Slingco is an award-winning supplier of cable grip and wire rope products, based in Rawtenstall. In October 2022, the company welcomed its employees to have a health and wellbeing check, delivered by the Business Health Matters team at Rossendale Leisure Trust.
Delighted with the response he received, Managing Director Nick Dykins supported 45 members of staff to have a comprehensive health check, covering both physical and mental health elements.
He said:
“The Slingco way is to care about each other and to live our values of unity, service and progress. The management team and I prioritise the wellbeing of the whole organisation and we will always do what we can to support colleagues with their physical and mental health.”
Reflecting on the service he received from the team, he added:
“From start to finish, the communication with the Business Health Matters team at Rossendale Leisure Trust has been exceptional. They were accommodating for the business’ needs and delivered the health checks over several days. As well as the individual conversations that the health check staff had with employees, we also received an anonymous summary which helps us look at ways we can improve things and where to focus our health and wellbeing efforts.”
Following their health checks, a number of Slingco employees also left feedback on the service:
Graham: “It was a good overview of our lifestyle and (my) body’s health and well-being. It was the kickstart I needed… Great service and pleasant staff, a big thankyou to all.”
Stewart: “The balance of checks performed were comprehensive and there was a clear output as to current health levels. It was a timely reminder to keep up with a good diet and active fitness regime.”
Caroline: “It would be good to have checks on a regular basis, so that anything can be picked up at an earlier stage and maybe encourage a healthier lifestyle.”
Ged: “The lady I saw was very helpful and professional. She spotted a couple of issues and advised me to talk to my GP about them, which I did. The health check was well worth having!”
Health and Wellbeing Manager at Rossendale Leisure Trust, Jodie English, said: “It was a pleasure to work with Slingco and see such a positive response from their employees in taking up the offer. These health checks are different to anything else on offer to Lancashire businesses and they allow us to give tangible support to employees on where they can improve their health. We’re looking forward to working with Slingco in the future and seeing the progress the team makes with their wellbeing!”
To enquire about the Business Health Matters health checks, please get in touch here. Or call 01772 299838.
Blackpool Coastal Housing have been named as Active Workplace of the Year at the 2022 Active Lancashire Awards, following their outstanding commitment to the physical and mental health of their employees.
The award, sponsored by Business Health Matters, celebrates those employers who go the extra mile in supporting staff health and wellbeing and those who have enabled local provision to help get their community more active.
Blackpool Coastal Housing, Denise Williams (left) and Stephen Dunstan (right), presented with the Active Workplace of the Year award at Friday’s ceremony at Ewood Park.
In their application, the judges felt that Blackpool Coastal Housing displayed their overall commitment to improving physical and mental health in their organisation, particularly through their implementation of a Workplace Health Champion network, regular mental health first aid training and a range of physical activity sessions. The application also highlighted employees’ access to an ‘annual staff wellbeing event’ which includes ‘health MOTs, reflexology, smoking cessation advice and smoothie-making bikes’, as well as the financial support that they give to Blackpool Stanley Rugby Club and boys’ and girls’ boxing training in the Talbot and Brunswick area.
In their summary, the panel also referenced the organisation’s wellbeing newsletter, which showcases the impact of this work and offers advice for employees wishing to improve their overall health.
Paul Blythin, Project Lead at Business Health Matters, said:
The judging panel were really impressed by Blackpool Coastal Housing’s commitment to their employees through a variety of different initiatives. It’s clear the organisation really values its staff and sets a high standard in the county in terms of workplace health support. Not only this, but the company are also regularly looking at ways to support initiatives and clubs in Blackpool, recognising the impact they can have on local provision. It was great to see buy-in right from the top, shown by the fact that the company’s Director of Resources has set up the only junior parkrun in Blackpool last year!”
Active Workplace of the Year winners, Blackpool Coastal Housing (left) and highly commended Leyland Trucks (right) at Friday’s ceremony at Ewood Park.
