Everyone has the right to feel safe and comfortable in their workplace. People thrive in work environments where they feel respected and trust their colleagues. Unfortunately, sexual harassment is a growing issue in society and, in particular, in the workplace. In 2019, a government questionnaire received 4,215 responses, with 54% of people reporting that they had experienced sexual harassment at work.

Despite this enquiry highlighting the need for better protection for employees from sexual harassment at work, a more recent survey from 2023 showed that women, in particular, were still experiencing this behaviour. Results showed that 58% of the women participants had experienced sexual harassment, bullying or verbal abuse at work. 

As an employer, manager or supervisor, you have a responsibility to protect your employees from harassment. In this article, we will explain what sexual harassment is, how to recognise when it is happening and how to prevent it from happening in your workplace.

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What Constitutes Sexual Harassment in the Workplace?

Anybody who experiences unwanted sexual behaviour, whether this be verbal or physical, is a victim of sexual harassment. There is a vast array of behaviours that can be classed as sexual harassment, from unwanted closeness, touching, or asking personal questions to verbal abuse or sexual assault. 

The key thing to remember is that if a person feels uncomfortable as a result of any sexualised behaviour made towards them, then it constitutes sexual harassment. In some cases, a person may say they didn’t mean to cause offence or make someone feel uncomfortable, but this doesn’t make it acceptable. It is also important to ensure that sexual harassment is never passed off as ‘banter’ or a joke, and no one should ever be made to feel that they are wrong for feeling uncomfortable.

Need a course?

Our Sexual Harassment Training Course for Managers and Supervisors explains what sexual harassment is in more detail, and outlines ways to prevent it in your workplace. 

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Examples of Sexual Harassment in the Workplace

As stated previously, sexual harassment can present itself in many forms, and you should always be vigilant and observe the behaviours of your employees. The people you manage or supervise will want to know they can trust you to intervene appropriately should you notice any signs of sexual harassment.

Some examples to look out for include:

• Comments or ‘jokes’ of a sexual nature.
• Inappropriate remarks or personal, sexual questions. For example, asking another person how many sexual partners they’ve had.
• Sexual propositions or bribes, such as offering to help a colleague at work in return for going out for a drink or on a date.
• Emails or messages of a sexual nature or that include sexual content. 
• Posting inappropriate comments on social media, such as commenting about a person’s appearance in a picture they’ve shared. 
• Inappropriate hand gestures or facial expressions.
• Unwanted physical contact, including touching, hugging, unwelcome sexual advances and all forms of sexual assault.

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What are the Effects of Sexual Harassment in the Workplace? 

Despite everyone having the right to feel safe and comfortable in their workplace, sexual harassment in the workplace is still a prevalent issue. Experiencing sexual harassment at work has significant effects on the victim but also the wider organisation.

Potential effects can include: 

• Poor mental health and wellbeing. Nobody should experience sexual harassment. Those who do are likely to experience issues such as worry, anxiety and depression. These emotions can be exhausting and easily transfer into all aspects of their life, meaning their wellbeing is seriously affected. The importance of mental health and how to promote positivity at work is discussed in our article here.
• Damaged working relationships. This not only goes for the relationship between the individual who is being harassed and the person harassing them, but also other working relationships across the organisation. If others notice this behaviour is happening and not being addressed or challenged, they will lose trust in the ethos and values present. Also, if the victim does not feel listened to or as though any issues they raise have been taken seriously, this can lead to them losing faith or trust in their colleagues or management.
• Reduced productivity. If a person is dealing with sexual harassment, it will likely take up a lot of their focus. They may feel unable to concentrate at work and are much less likely to feel motivated.
• Absenteeism. In some cases, victims of sexual harassment may feel unable to attend work. This has huge implications for an organisation’s functionality and reflects extremely poorly on the culture that has been created. Reducing absenteeism is discussed in our article here.

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How to Prevent Sexual Harassment in the Workplace: Employer Responsibilities

Anybody who manages or leads people should be mindful of the wellbeing of their employees and aim to create a positive culture in the workplace that promotes respectful and professional behaviours. 

Below are five tips that can help you to do this and hopefully prevent sexual harassment in your organisation:

1. Educate Your Employees

You should educate all your employees about sexual harassment. They need to know the definition of sexual harassment, behaviours that are included in this definition, and what steps they should take if they’re being harassed. You should also tell them what to do if they notice that someone else is a victim of harassment or if someone else has disclosed information to them.

Provide your employees with examples of sexual harassment and how they may look in real life contexts. It may be the case that people are unaware they’re engaging in sexually harassing behaviour until you provide them with examples.  They may believe their behaviour could be seen as a ‘joke’; however, once they see that their behaviour is inappropriate, they will be compelled to reconsider.

Educating your workforce doesn’t have to be time-consuming. Online sexual harassment training courses give your staff the opportunity to train at their own pace whilst not disrupting their usual activities.

2. Educate Senior Members of Staff

Just as you’d educate your workforce, it’s just as important that you educate your senior members of staff. Everybody has a responsibility to prevent sexual harassment and report it if they witness it. Additionally, everyone needs to know what constitutes sexual harassment and understand that it must always be addressed and challenged.

3. Develop a Thorough Sexual Harassment Policy

Employers have a legal responsibility to protect employees from sexual harassment under The Equality Act 2010. All workplaces are expected to have a sexual harassment policy in place. This should contain:

• An opening statement detailing your zero-tolerance approach to sexual harassment.
• The definition of sexual harassment alongside examples of what constitutes sexual harassment so that all employees are clearly informed. 
• Details of how employees can report instances of sexual harassment.
• Details of how sexual harassment will be dealt with. 
• An explanation of disciplinary procedures for those who engage in sexual harassment. 

Your policy must be relevant to all employees at all levels and should be reviewed and updated frequently.

4. Design a Thorough Reporting Procedure

It’s essential that you design a thorough procedure for reporting any cases of sexual harassment, and it must be simple and easy. You should communicate the procedure to all employees and have it somewhere they can easily access it, such as in the staff handbook or on a company intranet.

Your reporting procedure must be fair and transparent. Under no circumstances must you treat someone differently because they’ve made a complaint. You should also keep all cases confidential unless you have an adequate reason for not doing so, such as calling the police.

Respond to any sexual harassment claims quickly and without delay. When you take immediate action, you show employees that you react to these situations seriously and won’t tolerate them. Moreover, if your reaction is delayed, the harasser may continue with the behaviour.

5. Create a Positive Work Culture

Having a positive workplace culture means you have an environment where people feel respected and valued, where you recognise and appreciate their work, and where there is a sense of community. Having a workplace of this kind dramatically reduces the risk of sexual harassment.

You should ensure that everyone in your business knows your values, and you should communicate this to everyone. Encourage team-building activities, arrange social events that everyone can participate in and celebrate the achievements of individuals and teams. You should also encourage positive communication across the entire organisation.

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As an employer, manager, or supervisor, you are responsible for preventing sexual harassment in the workplace. Creating a safe and secure environment where your organisation’s values and culture are respected should be a priority, and your employees should feel safe and secure at work. You must develop a policy that clarifies that any form of harassment won’t be tolerated, and employees should be encouraged to report any instances. This will result in a happy and productive workforce.

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What to Read Next:

• Bullying and Harassment Quiz
• Am I Being Bullied at Work? 12 Signs of Bullying in the Workplace
• Sexual Harassment Training for Employees
• Sexual Harassment Training for Managers and Supervisors
• Sexual Harassment in the Workplace: What Is It and How Do I Report It?
• Importance of Respect in the Workplace

The post Preventing Sexual Harassment in the Workplace: Employer Responsibilities appeared first on The Hub | High Speed Training.

In this article, we will explain some of the reasons why employees should return to the office, suggest some advice on how to encourage your workforce to return to non-remote work, and provide tips for employees heading back to the office to ensure a smooth transition.

Why Should Employees Return to the Office?

Although there were a myriad of studies released during the coronavirus pandemic that sang the praises of remote or hybrid work, suggesting that this form of working created happier, more productive employees, newer research from today’s post-pandemic world is starting to demonstrate that the opposite may actually be true. 

Whilst immediate results of changing to a more remote form of working may have seemed positive, we’re now starting to see the more long-term effects which paint an altogether different picture. To get a glimpse of how employees felt about home-working during the pandemic, read our article on the challenges and benefits of working from home, here.

Does Working from Home Decrease Productivity?

As we’ve had time to collect and monitor data from employees working from home over the past few years, more accurate insights into their productivity are now coming forth, and these show some interesting results. 

One example of this is a working paper published by two doctoral students from Harvard who, during 2020, found an 8% increase in the number of calls handled per hour by employees of an online retailer that had made the move to home working. Upon revising their study with more precise data in 2023, however, they found that this initial increase had actually become a 4% decline in productivity, with fewer calls being answered than in the office as well as lower quality interactions. So, what factors of remote working contribute most to this loss in productivity? 

Less Efficient Communication

We’ve all gotten used to dealing with the complexities of virtual meetings, and whilst it can seem nice to interact with colleagues among their pets and plants, with their favourite mug in hand, there’s no denying that speaking through a screen and at the mercy of your internet connection has its difficulties. 

Remote work strips colleague communication of the subtle non-verbal cues and natural flow of discussion that makes up the bulk of normal conversation. In fact, inevitable time lags and the inability to hear multiple people talk at once on virtual calls, makes truly effective collaboration nigh on impossible.

Difficulty Building and Maintaining Professional Relationships 

As well as decreasing the efficiency of communication, home working removes any spontaneity from workplace conversations. Whereas in an office it’s common to overhear and jump into conversations on impulse, remote conversations are mainly meticulously planned and are invite only. This makes it difficult to build solid professional relationships, as communication with employees outside of your team becomes sporadic if not scheduled in. Additionally, online meetings with strict agendas restrict the personal aspects of conversation that can help to build and strengthen workplace relationships. 

