(PR in) HR Pulse | HR News Round-up: 4th – 10th September 2023
Photo by Melpo Tsiliaki on Unsplash
HR professionals are having trouble sleeping due to work-related stress
New research conducted by Censuswide for Nuffield Health shows that around a third of HR (34%) and Retail (32%) professionals rarely get a good night's sleep.
Luke Cousins, Physiology Regional Lead at Nuffield Health says HR professionals' loss of sleep could be down to work-related stress from their heavy workloads and from dealing with disputes and sensitive employee issues which is negatively impacting their quality of sleep.
Of the 8,000 Brits surveyed, more than two-thirds (65%) say they don’t sleep well at night. Just over a third (36%) of respondents say they sleep between four and six hours and 11% say they only get between two and four hours of sleep a night.
The National Health Service (NHS) recommends 7 to 9 hours of sleep for adults.
Cousins says that businesses need to stop overvaluing employees who don’t prioritise sleep as the health risks of sleep deprivation lower the potential of individuals and negatively affect the workforce. He adds that feeling tired is particularly dangerous for employees in manual roles as it decreases reaction times which can lead to accidents or injuries.
Censuswide’s research found that more than a third (37%) of Brits saw decreased levels of productivity after restless night’s sleep. More than half (55%) of respondents say their emotional wellbeing was negatively impacted after a sleepless night.
Dr Jeanette Cook, Principal Strategic Consultant at Aon says, ‘Poor sleep is linked to poor stress management, poor physical health, and/or poor diet. The recent Britain’s Healthiest Workplace survey (2022) found that in the UK all these drivers are getting worse. As a nation, it is no surprise then that we are also seeing a deterioration in sleep duration and quality.’
She adds that ‘Lack of sleep impacts mental health, physical health, quality of life, and safety. It is known to impair mental decision, concentration and social functioning. Lack of sleep has also been reported to weaken immune systems increasing chances of falling ill, as well as being linked to a range of chronic health problems such as heart disease, kidney disease, diabetes and depression. Colleagues suffering from lack of sleep are going to be less productive, have poor decision-making skills, have a tendency to make more mistakes, and be at increased risk of suffering accidents.’
Cousins adds that managers need to lead the way when prioritising sleep and setting work/life boundaries to improve employee wellbeing and create a productive workforce.
Cook says that ‘To improve sleep patterns, HR and leadership teams need to identify the primary workplace triggers causing the underlying stress to their employees. Helping employees to modify their behaviour, for example, reducing screen time before bed, establishing pre-bedtime rituals, using mindfulness apps etc have a place but taken in isolation these solitary interventions will have limited success.’
Source: HR Magazine.
The government plans to use flexible and home working to help people with disabilities or health conditions return to work
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has recently (5th September) announced its plans to reform the welfare system to reflect the benefits of flexible and home working, along with better employer support to help individuals with disabilities and mental health issues return to work.
Iván Williams Jiménez, Senior Policy and Public Affairs Manager at the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) supports the government’s plans but says that there needs to be a focus on improved access to flexible working, occupational health services and occupational safety and health advice to ensure a diverse range of people get the help they need to work.
Rachel Suff, Senior Wellbeing Adviser at The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) says, working from home will help people with disabilities or health conditions immensely. However, she adds that some individuals will need more holistic support from employers so they need to be prepared and confident in their management when supporting employees returning to work.
Research from The Business Group on Health’s 2024 Large Employer Health Care Strategy survey found that more than three-quarters (77%) of employers are seeing an increase in employees needing mental health support - 16% of employers believe this will increase in the future.
Source: People Management.
Social mobility has slowed for minoritised ethnicities
A report from the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) on Intergenerational Mobility in the UK has found that children from the north of England and the Midlands and of minoritised ethnicities face an increased difficulty when trying to move into a higher income bracket than 40 years ago, which has worsened due to years of slow growth in average real earnings.
This comes as Rishi Sunak is put under pressure by his party to remove inheritance tax as a component of the Conservatives' manifesto for the upcoming general election.
The report shows that inheritance plays a significantly larger role in determining someone’s lifetime income and has likely contributed to a continued decrease in social mobility for people born in the 1980s when compared to previous generations.
Sheila Flavell, Chief Operating Officer at FDM Group says, businesses need to focus on improving diversity efforts, incorporating more entry-level opportunities and apprenticeships into their initiatives that open up the talent pool. She adds that apprenticeships are particularly important when trying to help disadvantaged individuals - it’s also a great way to help close the current skills gap.
Flavell says that offering better career opportunities to a wider array of people is crucial to fostering more inclusive workplace environments.
The report also shows that black Caribbean men who received free school meals earned c£8,000 more than Indian men. However, in general, men from minoritised ethnicities who grew up on free school meals earn less than white men in the same role.
Rachel Reeves, Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer has already said that the Labour party won’t be imposing a wealth tax if it wins the next election.
Source: Personnel Today.
And here are links to other really interesting news stories this week:
The HR Director: Why is no one talking about ageism in the workplace?
Employee Benefits: The overlooked influences impacting employee health
The HR Director: Poor financial literacy to blame for escalating debt problems
People Management: Employees using less annual leave as they feel ‘too busy’ to take time off, study reveals