Government funded workplace mental health support service

January 26, 2012

Last week I posted a blog expressing my disappointment about the way mental health is still viewed by some employers, and explaining that in light of increasing demands the importance of workplace support in this area is greater than ever. So I was heartened to hear that a government funded workplace mental health pilot has now become a national initiative and will be available for the next three years to support individuals with mental health conditions to retain employment. The new service was launched in December 2011 and is being delivered by Remploy. It is fully funded through Access to Work (a Jobcentre Plus scheme) and therefore comes at no cost to the individual or employer – welcome news in the climate of ongoing cut backs and austerity measures.

The emergence of services like this, alongside the continually increasing recognition of mental well-being as a business critical issue hopefully means we’ll soon see an improvement in the number of people with mental health conditions who report feeling well supported at work.

To find out more about this welcome new service, you can contact the team at Remploy on 0845 146 0520, email vocationalrehabilitation@remploy.co.uk or visit their website for more details. 

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Posted by Cary Cooper

Honesty can lose you your job – we still have much to do!

January 18, 2012

In today’s Telegraph , there was a worrying story about an employee who had allegedly been made redundant for disclosing to his employer that he was experiencing feelings of depression.  In a world where technology and social media is the norm, it’s hardly surprising that the employee took to twitter to share his experience, along with his dismissal letter!  Within hours he had received thousands of tweets supporting him and offering advice.  This is obviously an unacceptable way to treat someone suffering from depression, but I’m not at all surprised that this scenario has come to light and the power of social media may very well surface similar stories in the coming weeks and months.

Given that around 1 in 6 people now suffer, or will in the future suffer, from a common mental illness (e.g. depression, anxiety and stress) it is astonishing that the stigma of mental ill health is still with us.  As well as all the high profile cases we hear about, there are so many TV programmes, films and other media highlighting the problem and, indeed, its treatment, that it’s hard to imagine this episode could have occurred in our times.  But unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident.  Even though many more people experience mental health issues and access to support is much better than it was a decade ago, there is still a concern about taking people on who have had mental health problems – or dealing with them appropriately if they are already in employment. Sure, we still need more support for people with mental health conditions, but it is out there and there’s no excuse for this particular employer’s response.

And yet when it comes to physical health issues there seems to be much more sympathy.  As Henry David Thoreau wrote in 1853: “how prompt we are to satisfy the hunger and thirst of our bodies; how slow to satisfy the hunger and thirst of our souls!”  Given the troubled times we are all going through in this severe and long lasting economic crisis, we are going to see more people who are unable to cope and who succumb to mental health problems, albeit treatable conditions.  It would be unacceptable, and unsustainable, to dismiss everyone who said they had a mental health issue – for example, what would have happened if the Lloyds Chief Executive had been treated this way when he admitted struggling with similar issues?!  In order to reduce the stigma of mental health issues, employers need to be made aware of the help available to employees who may be suffering this way, as well as the importance of supporting their psychological well-being as part of the way they do business.

We need to invest more in this growing societal issue, in terms of identifying and treating it, or better still working to prevent it in the first place.  Otherwise, as Mark Twain put it, “if you always do what you always did, you’ll always get what you always got”.  That is not good enough for the many thousands who are suffering or the society in which we all live.

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Posted by Cary Cooper

Healthy, wealthy and happy – can we have all three?

January 16, 2012

The Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), has today released a report containing research which, they claim, shows that the leading indicator of happiness is wealth. The conclusion that the IEA, the free market think-tank, draws is that the government should forget their investment in, and promotion of, ‘general wellbeing’ and concentrate on boosting growing the UK economy.

At the heart of the argument is a disagreement with the so-called ‘Easterlin’ school of thought which holds that after a certain point our wealth no longer drives our happiness. Amongst other things, the new report contends that 20% more wealth has the same affect whether you earn $500 a year or $50,000 a year.

As a psychologist it’s not my place to enter into an argument about the economics that sit behind the assertions made by the two sides in this debate. I’m sure that it’s possible to use the data to construct arguments to support both positions. However, what concerns me about the new research is the implication that focusing on happiness, well-being and mental health is a waste of time…and that we should just get back to making money!

