How does Sleep Contribute to a Healthy Lifestyle?

How does Sleep Contribute to a Healthy Lifestyle?

Related Courses

Everyone who has ever missed out on a proper night’s sleep can tell you: the amount of rest a person gets has a huge effect on their vigilance, concentration, and productivity. That’s why encouraging and educating employees about the benefits of good quality sleep is beneficial to the business as well as supporting employees’ wellbeing.
Lack of sleep – or lack of quality sleep – also has long-term effects if the issue becomes chronic, impacting motivation, mood, and engagement, and negatively influencing mental health.
One reason for this is because, when we don’t get enough sleep, we produce lots of cortisol – the body’s main stress hormone. We know that in little doses cortisol can be useful (think of it like a natural alarm system). However, too much cortisol can leave us feeling under constant duress, leading to a number of health problems including:

  • Anxiety and depression
  • Headaches
  • Heart disease
  • Memory and concentration problems
  • Digestive issues
  • Sleep disorders
  • Weight gain
  • Diabetes
  • Early death (in extreme cases)

Circadian rhythms and our sleep
Circadian rhythms are 24-hour cycles that make-up part of our body’s internal clock. They run ‘in the background’ so to speak, carrying out various physical and mental functions, one of which is our sleep/wake cycle.
Our Circadian rhythms work by ensuring that our body’s vital processes occur at optimum times during the day, e.g., we are awake in the daylight (when, historically, it would be safest) and asleep at night, as we can’t see very well in the dark.
Our sleep/wake Circadian rhythm is generated by light (which sends signals to our brain to stay alert) and by darkness (which initiates the production of melatonin, the hormone that promotes sleep). In this way, the rhythm creates a stable cycle of restorative rest that enables us to stay focused and motivated.
Why do we need sleep?
We spend about one-third of our life sleeping – and for good cause! Many critical biological processes occur during sleeping hours, including:

  • Our brains store new information and memories and get rid of toxic build-up
  • Our nerve cells communicate and reshuffle, helping to support a healthy brain function
  • Our bodies repair cells, restore depleted energy stores, and release vital hormones and proteins

Whilst a lot is still unknown about the full purpose of sleep, it’s widely accepted that sleep promotes our wellbeing in several ways:
Conserves our energy supply – we need sleep to conserve energy; our time spent asleep reduces the need for more calories, as we function at a reduced metabolic rate (in other words, we need to spend less time, energy, and resources ‘hunting’ for food).
Cellular restoration – We use our time spent asleep to restore our bodies; during this time, our cells grow and repair themselves, including muscle repair, tissue growth, hormone release, and protein synthesis (when our cells make proteins in order to function).
Emotional wellbeing – Sleep has a big impact on our emotional health. During sleep, the parts of our brains that regulate emotion are working extra hard, supporting healthy functioning in this area and promoting emotional stability. When we are sleep deprived, the emotional centre in our brain cannot adapt to and interpret new situations very well, meaning we are more likely to emotionally overreact, feel angry or inferior, or experience the fear response (fight or flight). All of this can leave us feeling emotionally drained.
Research shows that sleep and mental health are deeply intertwined. On the one hand, sleep disturbances can contribute to the onset and progression of mental health issues, but on the other hand, mental health issues can cause people to lose sleep.
Weight maintenance – Sleep impacts how much fat we store because it regulates our hunger hormones, helping us to control our appetites and feel full after eating. Lack of sleep removes this control, which may increase the risk of over-eating and gaining unhealthy weight. Research indicates that chronic sleep deprivation increases the risks of obesity, metabolic syndrome, and Type 2 diabetes.
Proper insulin function – Insulin helps our cells convert glucose (sugar) into energy. However, if we suffer from insulin resistance, our cells cannot respond properly to this hormone, increasing high blood-sugar and putting us at risk of Type 2 diabetes. It’s thought that sleep helps protect us against insulin resistance because it allows our cells to repair and regenerate. This means they are more likely to function normally and work with our insulin hormones to convert glucose to energy in a healthy way.
Immunity – During sleeping hours, our bodies make antibodies and release cytokines, both of which are essential for the regulation of our immune system. We need extra cytokines when we get poorly or if we are under a lot of stress, which is why lack of sleep often leads to increased or prolonged illnesses or high levels of stress. It’s also why we tend to require more sleep when we get ill.
Heart health – It’s thought that lack of sleep is associated with various risk factors that increase the risk of heart disease, including high-blood pressure, increased inflammation, elevated cortisol levels, obesity, and insulin resistance.
Sleep occurs in 4 stages:
Stage 1: You transition from being awake to a restful state (usually this takes 5-15 minutes).
Stage 2: Light sleep occurs during this stage; your brain activity, breathing, heart rate, and muscle movements slow down, and your body temperature drops (usually this takes 10-25 minutes).
Stage 3: The deep sleep state begins, and this is when you process and store the day’s events in your memory. Your heart rate and breathing are at their slowest during this time.
If you wake up tired despite having had eight hours’ sleep, a lack of deep sleep may be the cause.
Stage 4: Around 90 minutes after you fall asleep, you enter REM sleep. during this time, your eyes move quickly from side to side, your brain waves increase, and your heart rate and breathing both speed up.
Dreaming often occurs during REM sleep as this is when your brain processes information, making it important for both learning and memory.
How to get better sleep
It’s obvious that getting enough sleep is an essential component of our physical and mental wellbeing. However, despite all the information out there about the benefits of a good night’s sleep, many of us still find ourselves struggling to switch off and regularly deprived of good quality sleep.
This is bad news for our personal health and bad news for business since sleep-deprived employees find it difficult to maintain focus and vigilance, have slowed reaction-times, and are more likely to make errors and omissions.
In some professions, these ailments may mean missing an important phone call or deadline, or not listening properly during meetings. In other professions, such as construction, engineering, emergency services, or lorry drivers, slow reaction times can mean the difference between life and death.
Additionally, research from Rand Europe back in 2016 estimated that sleep-deprived workers cost the UK economy £40m a year, due to being less productive at work or absent for related sickness.
In order increase the chances of a good night’s sleep we should avoid:

