A range of initiatives pulled together under the Heath and Wellbeing umbrella make it possible for managers to be flexible, supportive and compassionate.
Flexible working, part time working and Job Sharing, along side term time working and new annual leave arrangements plus the finding of the survey to identify employees with carers responsibilities all provided managers with the ability to be flexible in when work is done and therefore supportive of an individuals domestic and personal circumstances.
An absence management policy focused on back to work interviews, identifying the causes of short term absences, making more effective use of occupational health and independent counselling services is more compassionate than a punitive approach of three strikes and you’re out.
One to one supervision standard in some departments extended across the organisation and replacing the much criticised annual appraisal. Each manager sits down with an individual member of their team once every 4 to 6 weeks to provide encouragement and support, discuss work progress, acknowledge workload pressures and demonstrating concern for the individuals wellbeing.
Employee support groups for black and minority ethnic groups, employees with a disability and a sexuality group. Employees free to attend bimonthly meetings during work hours. The chair of each group sits on the EDI corporate group chaired by the Chief Executive and responsible for an annual report to the board.
The introduction of mental health awareness training and mental health champions to supplement a number of EDI initiatives around increasing sensitivity to others, challenging unhelpful stereotypes and myths and establishing the workplace as prejudice free, inclusive and supportive. The effectiveness of these initiatives to be monitored and measured through the annual employee satisfaction survey, grievances and exit interviews.
But these and other initiatives will not be enough. If the management culture is not receptive then flexible and supportive policies will be ignored. If managers are under pressure to do more with less, to meet increasingly demanding targets, to operate with high levels of vacancies to tread what they see as a thine line between being demanding and bullying they will be more likely to take a hardline on absenteeism and be less sympathetic to an individuals domestic circumstances or care responsibilities. In such a workplace environment a health and well-being strategy is likely to struggle and compassion be thin on the ground.