Manufacturing giants Leyland Trucks came a close second on the night, receiving the ‘Active Workplace of the Year’ highly commended award. In their application, the organisation shone a light on various wellbeing schemes that run across the year, such as the cycle to work initiative and Stop Smoking Day. Judges also commended the organisation’s fundraising activities, including a Guild Wheel cycle challenge that raised funds for St Catherine’s Hospice, as well as their on-site health services, offering annual workplace health checks, physiotherapy and chiropody.
To see all the winners from the 2022 Active Lancashire Awards held on Friday 18th November, click here.
We are exploring ways to support local businesses to encourage older workers back into employment and prevent the rising numbers of people out of work or ‘economically inactive’, following recent data released by Office for National Statistics.
The Centre for Ageing Better has identified that over 330,000 more workers aged 50-64 are now ‘economically inactive’ than before the first outbreak of COVID-19.
Whilst some employment levels for younger employees have recovered and overall unemployment rates recently fell to the lowest level since 1974, the Office for National Statistics has shared data that shows a concerning 2.2% increase in people aged 50-64 who are not in work or not looking for work, since before the start of the pandemic.
And here in Lancashire, the number of economically inactive individuals continues to rise. Since 2020, there are an additional 33,000 working-age individuals no longer in work or looking for work, an increase of 17.4% and now representing a quarter of the whole working age population in the county (Lancashire Skills Hub, 2022).
Worryingly, we are now seeing those aged 50-64 years old making up a large proportion of this economic inactive population. 93,000 out of the 302,000 50-64 years old are now economically inactive.
So, what can Lancashire businesses do to combat the rising figures? And how can they continue to benefit from the skills and experience held by our older workers?
As recommended by the Centre for Ageing Better, businesses can seek support on how to recruit, retain and support workers in their 50s and 60s and tap into the invaluable role older workers can play in boosting growth and productivity. Dr Emily Andrews, Deputy Director for Work at the organisation said:
“Businesses benefit from having a multigenerational workforce and in this challenging recruitment climate, finding the hires needed in the underused pool of older workers makes perfect sense.”
It is also key that Lancashire businesses support existing older employees in the workplace. Paul Blythin, Project Lead for Business Health Matters, added: “A challenge that some of our older employees can face is a decline in their health, which can lead to long-term conditions and result in economic inactivity. We’re urging Lancashire businesses to support their employees, particularly those over 50, with annual checks on their physical and mental health so that early prevention can be put into place.”
“Due to the rate of those over 50 and not in work in Lancashire, we have worked to source funding from Innovate UK to part-fund a workplace health check service so it is affordable to as many businesses as possible, with our checks costing just £60 per employee.”
The Business Health Matters health checks have been developed by Active Lancashire, the University of Central Lancashire’s School of Medicine and Lancashire Mind to offer an affordable and comprehensive health check service to businesses of all sizes across Lancashire.
To find out more about what’s included, please click here and to get in touch with our team and start your journey to improving workplace health, please click here.
It is no secret that eating and drinking well does wonders for our health. We’ve all been raised on the ethos of ‘8 glasses of water a day’ or the ‘5-a-day’ approach to fruit and vegetables. But did you know this can also have a positive impact on your mental health too?
In recent years, society has become more and more aware of mental health in general, whether this is in the media from medical experts, knowing someone who is struggling personally, or finding that extra support we all need from time to time. National campaigns, positive trends and awareness days such as International Day of Happiness (March 20th), International Mental Health Awareness Day (October 10th) and ‘Mental Health Awareness Week (9-15th May) are also now commonplace in our daily lives.
We’re becoming much more aware of mental health in general, but do we know the steps we can take to look after our own?
In her 2021 ‘Love British Food’ blog, ambassador and nutritionist Katharine Tate shared her knowledge of ‘Good Mood Food’. She wrote: “The food we eat is often seen as fuel to keep our body functioning. However, the power of food can also be transformative for our mental health”. By making daily decisions around nutrition, like these ones suggested by the mental health charity Mind below, you can begin to use the food you put into your body to improve your mental wellbeing.
