Be Well: the wellbeing hub for employers
Wellbeing support
Mental wellbeing underpins all aspects of physical, social and financial health. With that in mind, our wellbeing support tools and interventions are designed to help employees through what life brings, to keep them well, help them get better, and be supported.
Introducing our Be Well Helpline
Our Be Well Helpline has been created for HR and Line Managers to provide early intervention advice and support in the moments that matter.
Be Well: the wellbeing hub for your clients
Available to all employers, our Be well hub provides access to a range wellbeing resources designed to help them actively manage their employees’ wellbeing.
Under each of the physical, financial, social and mental health tabs below, you’ll find:
- Tools to help create or update wellbeing policies
- Free wellbeing resources to signpost employees to
- Practical ideas for quick wins and implementation
- A reminder of the wellbeing services available within our Group Protection products
Make sure you share this useful information with your clients, so they can keep their employees healthy. Happy and in work.
Be well: mental health
In many ways, mental health is just like physical health: everybody has it and we need to take care of it.
According to the mental health charity Mind, good mental health means being generally able to think, feel and react in the ways that you need and want to live your life. But going through a period of poor mental health, might find the ways the individual is frequently thinking, feeling, or reacting become difficult, or even impossible, to cope with.
We believe that good health starts with positive mental wellbeing. Mental wellbeing underpins all aspects of physical, social, and financial health. That’s why our approach and support recognises mental wellbeing as the foundation of our overall wellbeing.
Organisations can vary considerably in how they tackle mental health, with only 33% of employers having a written policy or guidance. Yet in our most recent wellbeing research, an average of around 8 in 10 employer respondents say that a good wellbeing strategy can bring about improvements across all business parameters (recruitment, retention, productivity and culture).
Mental wellbeing is also top of mind for employees. In terms of what wellbeing means to individual employees, being mentally (61%) and physically (54%) fit is a priority for many. 84% of employees would be more likely to apply to work for an organisation that is open about its commitment to supporting the mental health and wellbeing of its employees, with nearly half (45%) saying it’s a top priority.
We work with expert partners, including Mind, City Mental Health Alliance, InsideOut, Mental Health First Aid England and thinkBeyond. Together we created bite sized modules that mirror the mental health core standards outlined in the Stevenson/Farmer review, Thriving at Work – an independent review into how employers can better support the mental health of all people currently in employment.
Employers can use these modules to help them make positive progress with their workplace mental health journey, no matter what stage they're at now.
- How-to-implement-and-communicate-a-mental-health-at-work-plan.pdf (348kb)
- How-to-monitor-employee-health-and-wellbeing.pdf (273kb)
Ensuring an employer's team are supported in the best possible way is a continuous process. Employers might have a mental health and wellbeing strategy in place and ways to regularly monitor its effectiveness, but it doesn’t just end there. By getting into a good habit of continuous learning, monitoring and adapting, alongside keeping up to date with the most relevant news and resources available to them, they will be better equipped.
We’ve created a simple checklist for employers to go through, including links to relevant resources and further information. Download the checklist here (657kb pdf).
Additional tools for employers:
- Workplace stress risk assessment.While stress is not a mental illness in itself, excessive and persistent stress can trigger mental ill health. Employers have a legal duty to protect their employees from stress at work by completing and acting on a risk assessment. Those with more than five employees also need to document stress risk assessments. This is an easy-to-use template from HSE, along with examples from three small to medium-sized businesses.
Consider signposting employees to:
- Talking toolkit – preventing work related stress (1mb pdf).This toolkit is designed to help line managers hold initial conversations with employees to help towards preventing work-related stress.
- Mental Health Foundation. The Mental Health Foundation is a UK charity with prevention at the heart of what they do, their aim is to find and address the sources of mental health problems so that people and communities can thrive. Their website features plenty of downloadable PDF guides that employers can signpost employees towards, including looking after mental health in later life, mental health and exercise, overcoming fear and anxiety, reducing stress and managing mental health with mediation.