  • Consuming alcohol, caffeine, or nicotine (especially in the evenings)
  • Working in bed
  • Using devices with screens before sleep because the blue light they emit stimulates the brain
  • Napping for too long or too late in the day
  • Eating too late

Instead, try implementing:

  • A consistent sleep schedule
  • A relaxing environment free of distractions
  • A pre-bed routine (wind down for at least 30 minutes)
  • An agreeable room temperature (not too hot or cold)
  • Pleasant aromas, such as lavender, to provide a soothing, fresh scent
  • An exercise routine – this can help promote solid sleep
  • A sleep diary – this can help identify factors impacting your sleep

Remember, a doctor is the best person to offer medical advice for those having serious difficulties sleeping.
Talk to your doctor if you find that your sleeping habits are worsening, if they persist over long periods of time, or if they’re affecting your health, safety, or wellbeing.

Related Courses

How to manage stress in your team

Related Courses

According to Perkbox‘s UK workplace stress survey, in 2020, 79% of British adults commonly experience work-related stress, which is 20% higher than the findings in 2018. The most common causes of work-related stress included ‘work-related office politics’ (at 37%), then a ‘lack of interdepartmental communications’ (at 34%) and ‘the work and performance of others (at 33%). The research also revealed that 55% of respondents experience anxiety because of work stress, more than two-fifths (43%) lose sleep, and a third of respondents turn to comfort eating.
With stress having such a negative impact on employee’s physical and mental wellbeing, business leaders and team leaders must understand how to manage stress in their teams and find ways to alleviate that stress.
1 – Create a healthy wellness culture
When employees feel stressed it can cloud their judgement and affect their decision-making skills, as well as their creative ability. Organisations should create a culture that encourages good mental health and wellbeing. Managers should encourage staff to leave their desks during lunchtime and go for a walk to get some fresh air, as it helps to clear the mind. Organisations can also encourage healthy wellbeing by subsiding gym memberships, hosting (in-person or virtual) yoga or Zumba sessions or even team walking activities, aiming to hit 10,000 steps a day.
2 – Build a better working environment
Organisations should try to improve the atmosphere of the workspace because it’s no surprise that the working environment can impact a staff member’s stress or mental health. Business leaders can make small changes, e.g. if the office environment is genuinely dull, add some colour to the walls to brighten them up. Different and bright colours are known to lift moods, so add a splash of paint to the walls to improve the atmosphere. According to Erika Woelfel, a yellow hue is sure to brighten up your workspace because it infuses energy and optimism into a room to infuse creativity.
If painting walls might be a bit difficult, add some life into the office by getting your team some plants. Indoor plants are a great addition to creating a harmonious work environment as they emit oxygen, so why not try adding an Aloe Vera plant or a Snake plant to help reduce anxiety and stress? Although if you don’t have green fingers, fake plants can give the space a boost too. Make improvements to the work environment, such as organised desks and communal areas – all of which can add up to make an employee’s day less stressful.
3 – Have a flexible or hybrid working culture
Employees feel more responsible when they’re trusted to get on with their work when and where possible. This independence can help reduce stress levels in teams as employees can be more productive and happier working in a work environment that suits them. Research from Gartner revealed that 48% of employees are likely work remotely, at least part of the time after Covid-19.
Remember that employees have personal lives too so, sometimes this means allowing employees to work around their commitments such as school runs or family doctor appointments. Allow employees to work earlier or make up the time later in the day. This flexible approach can help them to become more productive and reduces stress about working around other commitments. Allowing people to work remotely can also help by removing the commute, as this can be a stressful activity trying to beat the traffic to get to work on time.
4 – Encourage company social activities
