In this episode of That Wellbeing @ Work Show, I take a closer look at an innovative employment model that’s growing in popularity around the world. The 4 Day Week is a reduced-hour working model, which seeks to prioritise working smarter to produce better business productivity and positive employee outcomes such as employee retention, engagement and reduced absence levels
Workplace Culture During the week, we spend most of our waking hours working, or travelling to and from offices or meetings (although perhaps not as much as we once did!) or thinking about work. (Sure, sometimes we are also thinking about that lunchtime sandwich, or Masterchef, but work is up there…) Work is a huge
Mental Health Awareness Week Mental Health Awareness Week (MHAW) is taking place from 9-15th May, and this year’s theme is loneliness. Research has shown that loneliness has extensive repercussions for both physical and mental health. And the last two years have meant that, in conjunction with the Covid epidemic, we are also collectively experiencing an
Between 2019 & 2020, Google searches for ‘wellbeing at work’ increased by 50% and by the same amount again in 2021. Over the same period searches for ‘burnout at work’ increased 40%. The workplace is changing and so is its impact on people. How remote working affects productivity With many companies being initially reluctant
One of the most heartening aspects of the pandemic has been how the national conversation regarding mental health and wellbeing has evolved. One of the ways this has been reflected is a marked increase in wellbeing programmes implemented in the workplace. Mental health and workplace wellbeing are being taken seriously. It’s not difficult to see
Gary is happy. Gary runs the coffee van at the station which is a stone’s throw from my house. For much of the past couple of years, he’s rocked up there at 6am and spent several hours twiddling his thumbs, and making the occasional coffee for me or my neighbours. But now things are different.
Mental Health during the pandemic In a period of unremitting grimness and tragedy, one of the positives of the pandemic has been the emphasis on mental health, and the increased importance of wellbeing initiatives in the workplace. A Lancet study estimated that the pandemic led to 53 million additional cases of major depressive disorders and
“Work to live, don’t live to work.” “That Friday feeling.” “The Monday morning blues.” These cliches aren’t exactly indicative of a society that values the workplace. We live in a world where work is often seen, at best, as a necessary evil, something that has to be endured between going on holiday or just doing
In February of this year, official figures showed that since the start of the Covid pandemic, nearly a quarter of a million Britons aged between 50 and 65 have left paid work altogether and are not actively seeking new jobs. Many millions more are likely to be contemplating the same move. Needless to say, at
Burnout is a challenge for a lot of workplaces, with 52% of employees now reporting burnout. This infographic looks at why working from home might be making this problem worse and what we can do to help prevent it. If you would like to read some more insights from Buddyboost around workplace trends and their
Not all Olympic stories end in golden glory – there are other types of glory on display and lessons for us all to learn… The Winter Olympics are upon us. Nineteen days of snowbound sporting excellence, with displays of triumph and despair, as almost 3,000 athletes from 91 nations chase their dreams. For some, nothing
Ten easy habits to boost your wellbeing The wellness industry is booming. Every time we open a magazine or search engine (and especially in January), we’re reminded that NOW is the time to build a better self, whether it’s 500 sit-ups each morning to get beach-body ready, or cleansing our aura with crystals that,
Making memories, 5km a day… Introducing Jack Wyse, an inspirational BuddyBooster from the John Lewis Partnership Whilst working in Hong Kong, ensuring that John Lewis’ suppliers were meeting their sustainability commitments, Jack, 30, and about 10 others would meet up for a few drinks on a Friday night and then spend the rest of the
What do buddyboost, Richard Madeley, swimming cats, underwater yoga and swimming the channel all have in common? More than you might imagine. What with cancelled Christmas parties and losing Richard Madeley from I’m a Celebrity, we felt the need to cheer ourselves up with a reminder that it’s not all doom and gloom. So, here’s
Wellbeing is important for everyone. From sports fields to care homes…. Everyone’s invited It’s ironic that most activity challenges can be off-putting for those who would probably benefit most from moving more: being faced with a seemingly unattainable goal or seeing the fitness fanatics ‘smashing it’ can be very intimidating. That’s why we designed buddyboost
Matt Clifford, Accountant St Jame’s Palace Age 26. At the end of the St Jame’s Place buddyboost challenge, we caught up with Matt to find out more about his experience of the challenge. A bit of background on what your life was like before you started to exercise / have you always been active?I have
Paige Farrell (‘Paigey’), Bus Driver, Stagecoach, Birkenhead. Age 30 At the end of the Stagecoach buddyboost challenge, we caught up with Paige to find out more about her experience of the challenge. A bit of background on you and what exercise means to youI was never really an active person and over the years a
The reality of hybrid working means looking after employee wellbeing has never been so important. buddyboost’s clients have discovered a great way to help their employees feel healthier and happier as workforce wellbeing moves up the agenda. Working from home is great, but certainly has its drawbacks. A recent survey conducted by the Royal Society
We’ve almost reached the end of Season 1 of the podcast and thank you for joining me on my journey through the world of employee wellbeing. We’ve certainly kicked the tyres, looked under the bonnet and challenged some of the orthodoxy surrounding this fast-growing sector. So it seems appropriate that my final interview is with
Are candidates who are job hunting, naive in expecting that every organisation frames wellbeing in exactly the same way? Is it fair to categorise organisations infamous for their long-hours cultures as bad or toxic cultures? This week’s guest argues against this widely accepted orthodoxy. His opinion is that instead of the onus being on the
Welcome to That Wellbeing @ Work Show. What is the relationship between ED&I and employee wellbeing? Being accepted for our ‘whole selves’ is a central theme of ED&I. It’s a given that when, as employees, we are provided the psychological safety to being our whole selves to work we are more productive, more creative and
Making memories, 5km a day… Introducing Jack Wyse, an inspirational BuddyBooster from the John Lewis Partnership Whilst working in Hong Kong, ensuring that John Lewis’ suppliers were meeting their sustainability commitments, Jack, 30, and about 10 others would meet up for a few drinks on a Friday night and then spend the rest of the
Matt Clifford, Accountant St Jame’s Palace Age 26. At the end of the St Jame’s Place buddyboost challenge, we caught up with Matt to find out more about his experience of the challenge. A bit of background on what your life was like before you started to exercise / have you always been active?I have
Paige Farrell (‘Paigey’), Bus Driver, Stagecoach, Birkenhead. Age 30 At the end of the Stagecoach buddyboost challenge, we caught up with Paige to find out more about her experience of the challenge. A bit of background on you and what exercise means to youI was never really an active person and over the years a
Simon Tramalloni (‘Toom’), Stagecoach Operations Manager, Preston & Chorley. Aged 45. At the end of the Stagecoach buddyboost challenge, we caught up with Toom to find out more about his experience of the challenge. A bit of background on you and tell us about you and exercise! I joined the army straight after school at
Dave Hunt, Stagecoach. Aged 32. After 8 years of doing no exercise, eating too much and doing sedentary jobs, Dave’s weight had gone from 13 ½ stone to over 19 stone. During the pandemic, his family situation changed and, in his own words, he ‘was in a pretty bad place physically and mentally.’ He knew