Inhibition of Innovation

Whilst online work inhibits relationship-building, it can prevent employees from being truly innovative. This is due to a restriction in focus, a key element of innovation. Constant work notifications, such as messages on slack, and distractions from family at home can make it hard to truly focus on one task and get the creative juices flowing. Without innovation, however, employees can feel like they’re running in circles and lacking in motivation. 

Decrease in Mental Health

The common consensus is that remote working has improved mental health by restoring workers’ work-life balance and giving employees more time to get outside, spend time with family, and exercise. In many cases, however, this may not be the reality. To start with, blurring the lines between work and home can make it difficult for many employees to ‘switch-off’. This lack of boundaries has been found to increase stress in home workers, with one study finding that 41% of remote workers felt stressed compared to only 25% of those continuing to work from an office.

Furthermore, it can be isolating to work from home in comparison to an office filled with people to communicate and connect with daily. As a result, remote working can increase feelings of loneliness, which can considerably impact mental health. 

Slower Development 

It’s generally agreed that regular feedback and advice is essential for growth and development, but home-workers are shown to receive significantly less feedback than those in offices. As a result, those working remotely are likely to progress in their professional development far slower. 

One recent study found that remote workers spend 25% less time on career development than their office counterparts. It’s also been noted that many skills, particularly soft skills such as leadership, are mainly learnt through observation. With home-workers being isolated from their colleagues, they’re less able to learn from their peers. 

How to Encourage Employees to Return to the Office

Although there are disadvantages to remote working, 82% of people say that they prefer working from home to going back to the office. Therefore, it’s evident that employees may need to be provided with motivation to return. 

Ultimately, many workers are reluctant to return to the office as they’re worried it’ll mean giving up the perks of remote working. Encouraging employees to return to the office is therefore mainly a case of outlining the benefits of an office environment, and adapting your workplace so that it proves a worthy rival to people’s own homes. 

Communicate Clearly and Honestly

Firstly, it’s essential to clearly communicate why you’d like employees to return to the office. Transparency is key to employee engagement, and therefore being totally honest about your reasons for making this change is likely to receive the best response. 

Use Factual Evidence and Statistics

As the quote goes, ‘you can’t argue with facts’. Using hard evidence for asking employees to return to the office will strengthen your case, particularly if some of your statistics are taken from your employees themselves; Why not create a survey for employees to complete and use the results in your line of reasoning. 

For example, being able to firmly declare that ‘X% of our team has shared that they feel lonely at home’, or that ‘X% of our team find collaboration easier in the office’ makes a compelling argument for returning to non-remote work. Including your employees’ own opinions within your decision will also help them to feel involved, rather than merely instructed. To find other methods of effectively motivating your team, read our article here.

Introduce New Benefits

Understandably, employees may be reluctant to give up the benefits of home-working without receiving any compensation or alternative advantages. Introducing new benefits such as a transportation or child care stipend may help to make office work more manageable for those who have gotten used to saving money in these areas by working from home. 

Additionally, creating new ways to make the office more enticing, such as social events, provided lunches or pet-friendly areas, may incentivise more workers to swap the perks of home-work for those of being in the office. Introducing regular team-building activities will help to strengthen bonds within teams and help to create a company culture that your employees want to experience in-person daily. You can find some ideas for team building activities which could help to incentivise employees in our article, here.

Optimise Your Office Space 

Returning to working in a closed office cubicle isn’t going to be an exciting prospect for anyone. Instead, to encourage employees to return to the office, it’s a good idea to ensure it’s an inviting space that people want to be in. 

Consider redesigning your office to maximise both productivity and fun. One idea is to separate your office into different areas designed specifically for various activities. For example, having designated deep-work sections, huddle areas, standing desks, social areas including games and comfy seating, and more. 

Create a Hybrid Work Schedule 

Asking every employee to immediately return to the office full time may be a difficult transition for many. Instead, try to phase in a return to the office and offer structured flexibility for those that need it. 

You could try a hot-desking system where employees sign up to work in the office on certain days, can book office space, and see which other employees will also be in the office at the same time as them. This encourages teams to coordinate their office time to get the benefits of collaboration and team-building on office days, whilst also reaping the benefits of sometimes still working from home.

Tips for Returning to the Office

It’s important to remember that returning to the office will seem like a big change for some, particularly as some newer employees may never have worked in an office environment before. With this in mind, here are a few tips for ensuring everyone is prepared to return to the workplace and are comfortable when doing so. 

Ease into the New Routine

Having to commute to an office involves more time management and preparation than having your workspace within your home. As such, it’s important to consider the extra time it will take to commute to work once you return to the office and slowly adapt to waking up earlier so that it’s not a shock to the system when you have to suddenly factor that extra time into your day. 

Additionally, it’s important to think about mealtimes at the office, as you may not have a full kitchen and your favourite ingredients readily available there as you would at home. It may be wise to plan what you will pack for your lunches and do some food preparation at the start of the week to avoid this becoming an added stress in your day.

Decorate Your Workspace

It’s easier to work in a space that you feel comfortable in, so don’t be shy in decorating your desk within the office to really make it your own. Bringing in a few home comforts such as plants and photos can help to make your workspace feel more joyous and motivational, and make the transition between working from home and at the office less of a leap.

Take Enough Rest Breaks

It can feel intimidating to take regular breaks whilst working in an office, as you’re constantly surrounded by other people who seem hard at work. But taking frequent breaks to relax and stretch your legs is just as vital in the office as it is at home, if not more so. 

To learn more about the importance of rest breaks and the regulations surrounding them in the workplace, read our article here. For employers, it’s essential to ensure that the office break room has everything that employees will need, such as comfortable seating and facilities to make drinks or snacks. 

Learn Methods to Help Manage Stress and Anxiety

Change is always scary, and therefore making the move back into the workplace from home-working may create or compound feelings of stress and anxiety. Although these feelings may seem overwhelming or unmanageable, there are a number of methods you can try to help deal with these emotions and avoid them from impacting your daily life. 

Want to Learn More?

To discover some suggested ways of dealing with difficult emotions, read our articles on coping with stress or anxiety at work. Additionally, you can discover more ways to promote positive mental health in the workplace, here.

One of the major downsides of remote working is that it restricts effective communication. If you’re making a return to office work, now is your chance to make the most of being able to discuss things face to face with your colleagues at any time. Getting to know the other employees in your company and widening your network of support will only enrich your working experience, make coming to work more enjoyable, and provide further opportunities for growth and development. 

If you have any concerns about returning to the office or have any suggestions for how to improve the workspace, you should voice these to the relevant person so that they can get resolved as soon as possible. 

There are many merits of working from an office that, if we’re being honest, just can’t be properly replicated when working remotely. As such, it’s time to start thinking about encouraging employees to return to the office. It’s important to do this correctly though, and ensure that employees are motivated and can benefit from this change. Remember, an immediate return to office-work full time may be infeasible for some, so consider taking a soft approach such as implementing hybrid or flexible working schemes. 

Further Resources:

• Weekly Working From Home Structure: Free Schedule Template
• Health & Safety For Home Workers
• Business Essentials Courses

The post How to Get Employees Excited About Returning to the Office appeared first on The Hub | High Speed Training.

Any disciplinary process needs to be fair and transparent at all times. Communication is key and at no point should you spring news of dismissal upon an employee – unless, of course, the employee is being dismissed for gross misconduct.

This article will help employers, managers, supervisors, and members of HR understand how to go about conducting a fair and appropriate disciplinary hearing. We will reference employers as the overarching term for those leading the disciplinary process.

What is the Purpose of Disciplinary Procedures in the Workplace?

The purpose of a disciplinary procedure in the workplace is to set out how employee misconduct will be dealt with. This procedure is usually outlined within a policy and should be available for all employees to access and detail what behaviours or performance issues could lead to disciplinary action. Having disciplinary procedures in place helps to ensure a consistent, transparent and fair process for all.

However, not all workplace issues require such formal action to be taken. It may be appropriate, in the first instance, to have an informal chat about an issue. The aim of this would be to discuss how the problem can be resolved going forwards and highlight any support the employee may require. Communication skills are a vital element of our working relationships.

This could include further training that’s needed, more effective one-to-ones, or any other support both you and the employee feel may help support a change in their performance or behaviour.

It depends on your workplace’s policies and procedures, but an informal discussion like this wouldn’t always require the employer to put it on record – unless they deemed it necessary. If, or course, the issue continues, it would then be appropriate to consider a more formal disciplinary action.

A standard disciplinary process follows several steps, with different potential outcomes possible at the end. 

Disciplinary Procedure Steps

A formal disciplinary procedure should include the following steps:

An investigation – if it is decided that an investigation is required, this should involve the employer gathering as much information as possible regarding the employee’s alleged misconduct.

Any disciplinary action that is taken must be justified; therefore, finding out the facts and establishing evidence to inform any decision that’s to be made is a key part of the procedure. All information regarding the investigation should be accurately recorded.

A hearing – should the investigation find evidence to show an employee’s misconduct, they should then be invited to attend a hearing. This disciplinary meeting involves all the evidence being heard so that a final decision can be made regarding the appropriate course of disciplinary action to take, if any.

An outcome decision – having considered the findings of the investigation and hearing, a fair and justifiable decision should be made on the most appropriate course of action. That possible outcomes in place within your organisation should be outlined within the disciplinary policy.

For a decision to be reached, it may require further discussion between appropriate parties before a decision is reached, such as HR, legal representatives or other senior leaders. This will vary between organisations and the nature of the misconduct.

An opportunity to appeal the decision – the employee should be offered the right to appeal if they disagree with the outcome.

The next section will look in greater detail at what is involved in a disciplinary hearing, how to prepare for one and what to expect during and after the meeting.

Need a Course?

Our Disciplinary & Grievance Procedures Training is designed to help managers and employers ensure that they have a fair and consistent disciplinary procedure in their workplace. This and further useful training resources can be found within our Business Essentials course catalogue.