1 – Eat Regularly
By planning in regular mealtimes and ensuring you don’t go too long without eating, you can maintain your blood sugar levels. A drop in blood sugar can make you feel tired and irritable, affecting your interactions and decision-making ability. So, if you think your regular eating times may be affected, it’s wise to keep some healthy snacks to hand to ensure your energy levels are maintained.
2 – Stay Hydrated
Those 6-8 glasses of water we mentioned earlier really do make a difference to your brain’s function and alertness during the day. Other drinks also count towards this such as juice or hot drinks but remember that caffeine can cause dehydration so everything in moderation (see point 3)!
3 – Moderate Your Caffeine Intake
Caffeine is found in coffee, tea, energy drinks, cola and even chocolate! As a stimulant, caffeine gives us a quick burst of energy when we need one but it can make some people feel anxious, disturb sleep or cause withdrawal symptoms if you stop drinking it.
Limiting caffeine products to the morning and switching to decaf in the afternoon can help alleviate the side effects and help you get that all-important good night’s sleep!
4 – Eat The Right Foods
The key to good nutrition is balance and the majority of our diets should be filled with nutritious, vitamin-rich foods that help our bodies to function in a healthy way. Protein helps you feel fuller for longer and contains amino acids, which help your brain regulate your overall mood. Try to increase the amount of protein you consume from products like lean meat, eggs, fish, cheese, nuts and seeds to reap the benefits.
The Benefits of Eating Meals with Other People
The Mental Health Foundation also highlights the benefits of eating meals with other people.
“Doing this give us a sense of rhythm and regularity in our lives, a chance to reflect on the day and feel connected to others. Biologically-speaking, eating in upright chairs around a dining table also helps with our digestion. Talking and listening also slows our eating down, which supports healthy digestion.”
Mental health foundation
Could you set aside at least one day a week to eat with family and friends this week?
The foundation recommends choosing a meal that’s easy to prepare and “sharing responsibility between the group: doing the shopping, setting the table, cooking or washing up, for example.” And don’t forget, when you do sit down to eat, keep the devices switched off and away from the table so you can fully enjoy those conversations with your loved ones!
As with any changes, the best advice is to start slowly. Try the changes above incrementally and over time, they will become positive, daily practices. It’s worth noting, these aren’t ‘overnight fixes’ and that it may take a few weeks or even months for you to truly notice a difference, but give it a go, and both your mind and body will be thanking you for years to come!
The Active Blackpool team from Blackpool Council are one of the many programme partners of Business Health Matters, covering the Blackpool and Fylde Coast area.
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Originally planned for the 2019 Queen’s Speech, the latest Employment Bill could land later this year and is expected to include a new right for employees to request flexible working from day one of their employment.
By 2nd August 2022, EU Member States will implement the EU Work/Life Balance Directive, which includes new rights for carers and working parents (European Commission, 2022). The new directive will give workers returning from parental leave, carers and all working parents of children (up to 8 years old) the right to request flexible working arrangements.
Post-Brexit, the UK does not need to implement this ruling but has promised to match the new rights for carers and is expected to follow suit on some elements of flexible working.
What is ‘flexible working’?
Flexible working is a way of working that suits an employee’s needs. As examples, this could include working from home or offering flexible start and finish times (gov.uk, 2022). Covid has meant that a number of organisations have moved towards flexible working and home working has become ‘the norm’ in a number of industries.
Many businesses are under increased pressure from employees to accommodate this flexibility post-pandemic and in a recent survey by Lewis Silkin (2021) on post-Covid employment policies, 63% of respondents thought flexibility is of more importance than work location when incentivising staff, with 33% considering it as important as salary.
What would this mean for your business?
Despite initial reservations from some employers, this isn’t bad news for businesses. If implemented correctly, flexible working practices can actually increase productivity within a workforce and lead to a much healthier and happier team.
