blog post Archives - Business Health Matters

Four Ways To Build Mental Resilience In Your Team

Posted on May 18, 2022August 19, 2022 by Rachel Abbotts

How do you feel when things go wrong at work?

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.

Get in touch!

Made in Lancashire, for Lancashire businesses!

Posted on May 4, 2022August 19, 2022 by Rachel Abbotts

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:

View our services

Take the first step

The Benefits of Upskilling Your Staff with our Workplace Health Champion Training

Posted on February 2, 2022August 19, 2022 by Rachel Abbotts

Businesses thrive when employees are healthy, happy and empowered to make positive changes. But, it can be challenging to know where to start when improving workplace health. We’ve created the following video which explains how your staff can benefit from our FREE training here in Lancashire and become ‘Workplace Health Champions’.

Why should you upskill your staff?

Upskilling your team has a range of benefits for your employees and your business. These include:

Improved knowledge – By undertaking training, your staff increase their knowledge on specific subjects and can share these with colleagues to make positive changes in the workplace

Increased productivity – Upskilling staff boosts their job satisfaction and overall levels of productivity

Soft skill development – Alongside technical skills, it’s important your employees develop their soft skills too. This can include communication, leadership, problem solving and work ethic. With a number of people working remotely, it’s essential that these skills continue to develop in the workplace

Greater staff retention – Investing in opportunities for your employees shows your commitment to their professional development and your appreciation for their hard work. Your staff will feel valued and want to stay with an employer that invests in them

A more motivated and efficient team – when provided with training opportunities, your staff will have a brighter outlook on their future with your company

The benefits of upskilling staff (infographic):
91% of companies say upskilling has made their staff more productive.
80% of employees say that upskilling has boosted their confidence.

So why should you upskill your staff with our Workplace Health Champion training?

Health and wellbeing initiatives are incredibly important to all organisations. Our training provides your team with the tools and support they need to run health and wellbeing initiatives in your workplace.

By having a workplace health champion in your organisation, you will have one or a number of individuals, who are passionate about improving and maintaining the wellbeing of your employees.

They can also help in further identifying the health needs of your team and signpost colleagues to local support. Your champion will become a gateway to better health for your organisation, acting as one of your first steps towards a healthier and happier workplace.

However, the training is just the beginning. After their Level 2 or Level 3 training, your health champions will be welcomed into a growing network of fellow health champions from across Lancashire, where they will continue to receive support and resources to assist them with their activities. This network is continually growing and provides an endless supply of further inspiration and support to your workplace health champions.

Take the first step towards a healthier working environment today, and get in touch with our team today!

Upcoming Course Dates

Courses are NCFE-Accredited and free to Lancashire-based businesses. For more information about eligibility to access this free training offer, click here.

3 Ways to Improve Workplace Health and Wellbeing in 2022

Posted on January 3, 2022August 19, 2022 by Rachel Abbotts

Every business is driven by the people working within it and without healthy, positive and energised team members, productivity drops and businesses begin to slow down.
So we’re sharing some ways for business owners, directors, HR managers and line managers in Lancashire to get 2022 started in the best (and healthiest) way.

Follow the tips and advice below to help improve the health and wellbeing of your employees

But firstly, what is workplace health and wellbeing?

The term refers to the support, management and promotion of both the physical and mental health of all employees in an organisation. Over recent years, there has been a shift in how we work and our attitudes to our own health and wellbeing, which has been heightened by the Covid-19 pandemic. Now is the time for businesses in Lancashire to benefit from this and support their employees to achieve better workplace health.

Below are three ways to get started this January!

Survey your staff:

The best way to identify what needs to change is to ask questions. By using suggestion boxes, or simple survey software such as survey monkey, short doodle polls or smart survey, employees can anonymously answer questions on topics such as overall health, working environment, working culture and share their ideas for change.

Why not empower one of your staff to become a workplace health champion and they can lead on collating staff feedback?

Motivate your team:

Group activities, competitions and challenges are great ways to motivate your team and spark more energy in the workplace. By running a physical activity competition, employees will be motivated to compete against each other and win a prize for their efforts. The competitions can be as challenging as you require them to be and could include a lunchtime press-up or squat contest, a team sport activity or a prize draw entry for each time an employee shows they have walked 10,000 steps in a month.

Another way to motivate your team would be to start a conversation about physical and mental health in your workplace with wellbeing workshops, growing their awareness of their own health and showing them that their health is your priority. See what workshops are available here.

Be flexible:

Many workplaces have embraced a more flexible approach to working over the last two years. When possible, promoting an adaptable work pattern such as remote working and flexible hours can alleviate stress levels and allow employees to enjoy a more relaxed feel to the working day.

Introducing wellbeing hours can have a huge impact on staff wellbeing, where employees are encouraged to take some time outdoors, exercise and do things they enjoy once or twice a week.

Workplace health begins with a single step and by implementing one or two of the suggestions above this month, your business will already be on the journey to a healthier and more productive future!

To find out more about how Business Health Matters can help with our free training and our comprehensive screenings developed right here in Lancashire, please click here.