How to Conduct a Disciplinary Hearing

Remember, a disciplinary hearing is a formal action and one that should be completed in-line with company policies and procedures. It should be carried out fairly, with all steps taken to ensure all parties rights are met and that all proceedings are accurately recorded and documented throughout.

Preparing for a Disciplinary Hearing

As part of the preparation for the hearing, the employer should put certain information in writing to the employee, so they are fully aware of the following:

• Details of their alleged misconduct.
• The evidence that supports the employer’s claim.
• Their right to bring their own supporting evidence.
• The possible outcomes of the hearing.
• Their right to representation. 
• When and where the hearing will take place.

It is important to understand the rights of the employee, as failing to comply with these could lead to an unfair process. For example, if the disciplinary procedure is outlined within an employee’s contract and as the employer you have failed to adhere to, you could be held liable for a breach of contract and unfair dismissal.

It is also good practice to deal with all stages of a disciplinary process in good time and without any unnecessary delays.

What Happens at a Disciplinary Meeting?

During the meeting, both the employer and the employee will have the opportunity to speak and share evidence. In disciplinary cases, emotions and tensions may be running high, so it is important to have a clearly set out structure to the meeting and to allow everyone their turn to speak, uninterrupted.

Being skilled in conflict resolution can be hugely beneficial when it comes to bringing constructive outcomes from difficult situations.

The employer will begin by explaining the alleged misconduct, talking through and showing any supporting evidence they may have, including witnesses. All of this should have been provided to the employee in advance of the hearing, so they understand what to expect and also have the time to prepare their own case.

For the hearing to be fair, it is important that the employee gets to explain their case, respond to the allegations and provide their own evidence, including witnesses. They should also be given the chance to ask any questions they may have.

Notes should be taken throughout the disciplinary hearing and every effort should be made to ensure the employee attends the meeting. An employee may request to bring someone with them and they have the right to bring, a colleague, a union representative, or an official employed by a trade union.

If the employee requests to bring anyone else, this would be at the employer’s discretion and they do not have to accommodate the request.

What Happens After a Disciplinary Hearing?

Once the meeting is drawing to a close, it is important to clarify the next steps so that the employee knows when to expect a decision and what steps they can take if they disagree with the outcome. The type of disciplinary action taken will depend on the severity of the misconduct.

The potential disciplinary actions that may be taken are:

No action – it may be found that a misconduct has not taken place, in which case it should be made clear to the employee that the case has been dropped and they should be supported to positively continue their employment.

Verbal warning – also known as an informal warning. As mentioned previously, this is where an issue was found to be small and one that can be resolved with an informal discussion and perhaps additional support to rectify the problem. Having gone through the disciplinary procedures, the employer may choose to make a note of this warning for future reference, despite it being ‘informal’.

First written warning – this is a formal warning and is one that is usually the first action taken if it is shown misconduct has taken place. At this stage, the employer may give the employee a timescale, to either show improvement (in the case of poor performance), or within which they must not repeat the misconduct.

Final written warning – this can take place if the employee did not meet the requirements set out within the first written warning, or the misconduct were more severe in nature and met the companies requirements to skip the first written warning and action the final warning instead.

Dismissal – if, following a final written warning, the employee either does not improve or repeats unwanted behaviour, then the employer may have no choice but to move to a dismissal. If an employee acts in a way that falls under ‘gross misconduct’, the employer may move to dismissal without any verbal or written warning being required.

Regardless of the outcome decided, it is important that the employee understands their right to appeal. It must be clearly explained how to do so, and any information they need to be able to make their appeal should be provided.

They should set out in writing what grounds they have for making the appeal – with the employer responding with when and where the appeal hearing will take place.

Disciplinary Meeting Tips for Employers

The most effective way of approaching disciplinary processes and meetings is to ensure they are fair, reasonable and respectful. It can be a highly emotive time for all involved and it is important that a calm, professional manner is adopted at all times.

Always act in-line with your company’s policies and procedures, making sure the process is one that aims to support positive change to staff’s behaviour and performance where appropriate.

There will be times when staff do not attend meetings. This may be because they fail to turn up or are absent due to sick leave. As an employer you should make every effort to ensure staff have the information and support they require to attend.

Rescheduled appointments should be made for those that fail to attend.

If a failure to attend scheduled meetings continues to occur, there are several options that could be taken. It may be beneficial to involve occupational health or HR, as they may be best placed to decide if any reasonable adjustments could be made to help the employee attend, or they may determine that they are too unwell and attendance at that time is not appropriate.

After further investigation, the decision could be taken to postpone the meeting until their return from sick leave, that submitting their case in writing would be the best course of action, or that they should engage a representative instead.

It could also be determined that the employee is failing to attend on purpose, in such a case it may be necessary to decide the outcome of disciplinary action in their absence.

Always communicate how and why a particular decision was reached clearly and in writing.

Further Resources:

• Disciplinary & Grievance Procedures Training
• How to Conduct a Grievance Hearing: Tips for Employers
• Understanding the Different Types of Group Conflict: A Guide for Managers
• How to Use Key Phrases in Performance Reviews & Appraisals
• Signs of Conflict in the Workplace
• Managing Conflict in the Workplace: A Guide for Line Managers
• Importance of Respect in the Workplace

The post Disciplinary Procedures in the Workplace: Guide for Employers appeared first on The Hub | High Speed Training.

This article provides advice for employers, leaders and anyone else looking to interview virtually within their workplace about how to conduct a video interview smoothly and successfully.

What is a Video Interview?

A video interview, also known as a virtual interview, is a great way for you to interview candidates from afar. As more and more companies extend their talent search further afield, video interviews offer you a meaningful way to interact with potential hires who are located outside of your workplace’s immediate catchment area, and without the hassle that can come with a face-to-face interview.

Top Tip

These days, as people increasingly turn to roles that involve remote working or hybrid working, a video interview can be an invaluable tool for reaching the best candidates, no matter where in the world they’re located.

Benefits of Virtual interviews

There are many benefits to video interviewing, some of which include:

• It’s less likely that the candidate will need to take time off work to attend the interview, as they take up far less time than conventional face-to-face interviews
• You can host the interview at any time, including outside of normal working hours, at a time best suited to each candidate.
• You can record virtual interviews and replay them later. Never underestimate what you can learn from a second look.
• No one has to pay travel or hotel expenses.
• Unlike a phone interview, you can read body language and facial cues when watching the candidates on screen.

Disadvantages of Virtual Interviews

However, there are also some obstacles you may need to overcome when interviewing virtually:

• Both you and the candidate need a reliable internet connection, webcam and microphone. Ahead of the interview, make sure that each candidate has access to the technology and software they need to attend the interview, so they’re not at a disadvantage.
• Unexpected internet connectivity problems could cause delays or make it hard to communicate.
• Distractions such as bad lighting, cluttered surroundings, noise and other people in the room can detract from the video interview and what is being said.

Types of Virtual Interviews

There are two main types of virtual interviews that you can choose between: one-way interviews and two-way interviews.

One-way Interview

A one-way video interview, or ‘pre-recorded’ interview, is where the interviewer isn’t present on screen. In this scenario, the interviewer gives the candidate a series of set questions in advance and the candidate responds by recording and submitting their answers. The candidate can have multiple takes at recording their answers before sending them to you. 

As an employer, a one-way interview can be useful because it means you’re able to review each candidate’s answers in your own time. You don’t need to schedule a specific time slot to speak to the interviewees and can attain answers to some of the more general questions (such as ‘why did you apply for this role?’) before arranging a more formal face-to-face interview. One-way video interviews are useful for pre-screening multiple candidates during the selection process.

Two-way Video Interview 

A two-way video interview, or a ‘live’ interview, is where the interviewer and candidate are ‘face-to-face’ and can see each other on a platform such as Microsoft Teams, Skype or Zoom. Two-way interviews are more common than one-way interviews.

In a two-way interview, both the interviewer and interviewee log in to the same video call and the questions are asked and answered on the spot. There’s no chance for the candidate to redo their answers and it often requires them to think on their feet, just as they would if the interview was in person.

Need a Course?

Our Interview Skills Training for Managers has been designed to help managers increase their confidence when hiring by detailing the recruitment process from start to finish.

Virtual Interview Tips for Employers

There are many rules that apply to virtual interviews the same as face-to-face, for example, you still need to dress professionally and prepare your questions in advance. With a video interview, however, there are various other elements to consider that you may not have thought about before. A few of these are listed below:

1. Pick a quiet, well-lit location
This reduces the chance of distractions and ensures that what your candidate can see behind you looks welcoming and professional. You may have to move furniture around to create a backdrop that looks appealing on screen – aim for somewhere plain and with good lighting, without distracting clutter or people.

2. Prepare the environment
Candidates will be assessing your business from what they can see so, to create a good impression of your business: 

• Avoid empty meeting rooms as they will create an echo. Plants and soft furnishings absorb sound and will stop echoes from happening.
• Inform your colleagues when the interview is going on and where so that they don’t interrupt.
• When you set up the webcam, make sure it’s an arm’s length away from where you’ll be sitting and at eye level. The candidate only needs to see your head and shoulders.

3. Figure out your tech
Before the interview, practise the call with a colleague to make sure everything works. Test your video call software, camera, microphone and background and make adjustments where needed. Avoid using a tablet or phone for the interview if possible as they don’t have the capabilities of a computer or laptop.

4. Turn off distracting or noisy background apps
Whether the computer you’re using for the interview is your personal or work one, make sure that any applications with alert noises are switched off, so they don’t interrupt your virtual interview or cause a distraction.

5. Dress appropriately
Even though the candidate might not be able to see all of you, you should still dress as if the interview were face-to-face. This means dressing appropriately and professionally.

6. Speak clearly
Speak slowly, loudly and clearly when doing a virtual interview as connection problems and background noise can sometimes make communication harder. Try to focus on your screen rather than on your notes, too, so that the candidate can see your facial expressions. It can help to have another person present to take notes so that you’re not trying to multitask.