Employees can feel stressed when they’re trying to juggle their personal and work lives, trying to keep them separate. However, not talking about employees’ personal lives and understanding what’s going on creates barriers. To improve communications on the team, encourage company social activities such as going for a meal or a coffee together, or doing a team sport such as football.
Everyone has different personalities and commitments outside of work. So, getting to know each other in an informal setting can help cultivate these relationships. This way, managers can work with their employees to find any solutions to alleviate stress.
5 – Allow for quiet time
Employees can become disengaged or stressed if they have back-to-back meetings. Not only is this unproductive, but some meetings are not needed. Consider doing them over email or communication platforms such as Slack or MS Teams. Also, create dedicated slots where meetings aren’t allowed to take place, e.g. Wednesday afternoons. This quiet time can help employees to get in some focused time to get work done. Managers should work with their teams to understand where time is wasted and help them manage their workload to improve efficiency – overall, reducing their stress.
If budget allows, some large companies offer company benefits to help relieve stress, such as offer staff a head and neck massage or even days off due to staff burnout.
6 – Provide access to mental health and wellbeing services
Many organisations now provide access to external services such as healthcare or mental health apps to support employees. This allows employees to access virtual appointments with GPs, mental health services or wellbeing support such as nutrition.
Various factors can add up to stress for employees and having this on-demand access where employees can speak to a third-party confidentially over the phone and in personal time means more people are likely to make the most of this offer to reduce their stress.
7 – Provide training on stress management
Support staff with training that can help them pinpoint the reasons for their stress. This way, they can act on addressing it and feel much better about it. Organise activities to relieve stress, such as nature walks or playing with puppies to take their mind off things.
Stress can also be caused by poor time management and organisational skills, so if staff learn how to manage their time effectively and learn how to say no, or push back on deadlines, they are less likely to feel stressed. Managers must help staff manage their workload.
8 – Maintain transparency and encourage communication
Managers should keep team members updated about what’s going on in the business because leaving people out of the loop can create a disconnect and major “FOMO” (fear of missing out). Employees feel stressed about the future of their job security if senior management doesn’t communicate to the rest of the company what’s happening.
Maintain frequent communications with the team and share goals and values from the top-down – this will help them understand why their work is vital. But equally as important is to encourage communication both ways. Find out if an employee needs to care for an elderly member at home or drop their children off at school. It’s crucial to be respectful of one another and ensure everyone feels welcomed and recognised for their work. Communication is key to helping reducing stress in teams.
9 – Encourage plenty of sleep
While it’s tempting to stay up late to have a “Netflix binge”, it’s not healthy. Sleep deprivation is linked to lower productivity at work. In the UK alone, it costs the economy £40.2 billion in loss of productivity and a loss of 200,000 working days a year. Employees must get enough sleep since inadequate rest can adversely affect employee physical and mental health. This is also where stress and a lack of sleep feed into each other. Employees may be unable to sleep due to feeling stressed at work or inability to concentrate and likewise, they may be unable to feel productive at work due to sleep deprivation. It’s a never-ending cycle.
10 – Encourage staff to take breaks
It’s vital to take breaks away from work and mentally shut down your brain from work activity. According to a study by Spana, British employees feel the need to take a break every 43 days to avoid total burnout. The top tell-take signs of a holiday being due, include feeling stressed (56%) and finding mental wellbeing is starting to suffer (53%). Therefore, encourage staff to take a holiday – even if they don’t go away to another city, planned rest and recuperation time is necessary.
Hopefully, these tips can help you manage stress in your team. But, why not take our ‘Managing Stress in Your Team‘ course to further help understand how you can improve the wellbeing of your staff? Enquire with us today to book a free demo.

