law to protect the health of their staff so looking after the health and wellbeing of employees helps fulfil legislative responsibilities.

Employers can sign up to the Charter using a self-assessment form (to find out what they are already doing right and where they need to improve) and a registration form. Once they have registered, an informal chat with an assessor will permit organisations to ask any further questions and receive a portfolio to gather evidence. Once an employer has gathered all the necessary evidence an assessor will do a site visit to verify it and point out any other information that may be required before receiving the Charter Award, which lasts for two years.

The Charter focuses on three key areas:

  • Leadership:
    • For example, is there active support from senior management in the area of health and wellbeing (e.g. providing time and skills, developing an action plan, and monitoring and reviewing)?
  • Culture:
    • For example, is health and wellbeing embedded into the culture of the organisation, is the working environment a healthy one, and are staff made to feel valued and included?
  • Communication:
    • For example, is communication within the workplace effective and does it meet the needs of the workforce?

The standards are split into three levels because the Charter recognises that smaller employers may find it hard to achieve the same level of activity as larger organisations:

  • Commitment: This demonstrates a real commitment by small organisations.
  • Achievement: Good achievement for medium-sized organisations.
  • Excellence: The level that large organisations should strive for.

Organisations that are committed to looking after the health and wellbeing of employees stand to gain in many ways (e.g. reduced levels of sickness absence, better staff retention, healthier and more productive staff, and improved staff morale and loyalty). For guidance on employee health issues along the way, organisations in England can contact the free Health for Work Adviceline.

Posted in Tips & Ideas | Tagged , , | Leave a comment