7. During the interview, sit still
Figure out before the interview if you’re going to sit or stand. Equally, make sure you have everything you need so you’re not reaching around or disappearing off screen. Have the candidate’s job description, your questions and their CV on the table in front of you.

8. Sort out a backup plan
Things do go wrong, so make sure you have the candidate’s phone number to hand during the video chat so that you can call them if you need to.

Conducting interviews through video can be a great change of pace and open up opportunities for all sorts of candidates. As with all interview styles, there are pros and cons, so it’s important to get your video interviews set up and running right to ensure you get the most out of the process.

What to Read Next:

• Making the Right Hire: Interview Assessment Template for Employers
• Interviewing Skills Quiz
• Should You Really “Hire For Attitude, Train For Skill”?
• How to Stand Out in a Virtual Interview: Preparation Tips

The post How to Conduct a Successful Video Interview appeared first on The Hub | High Speed Training.

In this article, we will outline what workplace stress is and examine some of the common causes of it. We will also look at the signs that indicate someone is struggling with stress and provide some tips and advice for managing stress at work.

What is Workplace Stress?

Work-related stress develops when a person struggles to cope with the demands placed on them, and stress is the body’s reaction to pressure or feeling threatened. Stress is a normal and natural part of life; however, everyone experiences it differently. For example, people can cope with different amounts of stress, and it can be caused by one particular issue, or a number of small problems that build up.

Stress is especially common in workplaces where the environment is fast-paced, of a high intensity or pressurised. However, stress can affect anyone in any job role or at any level of a business, so it is important that all employers have a strategy in place to deal with, and prevent, work related stress.

There are many reasons why people may feel stressed, just as there are many different types of mental health. We will look into these causes in more detail further in the article, however, the main sources of stress are:

• Tasks – the work is beyond the individual’s capability or capacity, they have too little work, they are overloaded with information or the work is very monotonous.
• Relationships – including interactions with other people, harassment and bullying.
• Unclear job role – there are opposing demands made by different people, or there is no clear idea of what is expected. There is little or no recognition for work done, a threat to personal safety or fear of redundancy or dismissal.
• Environmental factors – including noise, heat, lighting and cleanliness.

Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and Management of Health and Safety at Work (MHSW) Regulations 1999, employers must ensure the health, safety, and welfare of their employees at work, and this includes preventing work-related stress. The MHSW Regulations require employers to carry out risk assessments of their workplace to identify if existing control measures need updating and if they need to implement any new ones. This includes considering where work-related stress may occur. You can find a free workplace stress risk assessment in our article, here. 

For more information on employers’ legal responsibilities, check out our article: Work Related Stress: Your Responsibilities as an Employer.

Need a Course?

Our Stress Awareness in the Workplace training course is designed to help both employees and managers identify stress and introduces a range of practical techniques that individuals can use to manage stressful situations.

Causes of Stress in the Workplace

As we’ve established, there are countless things that can cause people stress, and to varying degrees. However, in the workplace, there are some common causes that we’ll look at in detail below.

Demands of the job

Every job is demanding in its own way, and, in many instances, this is the main cause of stress in the workplace. For example: 

• High work loads – If your role has tight deadlines, or the volume of work you’re expected to produce within a certain time-frame is high, it can be stressful trying to keep on top of it all and meet the expectations placed on you. 
• Pressurised environments – If your role is in a high-paced or pressurised environment, you may feel stressed trying to keep yourself alert and on the ball. It may also involve multitasking, which can be demanding in itself – especially if required for long periods of time. 
• Long hours – If you work long hours, it can be physically tiring and also mentally draining. It can also affect your work/life balance. Feeling as though you ‘live at work’ and are rarely at home can be a great source of stress. 

Colleague relationships

Many people are required to work alongside or nearby others in their job role. You may work directly as part of a team or simply have to liaise with colleagues throughout your day. Naturally, this can be either a rewarding or stressful experience. If the latter occurs, it can lead to a negative work environment and a prominent cause of stress in the workplace.

There are many different reasons that conflict between colleagues occurs. Some of the most common include:

• Individual differences or clashing personalities.
• An employee being unsuitable or incompatible with their role.
• Changes within an organisation, including promotion or structural change.
• A workplace culture that promotes gossiping and rumours, leading to people feeling excluded or harassed. 
• Perceived favouritism.
• Poor communication or miscommunication.

Need a Course?

Our Conflict Resolution Training course provides advice and strategies for employees to bring constructive outcomes from difficult situations. We also offer a range of short courses if you work in the hospitality or retail industry: Managing Customer Conflict in Hospitality, Managing Conflict in Retail and Interpersonal Conflict Training.

Problems with management

Conflict between an employee and a manager can also be a cause of stress. Most people are required in their role to answer to a line manager, and if that relationship isn’t healthy, it can have a detrimental effect on an employee’s mental wellbeing and job satisfaction.

A conflict between an employee and manager can develop due to any of the causes already discussed. However, it can also be due to:

• Time off or holiday requests being rejected.
• Being asked to perform a task without sufficient training.
• A lack of recognition or feeling undervalued.
• Employees not understanding the reasons behind them being asked to do something.
• Employees perceiving themselves to be working harder than their manager.

Customer or client expectations

Dealing with customers or clients most commonly occurs in customer-facing roles, such as within hospitality or retail environments. However, they can occur in any industry that deals with external parties, including suppliers, customers or clients. Trying – and potentially failing – to meet a customer or client’s expectations can be a great source of stress. 

No matter the industry you work in, chances are you’re going to encounter a complaint of some kind – either directly or indirectly.

For example, some of the most common complaints include:

• The attitude of employees they encounter.
• Being made to wait longer than they expected.
• Mistakes from employees.
• The quality of the product or service they have paid for.

Check out our article for more information: How to Handle Customer Complaints.

Lack of proper resources or training

Training is vital for employees and for a business’ success. Feeling as though you haven’t been adequately trained for your job (or there aren’t sufficient resources in order for you to fulfil your duties properly) is a common reason for workplace stress.

Inadequately trained employees are likely to experience poor job performance and increased levels of work-related stress. Poorly trained employees are also likely to feel undervalued, which will reduce workplace productivity, loyalty and engagement. 

To find out more, check out our article: The Consequences of a Lack of Training in the Workplace. 

Working from home

In recent years, many organisations have chosen to implement hybrid working, meaning there is a large proportion of the workforce that operate from home.

For some people, being in their own home and space is a great comfort. However, it can also be a cause of stress in the workplace. For example:

• Working from home removes the separation of ‘work’ and ‘home’, and having the two blended together can feel as though you never leave work. 
• There are more distractions at home, which can lead to people missing deadlines or letting their workload get on top of them.
• The working hours, if flexible, can blend into out-of-work hours, where it is easy to work longer hours than you would if you were working from an office, for example. The temptation to reply to an email or two can result in you never really switching off from being at work.
• While some enjoy the space, others can find working from home isolating, where they miss the in-person company of colleagues.

If you’d like to read more about working from home, check out our articles: Working from Home: Looking after your Mental Health and Weekly Working from Home Structure: Free Schedule Template.

Signs and Symptoms of Work Related Stress

If you, or someone you know, is experiencing stress then you (or they) are likely to be suffering as a result. At first, you may not realise that the symptoms are actually symptoms of the stress itself, but once you’ve identified the symptoms, it’ll be easier for you to deal with them. You can then look at managing the causes of your stress at work.  

We have broken the signs and symptoms of work-related stress into four categories: physical, emotional, cognitive and behavioural/psychological, and they are explored in more detail below.

Physical symptoms

Stress can manifest in physical symptoms. These are the body’s reaction to a perceived or potential threat. 

Some of the physical symptoms caused by stress include, but are not limited to:

• Tiredness and fatigue.
• A racing pulse and rapid breathing.
• Joint and muscle tension and aches.
• Shakiness, tremors and twitches.
• Heartburn, indigestion, diarrhoea and constipation.
• Nervousness, sweating and clammy hands.
• Dry mouth and throat.
• Rashes and eczema.
• Loss of appetite.
• Sleeping difficulties.
• Fidgeting, grinding teeth and clenched fists.

Physical symptoms of stress may require further medical advice in case there are other underlying reasons for them, and if physical symptoms persist then you should visit your doctor. If you experience frequent or high levels of stress, these physical symptoms may worsen or develop into long-term health conditions.

Emotional symptoms

Stress can also present itself in a number of emotional symptoms, as it can often affect our mood and overall emotional wellbeing. 

Some of the emotional symptoms caused by stress include, but are not limited to:

• Feeling tense, angry or impatient.
• Feeling emotionally on-edge.
• Panic attacks.
• Fear or guilt for no reason.
• Feeling powerless or overwhelmed.
• Obsessions.
• Feeling as if everyone is out to get you.
• Depression.

Cognitive symptoms

Cognitive symptoms are associated with the way our mind experiences stress. These, therefore, affect the way we cope and manage situations while under stress. 

Some of the cognitive symptoms caused by stress include, but are not limited to:

• Constant worrying.
• Racing thoughts.
• Forgetfulness and disorganisation.
• Inability to focus.
• Poor judgement.
• Only seeing the negatives.
• Difficulty making decisions.

Behavioural/psychological symptoms

Behavioural symptoms of stress, also known as psychological symptoms, are changes in your attitudes and behaviour due to stress.

Some of the behavioural/psychological symptoms caused by stress include, but are not limited to:

• Irritability, impatience and anger.
• Worry, anxiety and panic.
• Moodiness.
• Memory lapses and lack of concentration.
• Absences from work, low morale and low productivity.
• Loss of sense of humour.
• Social withdrawal.
• Depression and being easily reduced to tears.
• Insomnia.
• Boredom.
• Increased alcohol consumption.

How to Cope with Stress at Work

Understanding how to cope with stress when you experience it is just as important as dealing with the causes of stress themselves. 