Related Courses

How to Support a Colleague with a Drug or Alcohol Issue

How to Support a Colleague with a Drug or Alcohol Issue

Misusing alcohol and/or drugs is a serious problem. Indeed, according to a recent government report, there were 270,705 adults in contact with drug and alcohol services between April 2019 and March 2020.

As well as negatively affecting the business by causing performance, conduct, and safety issues, abusing these substances could also introduce long and short-term health issues for the user. Drugs and alcohol can affect the brain and the body in numerous negative ways, including damaging the liver, kidneys, and heart, exacerbating ill mental health, effecting long-term, irreversible brain damage, and increasing the risk of several types of cancer.

Members of staff who misuse drugs and alcohol are far more likely to take time off, display poor performance (missing targets and deadlines, making more mistakes, arriving late, etc.), exhibit violent and aggressive behaviour with other staff members/clients, and could also cause accidents leading to injury, even death, depending on the nature of their role.

Discover more about how to spot the signs of alcohol and/or drug misuse at work here.

Your responsibilities

All employers have a legal duty of care under The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 to protect employees’ health, safety and welfare. And whilst it’s understandable why some organisations may struggle with questions about why they should – or how they can – help employees with drug/alcohol problems, it’s worth bearing this duty of care in mind should you encounter the issue.

Alcohol and/or drug abuse is often a mental health issue for the user, and it can be beneficial for organisations to understand this and to treat the behaviour as such. Whilst this does not mean employers should accept any practices that directly contravene their code of conduct, it might mean something like offering reasonable time away for the employee to seek help or rehabilitation, or having mental health care included in the company’s benefits.

As well as demonstrating that you are a supportive employer dedicated to the health and wellbeing of your staff, it’s often the case that retaining valued, experienced workers is more beneficial to the business than sourcing new staff and incurring costs for recruitment and training.

Additionally, many experts recommend treating drug and alcohol misuse as a medical – rather than disciplinary – matter. Talking to your employee non-confrontationally and offering guidance and support on the matter (even if it’s a referral to a third-party expert) can help break the cycle of addiction much more effectively than acting in a manner which increases feelings of guilt or shame.

This is because many people who abuse substances also battle with a chronic sense of unworthiness, and inferiority – feelings that can be a barrier to getting help or even admitting a problem exists. It’s worth remembering that handling drug or alcohol misuse at work in a way that exacerbates these feelings can result in increased feelings of depression, hopelessness and numbness for your colleague.

In some cases, drug and alcohol abuse could be used to help your employee cope with work-related stress. In this instance, it may also be useful to assess the workplace at large to see if this may be part of a wider stress problem amongst staff members.

Supporting your employee

If you suspect that drugs or alcohol are influencing your employee’s conduct or performance, it’s important to document this behaviour and to talk to them about it non-confrontationally.

It may help you to have information prepared about drug/alcohol support groups or other local services that can provide counselling or treatment.

Apart from this, there are several things you can do that will help rather than hinder your employee during this time, including:

  • Not confronting or accusing your employee in front of other coworkers, supervisors, or management.
  • Avoiding being accusatory or judgemental, which can lead to deeper feelings of shame and guilt.
  • Presenting your concern for their wellbeing, their career success, and their future – all things that will inevitably be negatively influenced by misusing drugs or alcohol anywhere, including at work.
  • Giving examples of behaviour you have noticed that have led you to believe your coworker might be struggling with drug/alcohol misuse or has misused drugs/alcohol in the workplace.
  • Presenting informed, non-judgemental information about the consequences of addiction and the consequences of abusing substances, including whilst at work.

Policies on drugs and alcohol in the workplace

You don’t have to wait for a suspected case of drugs and/or alcohol misuse at work to create a policy on substance use or abuse (in fact many organisations include information about drugs/alcohol use in their code of conduct, or health and safety policy, for example).

Wherever you choose to keep this information, ensure that it’s easily accessible for all employees (members of staff shouldn’t have to ask for a copy if/when they need to refer to it, e.g.) and that the policy is robust and comprehensive (answering questions, rather than asking them).