- While all employees (who have worked for their employer for at least 26 weeks and where practical) have the legal right to request flexible working, requesting this change should be made as simple as possible, so they don’t feel uncomfortable.
- Encourage employees to take control of their role (role craft). Where possible, give them autonomy over what they do, how they do it, and when.
- Encourage employees to take their annual leave by providing regular reminders.
- Lead by example: discourage e-presenteeism by stating that you don’t expect employees to always be on. Let them see you log off on time more than once a week.
- As standard, all employees have access to a 24/7 helpline, legal information service, wellbeing support to help them actively manage their mental health
- For employers who have a group income protection policy with us, their employees can receive up to eight counselling sessions if deemed clinically appropriate.
- For our group life customers, their employee’s dependants can access bereavement counselling as standard to support them through a claim.
Be well: physical health
Looking after an individual’s physical health is key to supporting their overall health and wellbeing, including their mental health.
Musculoskeletal conditions continue to be a common cause for claims on our Group Income Protection (GIP) policies along with mental health, and cancer. Workplace wellbeing is far more achievable if it is approached holistically, to help understand the link between mind and body.
The relationship between physical and mental health is often overlooked. Physical injuries or symptoms can influence what we think, how we feel, and what we do. It also means that thoughts and feelings can affect our bodies and how we feel physically.
Our research has found that when asked what wellbeing means to employees, 71% of female respondents said wellbeing is feeling physically well (sleeping well, eating well, no aches and pains, no illness or injury, feeling physically fit).
68% of respondents who were aged 55 and over also said to them, wellbeing means feeling physically well, suggesting physical health is a top priority for this demographic.
- Access to work. This resource provides advice and an assessment of workplace needs for individuals with disabilities or long-term health conditions who are already in work or about to start. Grants may also be available to help cover the cost of workplace adaptations.
Signposting for employees
- NHS Better Health - Whether employees want to lose weight, drink less alcohol, get active or quit smoking, they have access to lots of tools and support through Better Health. Healthy changes start with little changes.
- Download a free fitness app. Whether they’re looking for a one-minute desk workout, a personal trainer in their pocket, or want fitness gamified; The British Heart Foundation has compiled a list of eight free fitness apps that can be downloaded.
- Could employers offer a walking or running club, or a small monetary amount per month for those who want to join exercise clubs or classes? A study involving 1.2 million candidates found that the more physically active you are, the higher the increase in mental wellbeing. People who exercised had 1.5 fewer "bad days" a month than non-exercisers.
- Set up an exercise challenge. This will need to be completely voluntary but may help get people moving more by appealing to their competitive side.
- Employers can signpost employees to the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) through a range of material that can be placed across the workplace to help promote the support that’s available.
- Don’t forget that employees have access to a 24/7 helpline, medical information line, health and fitness plans and a health risk assessment tool to help them actively manage their physical health.
- Additionally, for employee we’re covering with our group income protection, if they’re unable to work due to illness or injury, they could receive support through one of our specialist care pathways. This could be, physiotherapy support, structured return to work programme, access to work assessment and a musculoskeletal pathway.
Be well: financial health
Research has found, 36% of UK employees have financial worries. They are 14.6 times more likely to have sleepless nights, 12.4 times more likely not to finish daily tasks, 7.7 times more likely to have troubled relationships with work colleagues and 1.5 times more likely to be looking for a job.
This same group is more likely to suffer from poor mental health. They are 4.6 times more likely to be depressed and 4.1 times more likely to be prone to panic attacks.
In 2020, StepChange Debt Charity was contacted by around 500,000 clients for debt advice. 52% of those who had contacted the charity were in some form of employment at the time of advice.
The CIPD has urged all large businesses to have a financial wellbeing policy in place, which can include signposting employees to independent money and debt guidance, offering access to low-interest loans and running pension workshops.
- Building financial resilience – a best practice checklist for employers.pdf (243kb) Money and Mental Health, the leading centre of expertise on financial and mental health problems, calls on employers to take the following nine steps to build financial resilience.