How? Presenteeism has become increasingly prevalent in workplaces throughout the pandemic and recent years, as the lines between work life and home life often blur. Presenteeism can look like employees forcing themselves into the office when they are unwell, or doing extra work from home, to prove their productivity and worth.
Data has shown that per employee, up to 35 days are lost per year because of presenteeism, compared with just three days per employees due to absenteeism (Financial Times, 2019).
Put simply, many people only take a break to refuel when their tank is empty instead of when it’s half full. This can lead to physical and mental exhaustion and longer periods of absence when employees do take sick leave. By creating a healthier working environment, staff take the breaks they need and improve their own health, lessening the risk of presenteeism in a business.
So how can flexible working help your business?
Introducing a policy of flexible working can reduce the time spent dealing with individual formal requests and gives your staff the freedom and autonomy to work in their most effective way. By creating this culture, you are showing your team that you trust them to complete their allocated tasks but also care about their wellbeing whilst they complete them.
Here are some ways this could look in practice for your employees:
Bad night’s sleep? If the organisation doesn’t require you be logged on until 10am, employees can get that extra hour in bed and be more productive when they start work.
Sick children? Working from home whilst trying to parent can be incredibly stressful. Allow employees a day off without having to worry about pay; they’ll pay you back in productivity when they’re back in the office.
Lead from the front! Show your staff that you are implementing a healthy work/life balance, set ‘email free’ times, share posts to show remote workers you are taking a break from your desk, talk openly about wellbeing and break the taboo of ‘feeling the pressure’.
Why not introduce a wellbeing hour? No meetings, no screen time and some fresh air can have a huge impact on staff wellbeing. Encourage your employees to break up their day by getting outdoors or taking some time to stretch in between meetings can help boost energy levels and overall wellbeing.
Many businesses are also clearly outlining their flexible working policies in their recruitment processes, helping to attract potential new employees who have this as a high priority on their list when looking for a new role. What’s more, without a flexible working policy, you could lose valued members of staff because of a rigid, outdated approach. Can your business afford to lose employees to your competitors?
To summarise, a team that feels valued and happy will work harder than a team who feel burnt out and trapped by a 9-5pm routine that means they dread the next time their child is unwell or the nursery closes early for training. If the past two years have taught us anything, it is that we never know what is around the corner but one thing is for certain, caring for your team’s mental health is always a good business decision.
If you want to support your team’s wellbeing and create a healthy and happy environment in your organisation, get in touch today.
Gemma is one of the Project Leads for the Business Health Matters programme, overseeing the Workplace Health Check service, funded by the UK Research and Innovation’s Healthy Ageing Challenge fund. Gemma is a parent herself and enjoys the work life balance in her role at Active Lancashire.
We are proud to announce that we have now trained over 100 employees from Lancashire-based businesses as part of our Workplace Health Champion programme.
Part of Active Lancashire, the strategic lead for sport and physical activity in Lancashire, and funded by the European Social Fund, Business Health Matters has developed this training programme in response to the rising challenges and concerns over employee health and wellbeing, increased levels of work-related stress, greater numbers of absence due to poor health and the prominent mental health concerns within organisations of all industries.
“The Workplace Health Champion Level 2 Training was extremely useful as a Manager,”
Donna Marshall, Deputy CEO & Partnership Manager at Selnet.
“The learning and group discussion brought about lots of ideas on how we can make our workplace a happier and healthier one. I’m looking forward to putting in place some new schemes with support of our other Health Champions.”
Donna Marshall, Deputy CEO & Partnership Manager at Selnet.
The newly trained workplace health champions, now equipped with the appropriate skills and knowledge, can use their unique understanding of their own organisation to identify what their team needs. Whether it is forming a lunchtime walking group or putting individuals through their mental health first aid, the champions have the ability to address the specific challenges their business faces when it comes to wellbeing in the workplace.
Danielle Steenbergen, Salon Manager at the Salon at Maxy Farm, was one of the first businesses to take advantage of the training.