Having an agreed-upon plan of action in the form of a drug/alcohol policy will help ensure that issues relating to substance-use at work are dealt with as legitimate workplace matters, and in a non-judgemental way, outside of the personal opinions of others.

It is important that managers and members of staff know and understand why and how the organisation will deal with drug and alcohol related issues; this will help staff gain the confidence to come forward and seek help either for themselves or others, without fear of disciplinary or retaliatory action.

The policy should clearly lay out the process for reporting suspected drug/alcohol misuse at work, or the medical/disciplinary actions that follow a confirmed instance of drug/alcohol misuse at work. To be most effective, the policy might also include:

  • The purpose of the policy – for example that it exists ‘to help protect workers from the dangers of drug and other substance misuse and to encourage those with a drugs problem to seek help’
  • A clear statement that the policy is applicable to everyone in the organisation.
  • The rules on the use of drugs and/or alcohol in the workplace (does the organisation take a zero tolerance approach, e.g.).
  • A statement that the business understands that substance abuse problems may be related to mental health and ought to be treated in the same way as any other illness.
  • Information about the potential dangers to the health and safety of the employee and their colleagues if their drug/alcohol problem continues or develops.
  • Information about why early identification and treatment is important.
  • Information about what help is available – for example, from managers, supervisors, occupational health or HR, or from outside counselling and medical help.
  • The organisation’s disciplinary position, for example, the company may agree to suspend disciplinary action, where drug or alcohol misuse is identified, on the condition that the worker follows a suitable course of action, such as seeking treatment.
  • The provision of paid sick leave for said agreed treatment.
  • The individual’s right to return to the same job after effective treatment or, where this is not advisable, to suitable alternative employment wherever possible.
  • An assurance of confidentiality for the employee(s) in question.
  • An acknowledgement that the policy will be regularly reviewed and that it has the support of the senior management team.

How to spot signs of stress at work

Employees suffering from stress will find it has significant detrimental impacts on their mental and physical wellbeing. According to the Health Safety Executive (HSE), 1.6 million workers in the UK suffered from work-related ill health in 2019/20 – more than half (51%) of these cases were due to stress, depression, or anxiety. 55% of all working days were also lost due to work-related ill-health. The predominant cause of work-related stress, depression or anxiety was tight deadlines, lack of managerial support, organisational changes at work and workplace harassment.

Stress can be an unbearable burden, and all too often, employees continue suffering without recognising it or treating it. If employees are feeling stressed, it can significantly impact the whole team, affecting productivity, and it can also cause conflict and tension between colleagues. The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 requires employers to assess the risks to the health and safety of employees from the hazards of work. This act includes the risk of employees developing stress-related illnesses because of their work.

Organisations and their line managers must do all they can to promote high levels of wellbeing in their teams. Providing managers with training gives them the confidence to engage with mental health and wellbeing and the opportunity to support those employees who need some extra help. According to HSE, here are some ways to spot if your colleagues or employees feel stressed at work. Usually, it involves a change in behaviour or the way they think or feel, resulting in them:

  • Taking more time off
  • Arriving for work later or working longer hours
  • Becoming more twitchy or nervous
  • Mood swings and becoming increasingly irritable
  • Being withdrawn – shying away or socially isolating themselves
  • Loss of motivation, commitment, and confidence
  • Increased emotional reactions – becoming overly sensitive

If some employees do feel stressed, they might not be the only ones and it is worth finding out if stress is affecting the whole team. If the reason for the stress is not found and addressed, then not only does the team suffer, but so does the company. Here are some signs if the team is feeling stressed (HSE):

  • Arguments within the team
  • Higher staff turnover
  • More reports of stress
  • More sickness absence
  • Decreased performance
  • More complaints and grievances

It takes time to find the right members of staff who are a good cultural fit with the rest of the team and have the right level of knowledge to fulfil the role. Not addressing the reasons for stress and nipping them in the bud will cause employees to feel irritable or overworked, especially if it’s due to too much workload. These effects can have a detrimental impact on the organisation. Resulting in not just a loss of valuable staff, but also time and financial loss.

If do you spot these signs of stress in your employees or your team, then business leaders must make it a priority to speak to them individually and as well as a team, to find out the reason for the way they are feeling. Transparency is key to understanding your employees and your team. Having a heart-to-heart with employees allows trust to build, so employees don’t feel worried or scared to confide in their business leader.