Research of this kind is based on pulling together macroscopic financial data from many countries and connecting it with very general ‘life satisfaction’ scores. It has its place, but it doesn’t necessarily tell the story about what is happening on the ground. Money is important to all of us – of course – but it is only one of the many things that influence how we feel and how happy we are with our lives. The data in any given year may nudge us in one direction or the other, but how can we forget recent examples of footballers grappling with depression and mental illness? Or the many stories of lottery winners who fail to find happiness? Or our own experiences of what really makes us happy on a day-to-day basis? How much evidence do we need before we accept that money alone is never enough to bring true happiness? For the vast majority of people it’s about finding the right blend of relationships, health, social support, achievement, community, family, love, work, money and a whole host of other things. In short, it’s about living a balanced life.

I don’t think this new finding should in any way put off David Cameron and the government in their attempts to measure and develop the happiness of the nation.  The current effort is partly about encouraging those who have enough money, or are within touching distance of that ‘saturation point’, to consider more deeply what they want; to think about whether they need more money or whether it would benefit them and their community if they knew how to live a happy life, whatever their financial status.

Yes, in our economy wealthy people at the top need to continue to create wealth so there is a trickle-down effect – but if we leave it at that we are setting a dangerous precedent for the aspiring middle classes who will assume (as many do now) that the goal is to get rich, rather than to live a good life and contribute to the happiness of others. The current government’s efforts are as much a response to massive increases in mental ill-health, as they are to the sense that we are focusing on the wrong things. In this sense, I agree with the assertion that we can no longer afford to focus on growth at all costs and to the detriment of our health.

I do think, though,  that the government is in for a tough fight in the face of challenges such as those issued by the IEA report. On the one hand the coalition is promoting happiness as an ultimate goal that will bring us a sustainable economy and better lives – ones that don’t rely unrealistically on credit and spending on things we don’t need. Yet, right now we are trapped inside an economy that is based on, and demands, growth. Every headline bemoans the lack of it and over Christmas we were again encouraged to get out there and spend to help the ailing high street. All that talk of ‘make do and mend’ that we heard a few years back has faded and we’ve been encouraged to revert to our former spending patterns. So the government has a dilemma: does it want us to genuinely change the goal of the whole enterprise to be about achieving happiness or does it want us to focus on growth? If the only way to get happy is growth then we are, as the new research would have it, back to square one!

In reality, this points to an awkward transition period where we need old levels of growth to support the nation’s economy (which will, in turn, support our old habits!) while we try to make a shift to a new way of living and working based on different values. Maybe we need some signposts for how this will be achieved – this could be about moderating our growth targets slightly in favour of changing the way we do business – taking the hit now for the long-term strategic benefits this will bring. It will be a massive challenge, but no one ever said this would be easy and we now need to decide whether we’re up for it or not!

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Posted by Cary Cooper

Child happiness – who’s responsible?

January 13, 2012

Back in September I discussed the importance of family values when a 2007 UNICEF report, that ranked 21 developed countries based on the well-being of their children, rated the UK in last place. It seems that this issue is still something of great importance as a report published yesterday states that over half a million children in the UK are unhappy, which in itself is a worrying figure. But what is causing this unhappiness and who is responsible?  Yesterday morning Radio 5 live discussed what proportion of the responsibility lies with parents, friends, relatives, the media and other forces?

Obviously the parental role carries great weight but there is no question that over the last 30 years we have seen a big social change which has impacted on this fundamental relationship. Children are exposed to more external influences through greater access to technology and ever more sophisticated efforts from the companies targeting them. While childhood friendships have long been competitive, the trophies have become increasingly materialistic, and expensive, and bragging has extended from a group in the playground to hundreds of online friends.

All this explains why many children attribute their unhappiness to not getting what they want. So is it the fault of the advertising and marketing departments ‘pushing’ their wares putting pressure on the parents to buy them everything they see? Well, yes and no. Obviously there has to be some regulation of this at a central level – the ongoing efforts to prevent the sexualisation of children, for example, is supported by advertising legislation.

But parents aren’t powerless. While many worry about the social pressures on their children to fit in, they do still have the ability to say no – particularly important to bear in mind when under greater financial pressure. The easiest option may be to give in to the demands of a child but in the long run that isn’t going to help and isn’t going to be good for their development. The main thing that children want and need is attention. Children look to their parents to teach them right from wrong, to provide them with love and for their support network. Talking to them (and listening!) and instilling good values from the start will develop genuine confidence and happiness that material goods cannot. They might not knowingly appreciate it at the time but you’ll be setting them up in much better stead for the future!