Without efficient and practical coping mechanisms, the stress is likely to take control and you will become more susceptible to stress-related illnesses. If you get stressed frequently, it’s important that you learn to relax to avoid burning out.

Below are some tips and advice that can help you to reduce stress. 

• Make sure you physically relax. When you’re stressed, your muscles contract and become tense. Ways to relax your body include: stretching, getting a massage, yoga and regular exercise.
• Promote mental relaxation. Many people who are stressed suffer from psychological distress, where their minds are racing, they can’t stop worrying, can’t sleep and find concentrating is difficult. The key here is to calm your mind and distract yourself from the stressful thoughts. Also, try to avoid thinking of the ‘what-ifs’ and jumping to conclusions. Often the negative presumptions you have will never come to pass.
• Improve your breathing techniques. When you are stressed, your breathing becomes faster and shallower. Not as much oxygen reaches your bloodstream or your brain and so your heart rate and blood pressure increase, you feel light headed and you get a bit shaky. Practising relaxation techniques will help you regain control and bring your breathing back down to its normal, slow and regular state.
• Maintain a work/life balance. Taking some time out of your hectic daily routine, both at work and at home, is essential if you are going to fully relax your mind and body. Consider partaking in activities such as reading, taking a bath, yoga or meditation, practising a hobby or spending time with family or friends. 
• Make sure you get enough sleep. Sleep is one of the most important factors in reducing stress. Most people need around seven to eight hours sleep a night, though some people can manage on six. Try these tips to get a good night’s sleep: set a routine, avoid drinking alcohol or caffeine before sleep, make sure your bedroom is sufficiently dark and quiet and avoid using technology (such as a phone, laptop or TV) for an hour before you sleep. 

If you, or someone you know, are suffering from stress at work, it’s crucial that you know where you can find help if you need it.

You might consider visiting your GP. Equally, you can find guidance online from the NHS, Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and Mind. 

You should also speak with your line manager about your concerns. They will be able to take steps to reduce your stress, whether that is in the form of reducing your workload, extending a deadline or in another way.

As mentioned previously, the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, places duties on employers to manage the health and safety of their employees at work. Ideally, your employer should have a proactive approach to managing stress at work, and implement prevention strategies rather than only acting when a problem occurs. This includes taking steps to make sure employees do not suffer stress-related illness as a result of their work and can be done by undertaking a workplace stress risk assessment. You can find a free, downloadable risk assessment in our article: Workplace Stress Risk Assessment: Free Template and Guidance.

We hope you’ve enjoyed this article on how to manage stress at work and that you’ve found the tips and advice useful. If you have any further questions, or wish to find out more information on the topics covered in this article, call a member of our friendly support team at High Speed Training on 0333 006 7000.

Further Resources

• Stress Awareness in the Workplace Course
• Workplace Stress Risk Assessment: Free Template and Guidance
• How to be Productive at Work: Guidance for Employees
• How to Deal with Anxiety at Work
• Workplace Health & Wellbeing Quiz
• Workplace Bullying and Harassment Quiz
• The Cost of Presenteeism in the Workplace & Why it’s Not Just About Money
• How to Talk About Mental Health

The post How to Manage Stress at Work appeared first on The Hub | High Speed Training.

In this article, we will outline what team building is and why it is important. We’ll also look into the different types of team building activities and how they can be used to increase the performance of an entire organisation.

What is Team Building?

Team building is a collective term used to describe various activities that encourage social engagement and teamwork between employees in a business. These activities often involve a collaborative element, which promotes cooperation within a team, as people work together for a common goal. 

We’ll go into more detail about the different types of team building activities later in the article, however, there are five categories of team building. These are:

• Personality based.
• Activity based.
• Problem-solving based.
• Skills based.
• Social based.

Typically, team building helps employees to feel more connected to their colleagues, through the bonds they create and strengthen during the activities. This, in turn, helps to increase employee relationships throughout the business and carries over from the social setting into the workplace itself.

Why is Team Building Important in the Workplace?

Team building has many benefits and, as a manager or supervisor, it’s important that you embrace them. The statistics for team building clearly highlight this too – with a survey revealing that 82% of UK workers want their workplace to provide more frequent team building events.

We’ve outlined some of the benefits of team building activities below.

Better communication

Good communication is essential for great team performance. Team building helps to break down barriers in communication, especially between management and team members. By showing you’re approachable, employees are more likely to come to you with any problems that arise.

Improved team morale

When people begin to communicate better, it dramatically improves team morale. Moreover, it gives staff the opportunity to have fun and relax with their colleagues, which will increase productivity when they return to their work.

For more information on how to increase productivity, check out our article, here.

A better workplace culture

Team building exercises help to break down barriers between management and team members. They also increase the level of respect that staff members have for each other. This helps to increase levels of trust, build better team relationships, and mitigate potential conflict. These all create a much better workplace environment.

Improved skills

Team building helps to develop your leadership skills and makes people more aware of their team roles. Certain activities, such as those that require problem solving, highlight both individual and team strengths and weaknesses. You can then use this information to delegate appropriate work tasks, which will improve overall productivity.

Greater confidence

Your employees will feel more confident to approach their peers once they’ve communicated with them. For example, a worker who’s shy and anxious about approaching new people will be more inclined to do so after talking to people during team building exercises. Staff will also feel more confident in their abilities and job role.

For more information on how to motivate your team, check out our article, here.

Need a Training Course?

Why don’t you let us help with your employees personal and professional development? Take a look at our Business Essentials course library where you’ll find everything from Communication Skills to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion training.

Types of Team Building

As mentioned above, the five types of team building are:

• Personality based.
• Activity based.
• Problem-solving based.
• Skills based.
• Social based.

Each category has different benefits. The types of activity will vary depending on the category you choose to pursue.

Personality Based Team Building

Personality based team building aims to recognise each member of staff’s personality type. All of your employees will bring different strengths to your team. While some people are more suited to being leaders, others are better matched to being creators or planners.

Understanding the various personality types is essential if you’re trying to bring an effective team together. Once you know the personality types of your staff, you can allocate people tasks that best suit their personality type. You should also discuss personality types with your team and develop the best ways for approaching tasks.

Activity Based Team Building

Activity based team building involves employees completing a series of activities and tasks. Often, teamwork is required from all members of the team to complete and succeed at these tasks.

The successes and the lessons learnt from these activities can be transferred back to the work environment. Furthermore, these activities create new relationships and a new level of closeness between colleagues.

Problem-Solving Team Building

This type of team building encourages people to work together and think logically to solve a problem. The members of a group will receive the problem and have to tackle its challenges together.

This prompts team members to rely on each other’s qualities and play to each other’s strengths and weaknesses.

Skills Based Team Building

This type of team building offers employees workshops that help them develop certain skills. Employees are placed into teams to work on developing their skills, rather than being left to develop them in isolation.

These skills can then be used in the workplace and help to achieve the rewards mentioned previously, such as increased productivity.

Social Team Building

Social team building encourages employees to interact in a more social environment. This appears much less ‘try hard’ than other types of activity, and seems just like a social event.

However, it’s important to bear in mind that everyone has different preferences. For example, not everybody drinks alcohol. Activities need to be inclusive and accommodate everyone.

Team Building Activity Examples

There are countless team building activities you could choose to introduce to your team. However, to get you started, we’ve outlined some effective choices below and have categorised them into the different types of activities for your ease.

Personality Based Activities

Personality based activities could involve your team answering a Buzzfeed-esque quiz on ‘Which Shrek Character Are You?’ 

However, if you want to use the activity to better understand the personalities of your team, it’s best to use the verified assessments from professionals. A great example of a team personality test is The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator.

Physical Activities

These types of activities are often outdoor pursuits and could include:

• Obstacle courses.
• Climbing, such as a climbing wall.
• Kayaking.
• Orienteering.
• Zip wiring.
• Trekking.

Problem Solving Activities

Problem solving activities could include:

• Board games: You could get staff to team up and play a game of skill, such as Articulate or Cluedo.
• Situational based discussion: These can be entirely made up scenarios. For example, ask a team to decide what three things they’d need in the event of being trapped on a desert island.
• Cup challenge: For this game, team members must work together to stack cups into a pyramid, using nothing but string and a rubber band. Team members must cooperate with each other to figure out what to do.
• Escape room: Although these are out of your workplace premises, the benefits are worthwhile. People are placed in teams and usually have 60 minutes to work together and solve a range of puzzles in order to escape the room.

Skills Based Activities

For skills based team building, workshops are a great way to develop and learn new skills. The types of workshop you could offer are:

• How to positively handle criticism.
• Ways of delivering feedback.
• How to deal with conflict.
• How to host effective team meetings.

Social Activities

Some social activities you can do as a team are:

• Going for a meal after work.
• Going bowling together.
• Attending a pub quiz.
• Arranging a trip to the cinema.
• Visit an activities centre such as indoor trampolining.

Again, if you decide on a social activity, be sure to be inclusive and accommodating to everyone on your team.

We hope that this article has helped to explain the benefits of team building. As a manager or supervisor, it’s crucial that you understand how important these activities can be for your team and wider business as a whole.

Further Resources

• Making the Right Hire: Interview Assessment Template for Employers
• Causes of Employee Turnover and Strategies to Reduce It
• How Online Training Can Benefit Your Business
• Tips for First Time Supervisors
• How to Promote Environmental Awareness in the Workplace
• How to Get Employees Excited About Returning to the Office
• Leadership and Management Quiz
• Understanding the Different Types of Group Conflict: A Guide for Managers

The post The Importance of Team Building Activities in the Workplace appeared first on The Hub | High Speed Training.

In this article, we will outline the law on breaks at work, explain in detail a few reasons why they are so vital and provide some suggestions for employee break rooms.

What is the Law on Breaks at Work?

Depending on the type of work and hours worked, employers in the UK must give employees time to rest. Breaks allow employees to eat, drink, de-stress and find motivation, and having a dedicated space separate from the normal working environment maximises the benefit. 