If the cause for stress is a work issue such as dealing with short deadlines or client demands, then support your team by helping them to prioritise their work. Speak to the client directly to ask for extensions and highlight the time taken for particular projects, so employees don’t feel like they are constantly chasing the clock. If employees feel stressed because of increased workload, then it’s crucial to ramp up recruitment efforts as quickly as possible to reduce the likelihood of losing valuable members of staff.

If employees feel stressed due to a personal issue, speak to them on a one-to-one basis and offer advice on what to do, or be supportive or empathetic, if you’re unable to provide support. Alternatively, if you think the employee may benefit from professional expertise, it’s recommendable to share a list of resources the employee can access inside or outside of work. For example, this could mean employees attending a mental health discussion group, support from a mental health and wellbeing charity, using an app, or perhaps taking up an activity such as yoga to relieve mental stress.

If you are worried about your colleagues or employees feeling stressed, why not take our course on ‘Identifying stress in your team‘? Don’t forget to check out the rest of our eLearning solutions in the Stress Management collection and speak to our team to book a demo.

5 Signs of Drug and Alcohol Misuse Among Colleagues

It should come as no surprise that alcohol and drug misuse by employees spells bad news all round. As well as the physical risk to health (including damaging the liver and heart and increasing the risk of cancer), substance abuse at work can cause other business-related issues, including:

  • Reduced productivity, efficiency, and concentration
  • Increased workplace injuries, accidents, and even deaths
  • Absenteeism
  • Declining mental health
  • Increase in violence and aggression
  • Theft
  • Poor decision making
  • Lower morale of co-workers
  • High turnover
  • Increased re-training

Under The Health and Safety At Work Act 1974, all employers have a legal duty of care to protect employees’ health, safety and welfare. Knowing the signs of drug and alcohol misuse, and how to spot them in the workplace, will help managers and team leaders mitigate health and safety risks and support their employees’ physical and mental wellbeing.

5 signs of drug and/or alcohol misuse and abuse at work:

1. Sudden changes in behaviour and appearance

Train managers to get to know and understand their team-members. Not only is this management style great for keeping open communication and building trust, but it will make it easier to spot unusual behaviours that may be a red flag for alcohol or drug misuse. Has your employee suddenly become angry or unpredictable? Do they overreact to little things? Or have they become more confrontational? If it’s unjustified and uncharacteristic, it’s time to take note of the person’s symptoms and see what’s troubling them. It could be family stress, illness or workplace substance abuse.

Additionally, look out for changes in personal hygiene or professional appearance – a decline in this area is often a sign that something’s wrong, including drug or alcohol abuse.

2. Unexplained or frequent absences

Misusing alcohol and/or drugs (including prescription medications) can leave employees feeling hungover and poorly. Many substances can also make users feel too jittery to sleep, and this can lead to poor workplace performance and an increase in sick days. Whilst you should trust your employees to know and tell you when they’re legitimately too sick to work, watch out for higher-than usual absenteeism spread across many months; this behavior reduces productivity and unfairly puts more strain on other people in the team.

3. Declining productivity/job performance

It should come as no surprise that being drunk or using drugs at work makes it hard to focus. As a result, employees are less likely to be able to perform complex tasks and much more likely to make mistakes, leading to unsatisfactory work and chronic under-achievement. Employees deep into substance abuse may only be able to concentrate on getting more of said substance, pushing important work commitments aside, and missing deadlines and targets.

4. Workplace accidents

Working under the influence rapidly increases the risk of workplace accidents. For office-based workers, this may include an increase in breakages or slips and trips. However, for employees operating heavy machinery, or using factory/manufacturing tools (where accidents are already a high-risk), or for persons who drive on the job, abusing substances at work can have devastating effects, including death. It only takes a momentary lapse in judgement or slower-than-usual reaction time for employees struggling with drug or alcohol misuse to seriously injure themselves or those around them. Be on the look-out for a sudden increase in workplace accidents and be sure to record them.

Additionally, keep an eye on your colleague’s physical appearance. If they’re showing up for work with unexplained cuts, bruises, scrapes, or needle marks, it may be time to seek help.

5. Conduct issues

There are a number of performance and conduct issues that may indicate your employee is struggling with substance abuse. As well as absenteeism (detailed above), managers should look out for signs including chronic lateness, mood swings, and inappropriate behaviours/attitude, theft, violence and aggression, a quarrelsome attitude with coworkers, managers, and customers, taking long breaks and/or slacking off, and increasing signs of paranoia.

