Support and promote staff wellbeing by Glen Parkinson, SME Director, AXA PPP Healthcare on 19-Aug-2014

Owners and employees of Britain's small and medium sized firms have reason to be proud – they make up 99.9% of the UK private sector's businesses, employ nearly three-fifths of its workforce and account for 48% of the turnover. But, according to Glen Parkinson, AXA PPP Healthcare SME Director, a new poll of SME employees, shows that full-on pursuit of commercial success may be putting them at increased risk of ill health and burnout.

Nearly half (47%) of the 1100 employees surveyed said that they regularly work four or more hours of overtime a week, with 29% putting in seven or more extra hours a week. For over half of the people who regularly work overtime (52%), the extra hours are unpaid.

Also indicative of the long working hours culture in SMEs are the findings that a fifth (21%) of respondents take fewer than 30 minutes for lunch, with 12% ploughing on without stopping for a lunch break at all.

People who work for SMEs are no strangers to putting the business first – 27% have cancelled time with friends and family in the past three months due to working over and above their contracted hours. Parents in particular feel the pinch. For those with children living at home, 18% have missed a child's event such as a parents' evening or school play in the past three months and, for those with younger children, over half (54%) have continued to work after putting them to bed.

Small and medium-sized business are the backbone of the economy – driving innovation, enterprise and growth, Their commitment is commendable, yet our study shows that owners and bosses may be putting themselves and their employees at increased risk of burnout and ill health through protracted overwork.

Most owners and bosses of small and medium-sized firms recognise the link between health and wellbeing and productivity and many are acting on the insight by providing benefits such as healthcare cover and access to counselling helplines to help employees deal with the pressures in their lives.

Mental health remains a concern, however: 71% of survey respondents who'd been diagnosed with a mental health condition such as stress, anxiety or depression said they wouldn't feel comfortable speaking to people at work about it, highlighting the stigma associated with the condition. And 42% of sufferers said their employer had failed to give them adequate support to deal with their condition.

There is hope, however, and, as a leading provider of employee health support services, we know from experience how important the early intervention of experienced healthcare professionals can be in helping employees to deal with psychological issues, which, if neglected or delayed, can lead to lengthy spells of sickness absence.

A focus on wellbeing can help smaller and medium-sized firms to thrive. Owners should prioritise their own health and the health of their employees as much as they prioritise their pursuit of commercial success.

Work is best enjoyed in good health and, while that can't be guaranteed, having the right tools in place to support wellbeing and a growing business is a great way to keep the Backbone of Britain strong.

The following practices can be adopted by any business owner or manager to promote wellbeing in their organisation:

1. Encourage employees to attend their medical appointments. By knowing it is okay to visit their doctor during working hours, problems can be dealt with in a timely fashion and lead to a faster recovery and return to work.


2. Foster a workplace culture that encourages employees to live healthy and active lives; highlight the health risks associated with poor diet and lack of exercise and stress the importance of 'recharging the batteries' by taking healthy breaks during the working day.


3. Try to create an open and honest environment where people know they're appreciated and respected and aren't frightened to discuss their concerns with colleagues and bosses.


4. Train line mangers to spot signs of stress, anxiety and depression and put in place action plans to help affected employees – for example, see our online resource Help manage stress in the workplace. Providing access to professional counselling helplines can be a big benefit to employees who are struggling to cope.


5. Stay up-to-date with resources to help manage workplace health and wellbeing – for example, government sites such Health for Work, the Scottish Centre for Healthy Working Lives and Healthy Working Wales offer a wealth of information and guidance for employers. So too does our own Resources for small businesses.

For more information, please visit: www.axappphealthcare.co.uk

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