It’s important, whether you’re an employer or employee, that you understand the legal rights people have in terms of rest breaks at work. 

The Working Time Regulations 1998 is the primary UK legislation that outlines provisions for rest breaks at work and time off. 

Under the legislation, there are three types of breaks for workers over the age of 18:

• At work, employees are entitled to a minimum of one uninterrupted 20-minute break if they work more than six hours a day. This break must be within their working time and shouldn’t be taken at the start or end of their working day. 
• Between shifts, employees are entitled to a minimum of 11 hours rest between working days. For example, if they finish work at 8pm they can’t start work again until 7am.
• During the week, employees are entitled to a minimum of an uninterrupted 24 hours without any work each week, or uninterrupted 48 hours without any work each fortnight.

The amount of time given for a rest break at work will depend on the company; some may stick to the minimum 20 minutes while others may give staff more.

Employers can decide when employees have to take their break as long as they fulfil the following conditions:

• The break is taken in its entirety at some point in the middle of the day – not at the beginning or end.
• Employees are allowed to leave their desk or workstation to take their break.

It doesn’t count as a rest break if an employee is required to go back to work before the break is finished by their employer. 

However, unless it is specified within their contract, employees don’t have the right to:

• Take smoking or vaping breaks.
• Get paid for rest breaks. 

You can find more information on rest breaks at work on the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) website and the UK government website.

Young workers

Young workers have extra rights to protect them because of their age. The rules on young workers apply from school leaving age until they turn 18. 

By law, a worker aged between school leaving age and 17 must not work more than eight hours a day and 40 hours a week.

They must also have, as a minimum:

• A 30-minute break if their working day is longer than 4.5 hours.
• 12 hours’ rest in any 24-hour period in which they work (for example, between one working day and the next).
• 48 hours’ (two days) rest taken together, each week or – if there is a good business reason why this is not possible – at least 36 hours’ rest, with the remaining 12 hours taken as soon as possible afterwards.

Why is it Important to Take Breaks at Work?

Rest breaks at work are vital for both our physical and mental wellbeing. The human body can’t stay in a static position for prolonged periods, nor can the mind focus continuously. 

Little changes of scenery and activity are perfect for a quick stretch, but a longer lunch break is equally as important. Regular breaks can also help prevent common office-related injuries.

Below are some of the most important benefits of taking regular breaks at work.

Physical wellbeing

As we’ve explained, the human body isn’t designed to be static for prolonged periods of time as this can lead to a number of health issues, including:

• Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). This refers to any injury, damage or disorder of the joints or tissues in the upper or lower limbs, neck or back that can cause discomfort and pain, such as repetitive strain injuries (RSIs). MSDs are especially common in office workers, if they have a poor desk arrangement and/or adopt bad postures. 
• Visual discomfort. Again, this is common with office workers who use display screen equipment (DSE). While it has not been proven that DSE causes permanent damage to eyesight, it is commonly associated with eye strain and fatigue.

Rest breaks help minimise strain on the:

• Lower back.
• Neck and shoulders.
• Thighs and bottom.
• Eyes.
• Wrists and fingers.

You should take frequent breaks away from your work area and walk about to break up long periods of sitting still. If you work at a desk, you should stretch, alter your position slightly or do some small desk exercises at least every hour. This prevents you from remaining static for too long, especially in an awkward or twisted position, as this can cause MSDs and headaches.

If you work in a role that involves manual handling or physical excursion, it’s important to take a break to prevent muscle strain and overuse.

Health and Safety Courses

Employees need to be sufficiently trained to handle occupational hazards, and understand how to keep themselves and others safe at work. Check out our range of Health and Safety courses, including Health and Safety Training for Employees, Manual Handling Awareness and Display Screen Equipment (DSE) Training.

Reducing stress

Most people experience stress at work, in varying degrees of severity. High workloads and demanding deadlines often result in employees skipping lunch breaks and working long hours. 

However, it’s important that you have a good work-life balance. Otherwise, it can result in a quick burn out, high levels of stress and high employee turnover. Taking regular breaks at work can help to reduce the risk of stress. 

Prolonged stress can create a number of symptoms including, but not limited to:

• Anxiety.
• Depression.
• Sleeping problems, such as insomnia.
• Backache, tension and muscle fatigue.
• Headaches.
• Irritability.
• Loss of appetite.

Check out our article on stress management activities to try at home. Equally, you may find our free workplace stress risk assessment helpful. 

Improving concentration and productivity

Our ability to maintain consistent attention dwindles after around 45 minutes, so stepping away from a piece of work, shifting attention to something else, and then returning with fresh eyes gives us a chance to refocus.

It can also help with productivity. This is defined as efficiently completing tasks or achieving goals, without compromising either the quality of the work or your physical or mental wellbeing.

It might sound counterproductive, but if you can feel your progress slowing down or you are struggling to complete a certain task, sometimes the best thing you can do is step away from the problem for a short while. This isn’t just applicable to office work, either, where you can leave your desk – this applies to any task in any setting. 

Taking five minutes away from the situation to reset allows you to return with a clearer head. This can help you to see the solution to a problem more clearly and therefore increases the chance of you completing it, making your day more productive.

For more information, check out our article: How to be Productive at Work: Guidance for Employees.

Mental wellbeing

Taking regular breaks is important for our mental health and wellbeing, especially in the workplace. Depending on where you work, this will be easier for some than others, but you can improve wellbeing with some minimal changes.

To switch things up, try:

• Making a round of tea or coffee.
• Stretch your arms and legs.
• Wash any dishes left in the kitchen sink.
• Water the office plants.

All of these things may seem small, but they can make a huge difference for our mental wellbeing, and you can return to work with a much clearer, more focused mind.

Mental Health Courses

We offer a range of Mental Health courses that have been developed by our team of experts to help you manage your own mental health as well as learn the skills to support others. These include Mental Health Awareness, Resilience Training and Stress Awareness in the Workplace.

Working from home

Over the past couple of years, many organisations have chosen to implement hybrid working, meaning there is a large proportion of the workforce that operate from home. Some companies have even introduced remote working full time, meaning that more people are working from home than ever before. You can check out our article on the benefits and challenges of working from home, here. 

The tips we provided earlier in the article are all still relevant and applicable to people who work from home – however, some are even more important to follow than for those working in an office full-time.

Rest breaks are just as important to take when working from home as they are in any other work environment. There can be a tendency to stay working at a desk for longer hours than you would in an office, due to the familiar setting, and there may not be anyone around to encourage you to take a break.

Break Room Ideas for Employees

In order to comply with the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, there are certain welfare provisions that an employer must provide for their employees. This includes, ‘so far as is reasonably practicable’ providing adequate and appropriate welfare facilities for them while they are at work. 

For all workplaces, permanent or temporary, minimum requirements must be met, including:

• A suitable seating area for workers to use during breaks. For example, facilities where employees can rest and eat meals. Where food is eaten, there should be a sufficient number of suitable tables and chairs with backrests. The area must also be clean and located where food will not get contaminated. 
• Suitable and sufficient sanitary conveniences. These must be provided for all users at readily accessible places. There must be separate conveniences for men and women, unless each convenience is in a separate room of which the door can be locked securely from inside. Sanitary conveniences must have a supply of toilet paper and a means of disposing of sanitary dressings.
• Storage for employees to store their own clothing, such as coats. This should be in an area of the work premises that is well lit and kept clean.
• Changing facilities. If specialist clothing has to be worn for work activities, there must be enough changing facilities for the number of people expected to use them. These should be readily available, and ensure the privacy of the individual.
• Washing facilities. These must be well lit, ventilated, and kept clean. Washbasins must be provided with hot and cold or warm water.  Where practicable, this should be running water. Facilities must include soap and a means for drying hands.
• An adequate supply of drinking water, which is free from contamination. This must be readily available to employees and others on the premises. Where water cannot be obtained from the public water supply, it should be provided via bottled water dispensers as a secondary supply.

You can find out more information on welfare provisions detailed in the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 in the HSE’s guidance, here. 

Generally, a break room includes a fully-equipped kitchen, including a kettle or tea and coffee machine and comfortable seats and tables. However, it can be beneficial to include some recreational aspects to encourage relaxation such as a bookshelf or a TV, and to enhance the environment with notice boards, photographs, plants, etc. 

It’s important to make sure that break rooms are accessible and an inclusive environment for all employees. Check out our article on How to Promote Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace for more information on this.

We hope you’ve found this article on why rest breaks are important for your business both informative and helpful. If you have any further questions, or wish to find out more information on the topics covered in this article, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us at High Speed Training!

Further Resources:

• How to Promote Positive Mental Health in the Workplace
• The Cost of Presenteeism & Why It’s Not Just About Money
• How to Manage Stress at Work
• How to Deal with Anxiety at Work
• Promoting a Positive Health and Safety Culture: A Guide for Managers
• Workplace Health & Wellbeing Quiz
• Resilience in the Workplace: What are the Benefits and How Can Businesses Develop It?
• Health and Wellbeing at Work Training Course
• Menopause Awareness Training Course

The post Rest Breaks at Work: What are the Requirements? appeared first on The Hub | High Speed Training.

In 2021/2 anxiety contributed to 51% of all work-related ill health cases. Whilst this is a concerning figure, it highlights that raising awareness of how to manage anxiety should be a top priority in every workplace.

In this article, we will provide a definition of anxiety and examine the types of workplace anxiety and their symptoms. We’ll also delve into the effects that these can have on daily life at work, and share methods of managing anxiety to help ameliorate its impact. 

Managing Anxiety at Work: Why is it Important?

Anxiety can be defined as a feeling of unease, such as worry or fear, that can be mild or severe. Experiencing anxiety is a normal part of life and can naturally occur at work in scenarios such as preparing for a job interview or presentation. 