Handling suspected signs of drug/alcohol misuse at work

It’s important for managers to handle potential substance misuse or abuse at work tactfully. Openly accusing someone of using drugs or coming to work drunk or high can lead to gossip and heated confrontations (which will not help a substance abuser) – it could even end in a lawsuit if mishandled. If you suspect that drugs or alcohol are influencing your employee’s actions, start to document the specific behaviours causing suspicion and worry, share these with your HR manager (if you have one), and find a way to offer help compassionately, without being accusatory.

Find out more about how to support a colleague dealing with drug/alcohol misuse at work here.

Mental Health – Top Tips to Support Employees

Mental Health issues are not something we ought to treat lightly. Recent research by the ONS revealed that around 1 in 5 (21%) adults experienced some form of depression in early 2021 – an increase since November 2020 (19%) – and more than double that seen before the pandemic (10%).

For organisations, it’s crucial mental health is prioritised as it affects employees’ wellbeing and productivity. Worryingly, the latest findings by Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) England found that a quarter of employees had not received a mental health check-in since the beginning of the pandemic, and 29% of those surveyed said they have never had a conversation with their line manager about mental health.

Mental Health Awareness Week serves as a reminder for organisations to consider their mental health and wellbeing policies and initiate conversations not just with colleagues but also with loved ones.

Organisations and HR teams must recognise that their duty of care not only extends to compliance and health and safety training, but to taking responsibility for mental wellbeing too.

Here are some top tips organisations can do to support employees with mental health:

1) Remember to check-in

It may sound simple but checking in with your employees and colleagues to find out how they’re doing is important. Many of us will simply reply with “I’m fine”, but as a line manager, get to know your staff better and understand if they really mean it or if they’re brushing off something they don’t want to talk about. The fact that 41% of respondents revealed they had none or less frequent wellbeing check-ins is worrying. Employers need to encourage their managers to regularly have a wellbeing check-in with their employees. The pandemic has taken its toll on most of us, and the anxiety around it has affected our personal and working lives.

2) Encourage leaders and managers to undertake training

Organisations that provide the training and resources for their leaders and managers around mental health and wellbeing will be able to better support their employees overall with guidance. Unfortunately, according to a study by IOSH, 62% of line managers are not receiving enough help from their organisation to support their staff’s mental wellbeing. In addition, only 31% of respondents said they feel they have been sufficiently trained to recognise the signs of poor mental health in their direct reports. It’s clear that organisations need to be doing more, and ensuring your leaders and managers understand the signs to look out for means they can start supporting their staff to get the help they need.

3) Support employees with mental health and stress training

Self-care goes a long way when dealing with mental health issues including stress and anxiety. Providing a training course for your employees to take part in can help them recognise if they need help or understand how to cope with it. Dealing mechanisms for stress such as learning to be better organised with work priorities or learning to communicate with colleagues and managers can be the first step in the right direction for them.

4) Create a mental health culture

Creating a culture that is supportive of mental health in the organisation is important. Put up posters around the office or in the kitchen about mental health and make it clear who they can reach out to if they want to discuss issues. Normalise discussing topics in the open, bringing up mental health in team meetings. This will make employees feel more at ease to discuss their worries more openly.

5) Go outdoors

This year’s theme for Mental Health Awareness Week centres around connecting with nature. Over the past year with the various lockdowns, unfortunately, it’s been hard to get out and about. Organisations need to encourage their employees to go for a walk during lunchtime (whether at home or in the office), stretch their legs and get fresh air. Not only is it good for them and encouraging exercise but having some reflection time in green spaces can bring a sense of calmness. This is ideal for those with stressful jobs.

Don’t forget to check out our training courses on stress management for both managers and employees. Keep an eye out on the site for our upcoming mental health courses.

Britain’s Favourite Office Snacks – The ULTIMATE Ranking

It’s a conversation that sparks disagreement in the office time and time again, but the debate can finally be put to rest.

Here at DeltaNet International, we’ve pulled data from more than 60 ‘top UK snack’ rankings to devise the list to end all lists. The ULTIMATE snack ranking, if you will.

The Results

The full list of top 10 crisps, biscuits, and chocolate bars can be seen below, although the results may prove divisive.

