Thrive at Work Health Needs Assessment Survey April 2022: Key data

Employee Responses 1881.

There were 74 questions in total.

Employment Arrangements

• Full time Employee (35+ hours per week) 79.16%
• Part time employee (10-35 hours per week) 19.30%
• Casual employment (less than 10 hours per week 1.54%

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General Wellbeing

• 42.94% reported good health
• 23.68% reported very good health

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Hybrid Working

• 69.21% of respondents said they were coping well
• 24.30% coping quite well
• 5.47% coping not so well
• 1.02% not coping at all

Common themes for those not coping well or not coping at all were:

• Lack of space at home
• No boundary between work and home resulting in stress
• Impact of other people in the home

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The Impact of Covid 19

• 89.25% The organisation is taking the situation seriously
• 81.48% I am kept up to date and feel well informed regarding this organisation’s response

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Returning To The Workplace Following Covid 19

• I was happy to return 40.70%
• I was quite confident to return 24.58%
• I had concerns about returning 34.72%

Common responses regarding concerns:

• Risk of infection
• Rising costs of travel and parking
• Few staff on campus-feeling of isolation
• Constant switching from online to in-person

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Taking Regular Breaks

• 70.63% said they took regular breaks
• 29.37% said no, they did not

Common themes of those respondents who find it difficult to take breaks were:

• High workloads
• Understaffing
• High expectations
• Anxiety about performance

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Physical Health

38.22% said their physical health had deteriorated since Covid 19.

However, 48.21% reported they had been physically active in the last 6 months and 32.91% reported they had done some physical activity in the last 6 months.

The most common responses to what might encourage more physical activity were:

• Flexible working hours to allow physical activities before/after work: 54.22%
• Company subsidised membership to local gyms or free Warwick sports pass: 49.09%
• Free health and fitness assessments: 43.73

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Mental Health

44.43% reported a deterioration in their mental health since Covid 19.

Common themes from staff to improve mental health support:

• Training in mental health conditions and wellbeing issues on campus
• More in-person events and staff socials
• Normalise mental health problems - remove the stigma.

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The Workplace Environment

• I feel supported by my line manger 75.03%
• I feel clear about what is expected of me at work 77.42%
• I understand how my work contributes to the objectives of the company I work for 87.18%
• I can use personal initiative or judgement 86.50%
• I feel under strain at work 54.73%

Common themes of those who reported feeling under strain were:

• Excessive workloads
• Understaffing
• Long hours culture

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Workplace Illness

18.79% reported that they had suffered an injury or illness that was caused or made worse by work had the following common themes:

• Stress caused by long hours and lack of control over work flow
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Burnout
• Unmanageable workloads
• Back and neck pain

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Presenteeism

30.07% reported attending for work 2 to 5 times despite feeling ill and 13.60% reported more than 5 times.

Common responses were:

• Workload with no cover if absent
• A culture of being present at work -no matter what
• Work building up and returning to overwhelming demands
• Not wanting to let colleagues down
• Project delivery

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Workplace Wellbeing

53.86% of respondents felt that the University took positive action to support staff wellbeing. However, there were gaps in their knowledge about the kind of support on offer.

Percentages of staff who were unaware if they could access:

• Stress risk assessments 56.98%
• Smoking cessation 82.38%
• Healthy Eating support 78.70%
• Alcohol and substance misuse education 79.09%

In addition staff requested help with:

• Sleep and relaxation 46.42
• MSK problems 44.68%
• Mental health conditions 49.05%
• Health checks 58.78%

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Emotional Wellbeing

Overall 49.68% were satisfied with their lives.

• Feeling confident 49.16%
• Happy in themselves 50.68%
• Feel they are doing meaningful work 48.39%

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Healthy Eating and Hydration

How many portions of fruit and vegetables or salad do you usually eat in a day?

• 3 or 4 22.60%
• 4 plus 19.12%

Common barriers to healthy eating were:

• Lack of time to prepare healthy meals 57.90%
• Lack of healthy and reasonably priced choices on campus 32.62%
• Expensive corporate outlets 26.81%

52.64% are concerned about being overweight and 52.09% would be interested in in a workplace weight loss plan.

44.50% of respondents do not drink enough water throughout the day.

Common themes were:

• More water coolers needed
• Give staff refillable bottles
• Give out regular messages to remind staff of the importance of hydration

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Line Management Only

34.55% of respondents are line managers.

• I feel comfortable having 1:1 meetings with staff I line manage 97.38%
• I feel happy discussing staff health and wellbeing issues with them 94.56%
• I feel able to deal with any health and wellbeing concerns 80.15%
• I feel able to manage staff sickness and return to work effectively 86.49%

Line managers are confident discussing:

• Flexible working and time off 81.51%
• Sickness and absence 76.85%

However, 57.93% reported that they lacked knowledge and training in mental health conditions.

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Smoking

• 72.48% have never smoked
• 21.81% have quit smoking
• 2.82% smoke daily
• 38.64% want to quit this year

Regarding those who requested help:

• 41.38% said nicotine replacement is the preferred option
• 22.41% would like a workplace cessation course

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Alcohol

• 30.74% reported drinking alcohol 2 to 3 times per week.
• 11.00% reported 4 plus times per week.

64.70% agreed that employees should not be allowed to consume alcohol during lunch break.

84.59% disagreed that there should be a total ban at work including corporate hospitality and events.

87.24% reported that they do not require support with their alcohol consumption.

About You

Age Ranges

• -20: 0.07%
• 21-30: 12.02%
• 31-40: 27.39%
• 41-50: 29.93%
• 51-60: 24.11%
• 61+: 6.48%

Gender

• Male 32.85%
• Female 65.56%
• Self-Define 1.30%
• Gender is different to birth 0.29%

Thrive at Work Action Plan 2023 - 2024

1. Workload modelling — Best Practice models have been researched and each department can adapt them to meet the needs of their teams.

2. Staff Wellbeing Co-ordinator is supporting departments with Wellbeing Plans for 2023/24

3. Wellbeing Events and Campaigns to be announced via social media and Insite.

4. Regular communication to staff regarding wellbeing activities and how we are meeting the Workforce Wellbeing Strategy and the Thrive At Work commitments. Staff and Student Wellbeing Co-ordinators to work with Warwick Presents and other relevant internal teams to produce a calendar of events and communicate to staff and students.

5. Cost Of Living group proposals will meet some of the comments regarding high cost of food, free or discounted sports passes and other items linked to costs on campus. Staff Wellbeing Co-ordinator to continue liaising with this working group and HR lead. Ongoing.

6. Issues such as parking charges, expensive food and drink, reduced pensions, job insecurity and contractual matters are outside of the action plan remit. However, recommendations will be reported to the UEB as part of the regular Wellbeing Report from the Director.

7. Wellbeing Strategy for 2025 is being formulated by Andy Smith Director of Wellbeing and Safeguarding and the Wellbeing Team.

8. A Hybrid Working Policy has now been approved and can be found here: Hybrid Working Policy

9. There were a high number of comments in the survey regarding difficulties taking breaks and email time limitations. It was suggested that there should be a policy across the whole university to respond to e-mails within working hours with the exception of emergencies. Generally, it is the responsibility of staff and managers to ensure adequate break times and to place working hours on emails.

10. Wellbeing interviews have taken place with a wide range of staff across campus. The interviews were voluntary and confidential. Wellbeing Support Services have gained a more detailed picture of staff wellbeing and how staff would like to be supported.