People with anxiety disorders, however, have intense and persistent worry or fear about everyday events, such as interactions with co-workers, that can quickly reach an uncontrollable level and consistently impact their daily life.

Whilst anxiety at work can often feel unmanageable, its symptoms can be effectively controlled. It’s important to manage your anxiety as, if left untreated, it can have a huge impact on you and your career; For example, you may fall behind in your current position or start to let your anxiety influence important decisions, such as choosing to turn down opportunities and promotions due to fear around the new responsibilities they would involve. 

The first step in managing your anxiety is to start tracking the moments in your work day that cause the most anxiety, as this will help you discover what your triggers are. Being able to put a name to the feelings you’re experiencing can often be a great help in discovering treatments to help manage your symptoms.

Looking to Learn More?

Our Anxiety Quiz will help you to test your current knowledge of anxiety and start filling in any gaps in your awareness. The quiz also provides some useful tips on how to tackle anxiety, as well as what to avoid.

Types of Work Anxiety

There are several types of anxiety disorders; having an awareness of the signs and symptoms of each will enable you to better identify the specific anxiety felt by yourself or those around you, and help you to understand how to provide support. Here are just a few of the most common anxiety disorders experienced by people at work.

Generalised Anxiety Disorder

Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) usually presents itself as a persistent feeling of dread which can interfere with your daily life. Differently to occasionally worrying about significant events, people with GAD experience frequent anxiety that is often out of proportion with the impact of the things they’re worried about. Symptoms of generalised anxiety disorder include:

• Feeling restless or ‘on edge’.
• Being easily fatigued.
• Irritability.
• Having headaches, or unexplained tension or pains in your muscles or stomach.
• Having trouble sleeping.
• Difficulty controlling feelings of worry.

In the workplace, GAD may manifest itself in an increased feeling of tiredness which makes it difficult to concentrate on your core work tasks. As a result, you may find that you’re missing more deadlines and producing lower quality content. Additionally, GAD may cause you to take more time off work due to an increased number of headaches and general physical discomfort. 

Panic Disorder

People with a panic disorder can experience frequent and unexpected panic attacks, involving intense fear and a feeling of losing control despite a lack of danger or a trigger. During a panic attack, your symptoms may be:

• A racing heartbeat.
• Sweating.
• Trembling or shaking.
• Pain in your chest area.
• Feelings of impending doom or lack of control.

It’s important to note that not everyone who has experienced a panic attack will have a panic disorder. However, if you frequently experience unexpected panic attacks and find yourself worrying about when the next one will occur, it may be wise to seek further medical advice.

Having a panic disorder can make the workplace a very scary place to be as incessantly worrying about a future panic attack can make it difficult to focus on completing work tasks. You may find yourself feeling detached from reality and therefore unable to contribute to group discussions or interactions with co-workers. Additionally, many people suffering from panic disorders find it difficult to do tasks that require fine motor skills, such as writing or typing, due to excessive shaking.

Social Anxiety Disorder

Social anxiety is a very common type of anxiety disorder that is often mistaken for extreme shyness. A person with social anxiety disorder feels intensely worried about being scrutinised or judged in social situations, particularly when speaking in public, meeting new people, or being interviewed. In social situations, or ones where they’re asked to ‘perform’, people with social anxiety often:

• Blush or sweat excessively.
• Feel their mind going blank.
• Have a rigid or tense body posture.
• Find it difficult to make or maintain eye contact.
• Experience an increased or irregular heart rate. 

Being at work often requires many interactions throughout the day with colleagues and superiors. This can be extremely difficult for someone with social anxiety due to the fear surrounding interpersonal interactions, and therefore it’s common to avoid these circumstances, resulting in increased absenteeism. Social anxiety may also get in the way of achieving promotions or taking on new opportunities, as the social and performative interactions that accompany these events, such as interviews, are too anxiety-inducing to attend. 

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

OCD and anxiety disorders have many overlapping symptoms, and are therefore often considered to be connected. OCD is a chronic disorder in which people have uncontrollable obsessions or compulsions that they feel a strong urge to act on and repeat over and over. Some compulsions that people may experience include:

• Excessive cleaning or hand washing.
• Arranging things in a very particular manner.
• Repeatedly checking things, such as that the door is locked or the oven is off.
• Compulsive counting.

Generally, a person with OCD is unable to control these thoughts and behaviours, even when they realise they’re excessive, and they spend at least an hour a day on these rituals despite feeling a lack of pleasure performing them. 

This can have a huge impact on your work life as it’s extremely difficult to focus on a task when you’re constantly trying to battle compulsive thoughts, resulting in it taking longer to complete work. Similarly, it may take time for someone with an OCD to move on from a task as they feel a need to complete their repeated checks before starting something new, and this can take hours. 

Phobias

A phobia is an intense fear of an object or situation which causes high-level anxiety and terror that is out of proportion with the danger surrounding the event. Someone with a phobia is likely to:

• Have irrational but excessive worry about encountering a specific object or scenario.
• Actively avoid the feared object or situation.
• Experience immediate and intense anxiety when encountering the feared object or situation.

Whilst having a phobia to something that is rarely encountered, such as clowns or needles, can be managed relatively easily, someone with a commonplace phobia can find it severely impacting their daily life. 

Certain common phobias such as heights, enclosed spaces, or crowds are likely to be frequently encountered in a work environment. Research shows that people with intense phobias find career progression difficult and struggle to perform in interviews or in pay-rise discussions. Additionally, they are absent from work far more often due to feeling unable to tackle their fears and opting to avoid them instead. Despite this, only 2% of phobia sufferers have discussed their fears with HR, and as few as 7% have chosen to disclose their issues with their manager.

Although this list is not exhaustive, it gives an idea of some of the most prevalent types of anxiety that may be present in the workplace and greatly impact a sufferer’s ability to thrive at work. 

How to Calm Anxiety at Work

Despite anxiety often resulting in a feeling of not being in control, there are many ways to help manage your anxiety at work. Although anxiety may be severely impacting your ability to work at the moment, you may find these strategies useful to getting back on track:

Take breaks when you need to

Stepping away from your work and the workplace environment to clear your head can help to refresh your mindset and help you to refocus. Try using deep-breathing techniques, go for a walk (preferably in nature), or take a holiday for a proper break away. 

Open up

Understandably, asking for help at work can feel difficult. Many cases of ill mental health aren’t reported to HR or managers and therefore can go under the radar. Discussing your anxiety with someone you trust at work and having someone who understands what you’re experiencing can be comforting and help ease some of its symptoms. Read our article on How to Talk about Mental Health to get some tips on how to start these difficult conversations.

Adopt healthy habits

Self care is essential to managing anxiety, as not looking after yourself can compound your symptoms. Getting enough sleep, eating healthily, and exercising are proven to have a hugely positive impact on the mind as well as improving physical health. 

Plan your work 

Take time to plan out the upcoming week so that you know what’s coming in terms of workload. This will help to give you a sense of control over your time which can ease feelings of anxiety. Additionally, breaking tasks down into smaller chunks can make them seem less overwhelming and more easily managed.

Get professional help

If your anxiety symptoms aren’t eased by any of the above and you find that you’re still struggling with your daily activities at work, a GP or mental health specialist will be able to provide access to treatment, whether that be therapy to help identify coping mechanisms, or medication. 

The more we understand about anxiety, the better we will be at tackling its symptoms. Being aware of how, when, and where your mental health might suffer is vital to being able to manage your own anxiety, and provide effective support for others experiencing it. Our Mental Health Awareness course provides a wealth of information to further your understanding. 

Anxiety is an emotion that is experienced by everyone, but if your anxiety is becoming a perpetual and overwhelming feeling that affects your daily life and holds you back at work, you may be experiencing an anxiety disorder. Identifying which type of anxiety you have can be helpful to begin understanding your symptoms. There are many ways of helping to ease your anxiety at work, including making your co-workers aware of your issues. If you’re still struggling, it’s important to seek professional help. Don’t suffer in silence. 

Further Resources:

• Anxiety Quiz
• How to Talk About Mental Health
• Stress Management Activities to Try at Home
• How to Manage Stress at Work
• Workplace Health & Wellbeing Quiz
• How to Support Hidden Disabilities in the Workplace
• What To Do If You Suspect Mental Health Discrimination at Work
• Rest Breaks at Work: What are the Requirements?
• Mental Health Awareness Training Course
• Mental Health Training for Managers

The post How to Deal with Anxiety at Work appeared first on The Hub | High Speed Training.

In this article, we will outline what mental health in the workplace is, along with some of the common struggles you may recognise. We will also cover the importance of mental health awareness and how you can help promote positive mental health at your place of work.

What is Mental Health in the Workplace?

Mental health is different from mental illnesses in that everyone has mental health, but not everyone has a mental illness. To learn more about mental health, read our article on Types of Mental Health.

Your mental health will fluctuate throughout your life from being positive, negative and somewhere in between. It is important to be able to recognise when you are struggling or feeling low so that you can identify how to improve your own mental health. This will also help you to notice and respond when other people are struggling.   

One factor that can affect your mental health is the environment you are in, such as at home or at work. As mentioned, people spend around 35 hours a week at work, so it is important that it is not having a negative effect on your mental health. 

Work can give people an identity, a team, goals to work towards and a structure to everyday life. On the other hand, however, the workplace can also cause stress and worry, which can lead to poor mental health. 

There are a number of reasons why employees might struggle with their mental health at work, including: 

• Persistent pressures.
• Unclear responsibilities. 
• A poor working environment. 

You may notice that a colleague at work is more tired than usual, quieter than usual or making uncharacteristic mistakes. They may be short-tempered, struggling to keep time or unmotivated. All of these signs can suggest that the individual may be struggling with their mental health and it is everyone’s responsibility to respond appropriately. 

Research shows that in 2021/2022, there were an estimated 914,000 workers affected by work-related stress, depression or anxiety. Therefore, it is important that everyone in the workplace knows how to recognise and respond when a colleague is struggling. It is also crucial that employers promote positive mental health in the workplace and support their employees. 