Walkers Sensations Thai Sweet Chilli bagged first place for crisps – and Brits are also loving Quavers and Pickled Onion flavour Monster Munch.

When it comes to the age-old debate of Dairy Milk versus Galaxy, we can report that Cadbury bagged the honour of first place, closely followed by its Wispa bar in third place.

Perhaps it’s no surprise that Mcvitie’s famous chocolate digestive finished in first place for biscuit rankings, although coming in at number two, the Jaffa Cake is bound to reignite the ‘cake or biscuit?’ debate.

Promoting Wellness

Snacking at work is a hot topic for organisations interested in prioritising employee wellness, particularly since junk food consumption has links to stress (both as a symptom of and a catalyst for).

With this in mind, it’s important we indulge in our favourite treats as part of a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle – rather than a reaction to stressful working environments or means of comfort.

Indeed, alongside more traditional health and safety training, many organisations are promoting stress management initiatives that help empower the workforce by getting them involved in their own physical and mental wellbeing.

Some Practical Tips for Businesses:

Encourage physical activity – Given that we spend about one third of our waking hours working, initiatives like walk-to-work and cycle schemes have helped UK workers fit physical activity around their employment. It’s encouraging to report that many UK workers now have access to onsite shower facilities and/or lockers to make it easier to be active whilst still getting the job done and maintaining professionalism. From boardroom workouts to lunchtime yoga and discounted fitness apps, encouraging physical activity can help promote productivity and maintain the good health of your workforce.

Offer healthy snacks – As our rankings prove, Britain loves sweet and salty treats! However, these aren’t the only delicious snacks health-conscious organisations have to offer. Initiatives like fresh-fruit deliveries can help employees make beneficial choices, as can recipe swapping clubs and team lunches aimed at raising awareness about nutrition.

Keep employees moving – Office workers often sit for hours in front of their computer – sometimes spending as much as seven or eight hours a day completely sedentary, which puts both physical and mental health at risk. Simply encouraging employees to take short but regular breaks can help, as can raising awareness about display screen equipment (DSE) use and what office-based exercises they can do to help reduce fatigue, pain, and discomfort.

Final Word

Whilst our snack rankings were a bit of fun for the DeltaNet International office, we can’t ignore the fact that workplace health and wellbeing is a very serious issue as we move into 2020. It’s important that employees are empowered to make good choices and that awareness training and information about healthy workplace initiatives are available and suitable for everyone.

See below for the UK’s ULTIMATE snack rankings in full:

Promoting Wellness at Work

Promoting Wellness at Work

Workplace wellness is not a new idea. Organisations have offered wellness programmes for years, but these have traditionally been focused on reducing illness, encouraging people to quit smoking, eat well, and exercise more.

The latest wave of wellness initiatives, led by giants like Google and Apple, is taking a more holistic approach to health and encouraging people to take care of their mental and emotional health as much as their physical fitness. These schemes aren’t simply about getting people to meditate during their lunch break. The focus is on creating an environment and work processes that are conducive to good health.

Why are organisations investing in their employees’ wellbeing? There seem to be a few drivers behind the latest push for wellbeing.

Retention

Happy employees are more likely to stay. If people find that their work is fulfilling, enjoyable and not damaging to their physical, mental or emotional health, then they have fewer reasons to leave. Organisations that succeed at retaining employees save money and time on recruitment, and also enjoy the advantage of retained knowledge and skills – not to mention the continuity of service and a greater sense of community.

Recruitment

Your reputation as an employer counts for a lot. And in a competitive hiring market, that reputation could be the difference between attracting the best people – or vacant seats.

Job seekers are looking for more than financial rewards. They consider the complete package, including benefits and workplace environment. If you can’t tell a positive story about the long-term wellness of your colleagues, you may lose top recruits to your rivals.

Productivity and sustainability

If your employees are healthy and happy, they are more likely to be ready for work. Conversely, people who are struggling with mental, physical or emotional health issues are likely to be distracted while at work – if not absent entirely.

By giving people the tools to maintain all aspects of their health, you can improve their chances of working effectively. It’s also important to create an environment in which all health issues can be discussed, and the connections between work and wellbeing are accepted openly.

Insurers value wellness

From a purely financial perspective, insurance companies may offer lower rates to companies that care for their employees’ wellbeing.

Has your organisation implemented a well-being programme? If not, what barriers are standing in your way?