Workplace Wellness Trends. Health and Safety remain important across all industries and in this week’s news round-up, we talk about the mental wellness of workers in the gig economy, the rights to disconnect, managing stress, and being prepared for emergencies.
A Global Trend: The right to disconnect from work
There is a growing trend of the “right to disconnect” from work outside of normal working hours which highlights an important concept of work-life balance and the wellbeing of employees. With each country taking a different approach towards this, Australia now has introduced this joining countries like France, Italy, Belgium, and Ireland to introduce in organisations that align with the Fair Work Act creating a right for workers to refuse to work outside of working hours In the UK, the Employment Rights Bill could soon be introduced similar legislation, encouraging employees’ right to disengage from work outside their contracted hours. This aims to protect employees from work communications during non-working hours that lead to stress, and burnout risks and protect their overall mental health.
Company culture plays a significant role in bringing awareness about disconnection after work. Dr. Shaun Lundy of Tetra shared how his organisation has introduced the disconnect policy which has helped create a supportive environment that values work-life balance. Globally, the IOSH advocates for a “right to disconnect,” urging that all types of workers should benefit from such protections, regardless of their role, contract, or work setting which ensures fair work standards and healthy boundaries for the future.
World Mental Health Day: Employers’ Role in Tackling Workplace Stress
This article talks about the importance of managing workplace stress to bring awareness on World Mental Health Day which was on October 10th, this is a reminder for British employers about their legal responsibility to manage stress at work.
It is a day to take the time to assess whether employers are carrying out their legal duties and how they can prevent employees from suffering from work-related stress. Health and Safety Executive’s Working Minds campaign has all the resources needed to bring about this change. Starting from your workplace, these resources can be shared to help others. This campaign provides resources to help employers tackle stress by recognising the warning signs and also implementing measures. Employers need to follow five simple steps based on risk assessment which include Reach out, Recognise, Respond, Reflect, and Routine.
Employers are encouraged to prioritise mental health by creating healthy work environments that prevent stress through realistic workloads, balanced job designs, and strong support systems. These measures would not only fulfil legal obligations but also promote a healthier and more productive workplace.
Addressing Risks for Gig Economy Workers: Road Safety
Improving safety for gig workers is essential for everyone. With the rising presence of gig workers on the road, their well-being impacts all road users.
The gig economy operates through app-based systems where workers are paid per task and often have the flexibility to choose their shift timings. This can often lead to high demand, making safety a significant concern so they might have to do multiple jobs, increasing their risk of road accidents. An article by SMH highlights how research shows these dangers, many of them saying that they experience near misses several times a day where action has to be taken to avoid a crash. There are many factors such as fatigue, app distractions, and speeding because of the pressure to complete tasks quickly contribute to unsafe behaviours.
Although companies like Ubereats, Deliveroo, and Evri have taken steps to provide road safety training and partnering with unions and charities for support, it is still challenging for gig workers where time and money and who are only when tasks are completed. Free safety equipment, paid training, regulated work hours, and use of telematics to monitor speed could also help reduce these risks. Workplace Wellness Trends
As the gig economy continues to grow and is here to stay, giving importance to the safety of gig workers remains very important for everyone’s safety on the road. Workplace Wellness Trends
Emergency Readiness Gap: Survey on Company Preparedness
It is very essential to be prepared for emergencies as it is all based on uncertainty. A survey conducted by Fusion Risk Management showed the various threats companies think they have, answers ranging from cyber attacks to natural disasters to which most companies have an emergency preparedness plan. This survey found that these plans were updated annually, there were 53%, not regularly tested or updated by 28%, twice a year by 9% once every two years by 6%, and every three years by 4%. Drills and simulations are a good way to prepare for simulations, but the availability of these resources that 1 out of 5 employees said they received no training at all. This could be for many reasons mainly because of inadequate training for staff and insufficient communication during a crisis. This survey showed that companies are trying to be more prepared for the future.