Children undoubtedly go through phases and there will be times when they are unhappy, but the answer is getting to the root of the unhappiness. Happiness is transient but if it is something deeper, such as depression, anxiety or stress, then of course parents have a responsibility to take action.

No one can expect that children are going to be happy all of the time and parents should not presume to try to guarantee that. Being exposed to unhappiness is a part of growing up, but what we can do is equip children to deal with the pressures that life might throw at them, and teach these skills within a safe, supportive environment.

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Posted by Cary Cooper

Work-life balance in the UK

January 11, 2012

As part of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) Better Life Initiative, data is collected from 34 member countries on various aspects of well-being.  Last week they combined findings on working hours, employment rate among mothers and time devoted to leisure and personal care to give a national ranking for work-life balance.  Overall the UK placed a rather lowly 17th out of 23, with the stall in reduction of child poverty and a lack of subsidised childcare being highlighted as potential issues.

The survey obviously has its benefits, but what is more difficult to take into account is the ‘quality’ of the time spent both at work and at home.  For example, while working hours might not be rising, greater demands can lead to ‘work intensification’ – with negative consequences.  Similarly, under-utilisation of skills can also have its own damaging effect on the performance of individuals and the organisation.

And at home, ‘leisure’ time covers a multitude of sins!  Obviously one man’s hobby can be another man’s chore – but it’s up to us to make sure we get the balance right between the type of activities we indulge in.  What we spend our average 15.6 hours of time doing is just as important as the amount of time itself.  Using the time to eat healthily, get enough sleep, exercise and build relationships with family and friends is important for everyone’s well-being, as is the chance to indulge in the pastimes we enjoy.  If employees want to get the best from their workforce, they need to make sure they encourage a healthy work-life balance culture for all their staff, whether male, female, parents or childless.

P.S. Check out the OECD’s interactive tool, which allows you to weight the importance of 11 key well-being topics and compare countries based on the results.

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Posted by Cary Cooper

Are we being too pessimistic?

January 10, 2012

In a recent Chartered Management Institute forecast report on business expectations for 2012, based on 772 managers throughout the UK, and in all sectors, it was found that ‘43% of managers felt optimistic about their organisation’s prospects’ for 2012 but only 8% felt optimistic about the UK’s performance in the same period.  In terms of the latter, the three factors that loomed large were ‘the restructuring of the public finances, the price of energy and the instability of the euro’.

What is worrying about the findings in this CMI survey is that the mantra being projected by economists, media and even some in government is more pessimistic than the businesses on the ground. Indeed, in this report only 33% were pessimistic about the future of their business – that’s still too high, but the majority of businesses were more positive than negative.  Of the three main concerns, government can do something about the first two, and, in addition, begin to create a more positive culture, trying to avoid the ‘doom and gloom’ that we constantly hear from all quarters.  The psychology, and not merely the economics of the economy, is now paramount in trying to instill confidence in businesses to invest, expand and export.

Let’s attempt in 2012 to be more optimistic, to have a ‘can do’ attitude.  As George Bernard Shaw in his play Mrs. Warren’s Profession wrote: “people are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don’t believe in circumstances.  The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and if they can’t find them, make them!”

Future Forecast: Expectations for 2012 by Pearson, G and Woodman, P., Chartered Management Institute, Dec 2011.

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Posted by Cary Cooper

Guest blog spot – Ben Moss

January 5, 2012

ImageToday the TUC released their Labour Force Survey results (Summer Quarter 2011) showing that 5.3 million workers put in an average of 7.2 hours of unpaid overtime a week last year, worth around £5,300 a year per person.  The headline is that “Workers gave bosses almost 2 billion hours of unpaid overtime last year, or the equivalent of 1 million full-time jobs” .  I have to take issue with this conclusion.

Just because there is extra work to be done (there is always extra work to be done!) it doesn’t mean that employers are in a position to create more jobs.  To draw that conclusion is to ignore the fact that we are in a stagnant economy that shows little sign of future growth.  How can you create 1 million jobs when there is no extra money to pay for them and the strong probability that such reckless decision-making would put whole companies and therefore, millions more jobs at risk?  To me, this is just more of the same rhetoric from the unions who seem unable to acknowledge the fact that the money just simply isn’t there.  At best, they are stuck on the compromise position that the cuts are required, provided that none affect their members.