The Importance of Mental Health in the Workplace

People spend a lot of time at work, so ensuring that the workplace is a positive and supportive environment should be a top priority. 

There are a number of benefits to promoting positive mental health in the workplace, including: 

• Increased productivity.
• Improved staff morale.
• High-performing employees.
• Reduced sickness days and staff absence. 
• Improved staff retention and lower staff turnover. 
• Increased innovation. 

As well as promoting positive mental health in the workplace, employers should be equipped to provide support to employees if they are struggling or if issues emerge. As we have outlined, mental health fluctuates throughout our lives. So it is likely that no matter how positive the work environment is, any employee may struggle with their mental health.

Knowledge and awareness of how to recognise and respond to an employee when they are struggling are equally as important as promoting positive mental health. One way to respond if you notice someone is struggling is to talk to them about their mental health. This can sometimes be hard to do, especially with the stigma surrounding mental health, but being open and talking with the individual can make a huge difference and show them that you are there. You can learn more about how to talk about mental health here. 

Looking to Learn More?

Our Mental Health Training Courses are written with experts to provide you with knowledge and awareness of mental health, as well as the necessary skills to support people who are struggling. Take a look at our courses in Mental Health Awareness and Mental Health Awareness for Managers.

How to Support Positive Mental Health at Work

There are many ways that the workplace can promote, encourage and support positive mental health, take a look at the following ideas. 

Start conversations

Encouraging open discussions about mental health can help reduce the stigma and show others that you are there for them. Over time, the topic of mental health will become more and more normal, which will help people feel that they can share when they are struggling. 

Try this: Organise a half an hour one-to-one chat with your team members each month and let them control the conversation. Give each person a chance to talk, whether it’s to ask your advice, get a problem off their chest or simply enjoy a good conversation that they may not have had otherwise. 

Complete mental health training

Training in mental health will help debunk some myths and raise awareness of what mental health is and how you can help others who are struggling. Training can also equip you with tools to help you talk to someone who you think is struggling and educate others. 

Try this: Take a look at our Mental Health Awareness course for employees and Mental Health Awareness for Managers training courses. The courses cover common mental health problems, as well as the symptoms and effects they can have. It also outlines the adjustments you can make to promote positive mental health in the workplace. 

Organise wellness activities

Whilst mental health problems can affect anyone, on any day of the year, dedicating time to wellness activities can help people tune in to how they are feeling and encourage open discussion around mental health. There are many different activities and initiatives you can get involved in or create at work, whether they are full-day activities or 20-minute workshops. 

Try this: Find out when the next wellbeing awareness day or week is and plan a company wide activity or event to mark the date. This could be a workshop, tea break, a fun competition or team-building activity. Anything that will bring attention to the importance of mental health and start discussions around it. 

Assign mental health champions

Mental health champions are a dedicated group of people that can support the organisation’s wellbeing strategy, raise awareness of mental health and provide useful resources for everyone in the company. 

Mental health champions can complete training so that if employees have any questions or concerns regarding mental health, they can reach out to a dedicated mental health champion for support. 

Try this: Put out an advert within the company for recruiting mental health champions to see how many people, and who, would be interested. The advert should include what their role and responsibilities would be as a mental health champion, the aims of the group and what training will be provided to them. 

Promote active listening

Active listening is when you listen with focused intent – when you are truly invested in the speaker and experience empathy towards them. It involves being present and aware, rather than just quiet. Speakers are given the room to explore and assess their thoughts in a safe space. 

Active listening is different to passive listening as it shows you are focused on what the speaker is trying to say. When someone is opening up or talking about their mental health, passive listening and interjections can quickly make them feel as though they are not being heard and will discourage them from talking to you. This can be very damaging if someone is trying to reach out for help or share with you that they are struggling. 

Try this: Next time you have a conversation with someone, rather than thinking about when it will be your turn to speak or thinking about what to say, try to focus on what the person is saying. When they finish speaking, leave a moment for you both to reflect on what has been said before filling the silence by talking. This will give the person space to keep talking if they want to.

Challenge mental health discrimination 

Despite there now being more awareness than ever about mental health, there is still a lot of stigma surrounding it. Everyone has a responsibility to challenge mental health stigma and discrimination. As an employee, you have a right to raise your concerns regarding any mental health discrimination, as an employer you have a responsibility to take necessary action to challenge mental health discrimination. 

Try this: In your next meeting, as an icebreaker activity, make a list of mental health myths and facts. Open a discussion around whether people think the statements are true or false and discuss each one. This will help to start a conversation around mental health stigma and challenge people’s perceptions. 

Encourage breaks

Taking regular breaks is important for our mental health, especially in the workplace. Depending on where you work, this will be easier for some than others, but regular breaks can include going outside, doing some movement or exercise, being away from your screen, doing a five-minute mindfulness activity or meditation and having an informal chat with others. All of these things may seem small, but they can make a huge difference for our mental health.

Try this: As an employer, actively encourage employees to take their annual leave and to take regular breaks throughout the working day. This could be to make a drink, go for a walk or just go outside for some fresh air. Breaks don’t have to be long, even five minutes every hour will help promote positive mental health. As an employee, take your entitled breaks and take full advantage of your annual leave entitlement. 

We hope you have enjoyed reading this article and have a greater awareness of how to promote positive mental health in the workplace. If you have any questions or would like to learn more about the topics covered in this article, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us at High Speed Training! 

Further Resources:

• Mental Health Training Courses
• What To Do If You Suspect Mental Health Discrimination at Work
• How to Talk About Mental Health
• Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) Quiz
• How to Deal with Anxiety at Work
• How to Manage Stress at Work
• Workplace Health & Wellbeing Quiz
• How to Support Hidden Disabilities in the Workplace
• Rest Breaks at Work: What are the Requirements?

The post How to Promote Positive Mental Health in the Workplace appeared first on The Hub | High Speed Training.

In this article, we will explore the consequences of a lack of training to help you understand why investing in training opportunities is so important. We will also outline some steps you can take to improve the availability of training in your workplace.

What are the Effects of a Lack of Training in the Workplace?

Training is vital to business success. Depending on your business, the type of training opportunities available will vary, but there are many benefits to offering education opportunities in the workplace.

By ignoring the importance of workplace training, you could risk the following:

Unsafe Work Environments

As an employer, under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, you have a legal obligation to ensure you provide your employees with the necessary information, instruction, training and supervision needed to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of your employees at work. By ignoring this responsibility, you could face legal repercussions, an increase in workplace accidents, decreased staff morale and an increase in staff absence.

Unhappy and Unsatisfied Employees

Inadequately trained employees are likely to experience poor job performance and increased levels of work-related stress. If your employees are feeling unhappy and undervalued, the chances of them searching elsewhere for progression and development opportunities will increase. If you want to retain good employees, invest in their happiness by prioritising their development.

Reduced Productivity

With constant updates in technology and an increase in global trading, the level of competition between businesses is ever increasing. This means that it’s even more important that your workforce is adequately trained with the education and skill levels needed to work safely and productively. Poorly trained employees are likely to feel undervalued, which will reduce workplace productivity, loyalty and engagement. 

If all your employees are making the same careless mistakes and performing poorly, it’s time to assess the type and standard of training you provide. By giving your employees the necessary skills the first time, you will reduce the time, money and resources needed to rectify mistakes. Once you invest in your employees’ training you’ll see productivity and profits soar.

Increased Staff Turnover

As well as increased workplace stress, poorly trained employees are likely to feel unappreciated in their jobs. As a result, they will either leave in search of better opportunities or could end up underperforming. While this might not seem like a big problem, high staff turnover is expensive. However, if you demonstrate that you are an employer who is invested in the development and success of your employees, you are likely to see an increase in company loyalty and staff morale. To learn about the causes of employee turnover and how to reduce it, see our article, here.

Looking to Learn More?

Our range of Business Essentials Courses will equip you with the skills and knowledge needed for a successful business, including Communication Skills and Mental Health Awareness.

How to Deal with Lack of Training at Work

As we have discussed, there are many negative outcomes associated with a lack of training in the workplace. On the other hand, there are a number of benefits to training employees, including improvements in performance, efficiency, productivity and opportunities for development.  

There are things you can do to resolve a lack of training in your workplace, including:

Encouraging conversations around development – in order to achieve a goal, it is likely that some training and learning will be required. Encouraging discussion around training and ensuring that employees know why it is important, will help employees apply themselves fully to training. Open discussions can also help with understanding each employee’s personal development goals. 

Creating personal development plans – one way of understanding each employee’s training needs is by creating personal development plans. This will help you outline what the employee’s goals are and what steps they need to take to achieve them. 

Differentiating between mandatory training and optional training – it is important to establish which training all of your employees need and which training is optional. Optional training should be offered around topics that will help employees with their personal development, mandatory training includes the necessary information that all employees need to know regardless of their personal development goals. 

Providing eLearning opportunities – once you have established your employees’ training needs, including the mandatory and optional training, you need to find a training provider. Some topics can be taught through online training, such as health and safety training for employees. Other training that is specific to your organisation may need to be taught in house.

Looking to Learn More?

Our online training courses cover a range of topics including Safeguarding, Health and Safety, Education and Food Hygiene. Our courses are created by industry experts to ensure you get the best learning experience and the outcome you need.

As shown in this article, there are many consequences of a lack of training in the workplace. Investing in your business and employees by providing training and development opportunities will result in the full benefits of an adequately trained workforce.

Further Resources:

• Online Business Essentials Courses
• 10 Development Areas for Managers
• What is EQ? A Guide to Emotional Intelligence in the Workplace
• HR Guide to Health & Safety – PDF Template
• How Online Training Can Benefit Your Business
• Training Calendars: Why Your Company Needs One
• Why is Continuous Learning Important?

The post The Consequences of a Lack of Training in the Workplace appeared first on The Hub | High Speed Training.