Whether it be Ebenezer Scrooge refusing to give his employees time off at Christmas in ‘A Christmas Carol’ or replacing the employee Christmas bonus with a Jelly of the Month Club subscription in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, in some modern festive films, the company ‘boss’ plays the role of the adversary of Christmas spirit. The countdown to Christmas can be an intense time for employees, as there is lots to do both outside and inside the workplace, so it’s good for employers to support their staff in every way they can. A survey of 15,000 employees across the UK, Europe and US f ..read more

Over the last few years, there has been a huge toll both personally and collectively to our mental health and to our lives in general. Companies have accelerated the emphasis on advice and support for the mental health of their staff; but is it not time to broaden the awareness in all areas of health and wellbeing and highlight the critical links between physical health and mental health? And then of course there is the significant feeder of long-term stress and anxiety that can pour ‘petrol on the fire’ to both physical and mental health. The triad of physical health, mental health and ..read more

Being an inclusive employer for people with long-term health conditions has many benefits to an organisation, its employees and the wider economy. Why is it important to be an inclusive employer? Workplaces are missing out on accessing talented individuals who want to work but due to their long-term health conditions find it difficult to fit into the expected 9-5 working pattern. These individuals often have many desirable attributes that come from living with a chronic condition, as well as having a good education behind them. We have an ageing workforce in the UK with a third of workers ..read more

Movember is a key month for raising awareness of prostate cancer and other key men’s health issues In a recent fascinating talk in recognition of Movember, Professor Sooriakumaran, one of Thrive4Life’s expert key health matter speakers, talked about prostate cancer and the importance of regular screening and early treatment. “You can’t wait for blood in the urine and can’t wait for water-works symptoms, before you look for prostate cancer. The main risk factors are age, genetics, and ethnicity – you can’t stop yourself getting older, you can’t change your family history, and you can’t chan ..read more

The greatest asset of any company is of course its people, and therefore the health and wellbeing of staff are fundamental to the success of a business. Building a supportive, robust strategy in health and wellbeing will enhance an employee’s work/ life experience, support their productivity, and improve their quality of life. Wellbeing in the workplace is an area of increasing focus for companies keen to write a ‘new playbook’, one that works, that brings positive cultural change, and a health-enhancing, inclusive working environment where people can thrive. The power of incremental chan ..read more

Procrastination is one of the main issues that presents home workers. When employees are left to their own devises, working away from the office environment, they are not in a position of having to constantly check in with colleagues’. Some people find this lone working environment hard going, and others get on fine. It’s always helpful to explore the cause/s of procrastination and why an individual might be experiencing it. Drilling down into finding the root cause means that they will be more successful in finding the right strategy to do something about resolving the behaviour. In a Thi ..read more

Flexible working environment has become a new normality after the pandemic in 2020 since employers realised that it can give more autonomy to their employees and be beneficial for their overall health and wellbeing. Also, flexible working might be helpful for better work-life balance and increased productivity since the individual would understand their working preferences and what time of the day, they could be more productive and focused. What do we mean by flexible working? The Chartered Institute of Personnel Development (CIPD) suggests that flexible working ‘describes a type of working ..read more

Health and Wellbeing Issues in the Flexible Working We are all aware that flexible working was exponentially accelerated because of the pandemic lockdowns. Two and a half years on, many of us have continued with flexible working patterns and it has become the norm for many of us. If utilised correctly, flexible working gives us greater autonomy over how we work, which can be very supportive to our overall health and wellbeing.  If used to our advantage, it can potentially give individuals an opportunity to enjoy a better work-life balance, helping to reduce absence and support individua ..read more

4 Key Health Measures – How knowing your numbers can be a wake up call for employees Four key health measures There are four key health measures which act as indicators for one’s overall health. These are blood pressure, cholesterol levels, blood glucose and body mass index (BMI). If these parameters are beyond the recommended levels, they do not result in any immediate symptoms but may begin to impact and deteriorate your overall general health if they are not addressed. It’s important to consult with your GP if any of these parameters are beyond recommended levels as they will be able to ..read more

Monday 10th October is World Mental Health Day 2022 – an international day for global mental health education, awareness, and advocacy against social stigma. The theme for 2022, set by the World Federation for Mental Health, is “Make mental health and wellbeing for all a global priority“. Work/Life balance is one of the key pillars of good mental health A few people are true workaholics – they wouldn’t be who they are if they weren’t. However, they too should consider the impact that working long hours has on friends/family, and the people who work for them. Working too many hours affec ..read more