Of course, overload and lack of work-life balance are serious issues – and we neglect them at our peril – but working hours above those specified in your contract have long been part of working life in the UK and other first world nations.  In fact, many contracts specify that this will sometimes be required – it is part of a mature psychological contract between employer and employee in developed countries. Employers must create the conditions for the work situation to be perceived as fair – for example, a sense of control, flexible working arrangements, a sense of purpose and good line management.  At the same time, employees must take responsibility for managing their own work-life balance – for example, many actively want to work extra hours for their existing salary to reach the next level in their career and they should be allowed to do this.  We must avoid presenteeism, but this can be achieved through good management, good relationships and good judgements on the part of employees.

This is the reality of working life today – we are not in a temporary state of crisis that will soon pass.  Using statistics like these to effectively bully employers into recklessly creating jobs is not the answer.  We have to find ways to work from within organisations to create a more sustainable way of doing business.

Follow Ben on Twitter: @psycho_boss

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Posted by Cary Cooper

Who are you?

January 4, 2012

I don’t want to dwell on the usual New Year’s resolutions of joining the gym, giving up smoking or eating more fruit.  Instead I’d like to encourage readers to consider one that we can all do for our own benefit, and the benefit of those around us; getting to know ourselves a little better.

You might think you know yourself fairly well already!  But actually, in lots of training sessions we ask reflective questions that many people struggle to respond to.  Even ‘what makes you happy?’ – a seemingly easy question – can be difficult to genuinely answer.  This is partly because it is easy for people to become ‘set in their ways’ and not challenge the way they think or behave, even if it’s unhelpful.  It can also be because we’re so caught up in day-to-day activity, or focusing solely on making others happy, that we forget our own, personal ‘bigger picture’.

Similarly, there are many people who do not understand what triggers certain feelings within themselves.  So we respond with irrational levels of, for example, fear, anger and guilt – making the situation seem worse than it truly is and moving us further away from a successful outcome.

The benefits of understanding our natural responses, as well as reconsidering our goals and values, are huge. It gives a starting point to work on strengths and address our weaknesses.  That’s not to say that we all need change completely, indeed, personality is quite fixed. But the way we approach situations can be altered so that we get more out of them; whether it’s overcoming your fear of presentations or having an open conversation with your teenage daughter.

I don’t want this to become another item on the to-do list, and success does not mean digesting a self-help tomb!  It’s just something to be aware of, and be open to working on when you get the opportunity. And if you already recognise things about yourself that you might like to change, they may be a burden that you’ve got used to carrying with you.  Now’s the time to do things differently and whether the change is big or small, congratulate yourself for taking action.

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Posted by Cary Cooper

In with the old, in with the new

December 20, 2011

In light of changing demographics and rising retirement ages, BMW are taking steps to prepare their ageing workforce to cope with their roles in the years ahead.  Currently the average employee age is 40, and 25% of staff are over 50 – these figures are predicted to rise to 46 and 50% within the next decade.

At the moment much of the focus is on the physical ability of staff working on production lines.  As one of the physiotherapists says, “The work they do is repetitive. The muscles and bones are always used in the same way, so we try to have counter-movement to relax the muscles stressed during the work.”  This is very valuable for both the company and the employee – but they mustn’t forget that this also applies to mental stimulation!  In the same way that physical well-being is damaged by repetitive movement, psychological well-being is at risk when employees have to perform boring, monotonous tasks day after day.

Increasing the engagement, well-being and resilience of your employees is an important way of allowing them to perform at their best for the duration of their careers.  But the preparation needs to start now if we want to make this as seamless as possible.

 

For the source BBC article, click here. 

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Posted by Cary Cooper

Well-Being themes

December 14, 2011

Last week I gave a keynote speech at the Business Well-Being Network annual conference, alongside Jo Swinson.  It was a great, day, with host of excellent speakers who raised some very interesting points about the well-being agenda – from both a practitioner and thinker perspective.

There was lots of talk during the day about the changing working landscape, covering both the nature of work itself and the way we do it.  Although the economic climate is difficult, it was encouraging to hear that people are seeing this as a positive opportunity to introduce better ways of working, for the sake of individuals, organisations and UK plc.  There does still seem to be a way to go with persuading senior leaders of the business case, but if we can harness the collective forces of political supporters, national groups and individual interest we should keep moving in the right direction.

This concept ties in closely with the content of this year’s Business Well-Being Network annual report – you can click here to access a free chapter which covers the subject in more detail.

A full summary of the event and presentation slides are available here.

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Posted by Cary Cooper

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