“I think the impact of the programme on businesses in Lancashire could be huge. Offering opportunities like this will not only help people become healthier, but also shows employees that you care about them as a whole person, not just as employees.”
Danielle Steenbergen, Salon Manager at the Salon at Maxy Farm.
As the community of workplace health champions grows, the more we will see organisations waking up to the new pandemic of poor wellbeing and looking for opportunities to support their staff and boost the health of their workforce. With this emerging network of individuals advocating better health and sharing their experiences, organisations can begin to tap into what is affecting their workers and draw from the successes of others to shape the future of Lancashire’s wellbeing.
To find out more about the workplace health champions training, contact the Business Health Matters team on 01772 299838.
Businesses across Lancashire are increasingly recognising the importance of employee mental health and are starting to ask how they can improve mental wellbeing in the workplace.
In 2021, mental health issues were the main reason for employees taking time off work, which is higher than the percentage of absences that were due to COVID. Additionally, 1 in 4 employees admit to taking time off (when they are not ill) because of burnout, stress and tiredness, which if left untreated can lead to further mental health issues . These numbers are expected to rise as we come out of the pandemic.
But how else does poor mental health affect your business? It is much easier to recognise the ways that poor physical health impacts your bottom line but could you identify the hidden ways that poor mental health affects your organisation?
Below are just three lesser-known consequences that arise for businesses as a result of poor employee mental health:
Productivity drops because of low engagement – employees who are affected by stress or mental health problems such as anxiety or even depression, can really struggle to go about their daily tasks as they regularly would. The ability to focus on one task or multi-task can be extremely challenging, meaning that productivity rates in your business could plummet as a result of employees experiencing these issues.
Team dynamic suffers – when a colleague is experiencing poor mental health, they often isolate themselves from others and can sometimes struggle with effective communication. As an organisation, this can be costly as essential work processes can quickly breakdown, and as a result, tasks take much longer or even end up unfinished.
Human error occurs – we’re all aware that when we are stressed, feeling down or frustrated, our decision making is affected. It’s similar for those with poor mental health as the ability to concentrate, think clearly and pay attention to detail is affected. This can easily result in mistakes being made within the workplace. Just how costly could a human error be in your business?
Do you see issues like this in your business? What are you doing to prevent them reoccurring?
Mental health is no longer a taboo subject in the workplace, but as a business owner, you may not know how to approach the topic of mental health with your employees. We’re here to help. If you don’t know where to start and need some FREE bespoke guidance on what your team would benefit from, get in touch with us and we will be happy to help.
How do your employees react when a stressful situation arises?
Throughout our lives, we all face periods of high stress. In a work setting, this could be internal conflict, the loss of a major client or an extremely busy period. How do your employees react in these situations? Over three quarters (79%) of workers in the UK state they have experienced burnout, with increased work pressures and mental health challenges being the main causes for stress and fatigue.
Businesses are constantly looking for ways to support colleagues through stressful periods so that they can bounce back from challenges and remain in work.
Resilience is often defined as adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats or even significant sources of stress (American Psychological Association, 2014). This varies from person to person and it’s essential to remember we all have our own response to stressful situations. Other contributing factors can often affect our levels of mental resilience and it’s really important to be empathetic as a leader and consider the external influences when supporting your employees.
No one can be mentally tough all of the time, however as employers, you can provide the setting, policies and support to your team members so that they can develop their own mental resilience. The time spent fostering a more mentally-resilient team now pays off tenfold in the future, so we’re sharing four ways you can start to nurture employee resilience:
Identify triggers – Each employee will have their own ‘triggers’ in the workplace. Ensuring that mistakes are not punished or discussed in a group setting can help stop the development of a trigger. For existing triggers, it’s a good idea to identify these and talk to employees about them, to create a plan of how to respond when triggers occur. Reframing triggering situations into challenges often helps employees see them as opportunities for growth, removing some elements of fear and the risk of a fight or flight response. Our partners at Lancashire Mind offer a wealth of training to help get started with this: https://www.businesshealthmatters.org.uk/projects/wellbeing-packages/
Support systems – Each organisation is unique, however ensuring that there are supportive pathways in place for employees is essential in every business, especially in times of adversity. This can be ensuring that there is some form of HR support, internal or external, and a clear channel for colleagues to speak to HR staff. Introducing a ‘buddy’ scheme in the workplace can also provide a safe space for conversation and allow others to offer resolutions that an employee may not have thought of. A problem shared is a problem halved!