Consider signposting your employees to:
- MSE Academy of Money. This free online adult financial education course is provided jointly by MSE and the Open University.
- Legal & General’s free retirement planning course. We have developed a free, short course with The Open University. 'Retirement Planning Made Easy' will help employees understand their retirement options. It’s online and easy to follow. Employees can learn at their own pace and save progress.
- Debt advice locator. If an employee is struggling with debt, it can be hard to know where to turn. But with lots of free advice services available across the UK, they can find help in a way that’s best for them. This page from the Money Advice Service provides a list of online, telephone and face-to-face debt advice services.
- Help to save. A savings scheme for people on low incomes who are claiming certain benefits. Help to Save gives a bonus payment from the government of up to 50% on savings paid into the account.
- Money Health Check tool. If an employee doesn’t know where they stand with money. They can take this free Money Health Check from The Money Advice Service. They’ll find out which areas to focus on and practical ways to improve their situation.
- Pension Wise. For free and impartial government guidance about defined contribution pension options aged 50 or over, have a personal or workplace pension and want to make sense of their options
- Check your State Pension forecast. This government tool can help see how much State Pension an employee could get, and if there options to increase it
- Provide employees with information on payslips to highlight where they can get help for any money problems they may have.
- Give employees a set number of hours per month to complete financial training such as MSE’s Academy of Money.
- Have employee champions – from all levels – who can share how they solved a financial problem.
- Don’t forget that employees have access to a 24/7 helpline to provide support on a range of topics. They also have access to discounts and offers on selected Legal & General products and services to help them actively manage their financial health.
- Our group protection policies come with access to a range of wellbeing services provided at no extra cost. The products and services we have built are designed to help provide peace of mind should an employee become ill or injured and unable to work, or contract one of the specified critical illnesses.
Be well: social health
Social wellbeing is the extent to which you feel a sense of belonging, social inclusion and social stability – it encompasses our lifestyles, values, and beliefs.
When it comes to the workplace, we can apply social wellbeing to:
- Relationships with colleagues, managers and wider social security
- Company values and corporate social responsibility
- Social inclusion and a sense of belonging
- Feeling valued as a person, colleague, and as an employee
We asked employees what could be done to improve workplace wellbeing, Most commonly, employees believe that greater recognition of work well done would improve their wellbeing in the workplace (45%), followed by more flexible working options (44%) and feeling listened to by their line manager or employer (36%).
Among employees that are responsible for managing teams, nearly two in five (37%) want clear direction from the top on company ‘purpose’ and ‘values’ and how wellbeing fits in. 35% of managers also want recognition from the top that managers are employees and have wellbeing needs too.
The tools below will help guide employers on their journey to creating a socially inclusive culture where employees feel seen, heard, and valued.
- The Good Youth Employment Charter. By signing the Charter, employers are taking a proactive step to ensure their organisation is recognised and appreciated by young people. It demonstrates your willingness to recruit and develop young people based on their ability, talent and potential, regardless of their background or experience. Employers will be given help to develop their complete youth employment strategy, from preemployment to employment, face-to-face or virtual training for them and their team, and support with project managing education, recruitment, diversity and inclusion, and other activities.
- CIPD Report: Building inclusive workplaces.pdf (776kb) Inclusion is what’s needed to give diversity real impact, and drive towards a world of work where all employees are empowered to thrive. While diversity and inclusion often go hand-in-hand, inclusion is fundamentally about individual experience and allowing everyone at work to contribute and feel part of an organisation.
Consider signposting your employees to:
- Legal & General’s care concierge resource. The long-term care system is confusing and very complex. To support employees during this often emotionally charged and stressful period, we've created a platform that provides in-depth information on making decisions about care, the types of care, finding care, and paying for it.
- Open University and Google’s social skills training. These free courses from OpenLearn, endorsed by Google, will help employers to learn to recognise the importance of soft skills (a wide variety of personality traits, communication and people skills, social attitudes and emotional intelligence) and how employers can improve skills in themselves and their organisation.