Set SMART targets – By agreeing on clear, tangible and achievable targets, employees know what is expected of them in work and can break down their targets into smaller steps, which helps alleviate the risk of feeling overwhelmed. Regularly checking in with employees on their targets, at a rate that works for them, helps employees develop resilience as the smaller bumps along the way are worked through together, with your support.
Physical health – encouraging employees to take care of themselves outside of the working environment is key to building healthier and more resilient teams. Introducing wellbeing breaks and outdoor activities (such as a lunchtime walking group or team activity) allows employees to take a break and come back with a focused, renewed energy to tackle their work. To help with this, why not encourage one of your employees to become a Workplace Health Champion for your business? Our free, ESF-funded training means you’ll have someone in the team who drive internal initiatives, encourage your staff to get active and help promote a healthier working environment.
If you’d like help getting started with your team’s wellbeing and learn more on how to build their mental resilience, we’d love to help.
Lancashire is the proud home of the hotpot, the UK’s first motorway and is the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution. Today, the rolling hills of the Pennines are the backdrop to bustling towns, full of passionate people and innovative businesses who are proud to call the red rose County their home.
However, local employers are reporting rising levels of stress and a disproportionate number of working-age individuals are not in work, compared to the rest of the UK. Approximately 200,000 people in the county are economically inactive, with almost a third of these on long-term sick (Nomis, 2021). This presents a rising challenge to Lancashire’s prosperity and future success.
To tackle these concerning issues, funding was secured by Active Lancashire to develop Business Health Matters. Along with the University of Central Lancashire, Lancashire Mind and ukactive, the programme offers a suite of solutions for local businesses such as health checks, wellbeing services and free, European Union-funded training for employees.
Not only was Business Health Matters developed in the heart of Lancashire, but proud Lancastrians deliver the programme too. Staff from leisure centres and local authorities with businesses to identify the support they need and deliver tailored services, with a shared goal of making Lancashire a healthier and happier place to work and live.
To take a look at the proud partners behind Business Health Matters, please click the video below.
So, if you run a local business, feel passionately about looking after your staff and contributing to the future of a healthier and more prosperous Lancashire, take a look at the help available, here:
We are holding focus groups to better understand the needs of businesses in various industries and sectors, in order to strengthen our workplace health services and define the future of similar services in Lancashire.
The Business Health Matters initiative not only provides workplace health services to Lancashire-based businesses, but it is part of a trailblazing research project, backed by the UKRI – Healthy Ageing Challenge. Our goal is to contribute to the research and improvement of health and wellness programmes available to businesses around the county and we need your help to do so.
Attend one of our focus groups and make a difference in Lancashire’s workplace health.
We are searching for key decision makers within local businesses, such as senior managers, business owners, HR managers, chief executives and directors to contribute their thoughts and experience. Participants will be required to work in the following industries, based in Lancashire:
Legal, financial and professional services
Manufacturing and engineering
Care
Construction
Your organisation will receive 5 free workplace health screenings or a choice of one of our wellbeing offers (valued at least £300+VAT) in exchange for your time. Expenses for travel will be covered as well.
Upcoming Dates for Focus Groups
The dates and locations for the upcoming focus groups can be seen below. If you are interested in taking part in our research but are unable to attend the available dates or your business is not in one of the industries outlined above, we still want to hear from you so please get in touch!
Legal, Financial and Professional Services
Wednesday 13th April 12pm – 2pm Girlguiding NWE Region Headquarters, Preston