- Give employees paid days off to do volunteering of their choice.
- Offer mentoring within the business, including “reverse mentoring” where junior employees mentor senior leaders.
- Give employees a small budget, or even just free time, to do additional training, whether it’s business-related or a new creative skill they want to learn. The Open University has several free courses that employees could be made aware of.
- Let employees express their individuality, either through dress-down, decorating a desk or internal profile pictures.
Ask for senior leaders to champion inclusion through sharing their own stories. - Ensure the external brand – from recruitment ads to social channels – accurately reflects culture in terms of both visuals and messaging. This can help employees ‘self-select your client as an employer that is a good fit with their values and beliefs.
- Employees have access to a 24/7 helpline where they can also get free initial legal and financial information issues from a trained professional. Find out more
- Through our care concierge resource, they also have telephone access to a care expert for guidance about a loved one’s later life care needs, to help them actively manage their social health.
Be well, Get better, Be supported
Through our group protection products, we offer a wider range of wellbeing services. Designed to help employees thrive, help them through illness and injury and support them financially and in other ways when they need it most. Access to our services is included in the costs of the products.
Additional resources
- Mental health activities from Time to Change. If employers are looking for practical and fun group activities for employees, Time to Change has several resources that include mental health myth buster quizzes and ideas for running one or more 'lunch and learn' sessions about mental health.
- A guide to managing menopause at work. With menopausal women now the fastest-growing demographic in the workplace, this report aimed at line managers looks at how managers can best support employees with this still often ignored subject.
- BITC’s musculoskeletal (MSK) health toolkit (6.5mb pdf). This 74-page toolkit looks at everything from the impact of MSK health at work, to knowledge and training. It can help employers understand the specific challenges to their workplace and help reduce the risk of problems.
- CIPD financial wellbeing webpage. This provides a number of tools and resources including creating a financial wellbeing policy and how behavioural science can help employers uncover and challenge biases that impede financial capability and wellbeing.
- Legal & General’s Deadline to breadline report (8.7mb pdf). Although aimed at financial advisers, this report provides information about the financial stability of people across the UK – On average, families in the UK could be on the breadline in just 19 days without the main breadwinner’s regular employed income – that’s down from 24 days in 2020. The report could provide some useful figures for building a case for financial wellbeing initiatives.
- CIPD Podcast: Hiding in plain sight: carers in the workplace. 5 million people in the UK currently juggle work and caring responsibilities – that's about one in seven of the workforce. And it’s thought that will increase to 9 million people within 30 years. With fewer young people starting work, it’s a no-brainer to have more care for the carers to enable them to stay on board in the workplace.
- Podcast: Leading from the heart: making an impact through soft skills. There has been growing debate and conversation around the benefits of soft skills in the workplace and the essential or core skills we will increasingly need. The events of 2020 have prompted greater shows of empathy, teamwork and problem solving. But can getting these ‘softer’ skills pay dividends in the long-term and do we need to value these skills more within our organisations? This CIPD podcasts finds out.
- Report: What really works? Ensuring inclusive working cultures. This report from Business in the Community (BITC) reviews the findings of over 60 pieces of academic literature. The report translates these findings into a summary of actions that businesses can take to create a fair and inclusive workplace. The research is combined with the knowledge gained through many years of work in this area. Race and gender are a particular focus.
- Report: Deloitte Insights – The Wrong Numbers: why a focus on age can mislead workforce development (1.4mb pdf). As workforce composition becomes more complex, the question arises of whether traditional segmentation, anchored in a generational approach, should remain the focus of future human resources strategies. This report demonstrates that a key element in the ability of employees to adapt is not age, but rather trust and support.
- CIPD Podcast – Neurodiversity: a vital aspect of workplace inclusion. This podcast explores what neurodiversity is, the benefit for an organisation and how to create a neurodiverse-friendly workplace where people can thrive.