Take or break

We’ve just had a Bank Holiday long weekend in the UK and hence I had time on Monday morning to have a lengthy chat with Tian Sern Oon – one of the winners of this year’s Queen’s Young Leaders award. After a very difficult childhood, Tian Sern has founded a business in Singapore to help support people suffering from poor mental health and to raise awareness of the issues related to mental well-being and the benefits of diversity, with a view to reducing the stigma associated with mental illness. 

He does not want anyone to suffer as he did (he grew up with a schizophrenic mother and succumbed to depression himself after his father lost his retail job during the global economic downturn). As you can imagine, he is a brave and inspirational young man.

There must be something in the air, across the world in general, as one of the other young people whom I am mentoring for the programme, Hauwa Ojeifo, is also trying to tackle the stigma of mental health in her country and region – she is based in Nigeria and she and I had a call early on Monday evening before I went to a meeting with fellow governors of my local NHS Foundation Trust (where the topic of mental health was also raised). It is humbling seeing what both of these amazing young award winners are doing to make the world a better place for fellow sufferer, those around them and the wider community. I am sure that I will be providing further updates on here about them and their progress over the next few months.

Mental Health Awareness Week occurs in May in the UK.  It therefore seems apt for me to write a piece about health and well being, and, given that I have just enjoyed a Bank Holiday break, I am going to focus on the value of taking some time off. A few years ago, when I worked for a large global organisation headquartered in the U.S.A., I first became aware of the difference in the approach to work absences and holidays around the globe – on paper my American colleagues had many fewer days’ vacation than those of us based in Britain, Australia or indeed in most countries. It should be noted that there is no statutory right to paid vacation in the U.S.A., nor is there a requirement on a private company to provide paid Public Holidays, although the majority of employers do. However, unlike the rest of us, the American based employees had a specified number of days to take as sick days each year and this was included within their contracts. It seemed odd to me to require people to take time off “ill” (even when they were not) – as that is how colleagues treated it – it was seen as a right to a few days off with no questions asked and, if all their days had not been utilised, there was a rush to do so before the end of each year.

Acknowledging that sickness is an issue at work is not a modern concept. In 1500 BC at least some of the workers who built tombs for the Egyptian pharaohs received paid sick leave and state supported health care. 

In the Bible, in chapter 13 of the Book of Leviticus, it is suggested that a seven-day period of isolation should occur for individuals infected with a skin condition. In Victorian times all policemen in England and Wales were offered free medical care, sick leave and sick pay (provided that they became unfit for service in the execution of duty) and, as from 1839, the Metropolitan Police provided pensions to officers with more than 15 years’ service who, after a medical examination, were deemed to be no longer fit for police service. It is interesting that just this week Uber has announced that it will give its European drivers access to medical cover and compensation for work-related injuries – it may be cynical of me to note that Uber’s appeal hearing in September, which will determine whether it can operate in the UK, will pivot on whether the company has become a conscientious business (it’s licence was withdrawn on grounds of “public safety and security implications”). Uber needs to demonstrate that is has changed its ways and is fit to operate – back in 2016 it denied workers’ rights to holidays, but this decision was overruled. Uber may have been short-sighted in more ways than one – but it is not alone. Many other organisations still fail to appreciate the value that having a holiday or period of rest from work can have on a worker.

The word “holiday” comes from “holy day” and from medieval times onwards they were days on which everyone, regardless of background, could rest. Once the industrial revolution had occurred, it became common for factories to have a week’s closure, during which period machinery was repaired. This holiday (known as the Wakes Week in northern England) was a time when typically a different town closed every week over the period from June to September and this became the start of what many of us now think of as having a holiday. An agreement for twelve days’ annual leave was introduced in 1907 and this increased to fifteen in 1915. Workers would scrimp and save to escape from their place of work, often going to the seaside. Holidays were traditionally unpaid – this made life very hard for low paid workers. In the UK paid holiday rights were finally introduced via the Holidays With Pay Act 1938, following a 20-year campaign for paid leisure time.

It has been proved that taking a break boosts productivity – in mid 1920s Henry Ford reduced his workers’ hours from six days to five and 48-hour weeks to 40 – and, as he anticipated, this boosted productivity. However, recent research shows that many workers today are not using their holiday entitlement. In the British Airways commissioned research it was discovered that in 2017 one third of British workers did not use their full holiday entitlement (relinquishing on average 4 days of paid leave). We have quite a significant problem in the global workforce now, namely “presenteeism” (where individuals come to work but, usually because of mental of physical health issues, they are unproductive despite being physically in the workplace). I see a close link between presenteeism and mental health (and in particular stress). It used to be said that the reason people suffered from stress was because their body kept repeatedly releasing hormones such as cortisol and adrenalin in response to a perceived threat – the “Fight or Flight” response – but this definition has now been adapted to include the aspect of “Freeze” where an individual is incapable of doing anything. This is an observed aspect of presenteeism.

Humans need rest, and in particular we need sleep – 15 hours’ sleep deprivation impacts responses as much as swiftly downing 2 pints of beer. Sleep is vital – admittedly we all have slightly different sleeping patterns and needs, but for most adults fewer than eight hours over a protracted period is harmful (if you sleep fewer than 6 or more than 11 hours on a consistent basis you should perhaps seek medical advice, as both are probably causes for concern). However, if you are a parent, don’t apply this rule to your children. There is medical evidence that proves that as teenagers our sleep patterns change – making adolescents naturally more nocturnal than adults, with their melatonin being released as late as 1.00am as opposed to the more conventional time of 10.00pm, and their being in need of a lie-in as a result. Melatonin helps us feel sleepy. One of the reasons why many of us have trouble sleeping is due to our use of gadgets such as smartphones and screens late at night. Many tech devices emit blue light and this inhibits our natural production of melatonin. So, if you want to help yourself sleep better read a traditional rather than an e-book before bed.

If you are at work and struggling either through feeling drowsy or because of the pressure you find yourself under, it is unlikely that you can escape for a nap or enjoy an unplanned holiday, however, there is no reason why you cannot take care of yourself. Get up and have a wander – it’s good for you and you will perform better afterwards. Going for a walk in a place where there are plants and trees is proven to be more restorative than having an urban ramble. Earlier this week, I took a member of my team for a walk during our one-to-one, rather than sitting and just talking in a room. We went to the Postman’s Park – a relatively unknown site in the City of London.  It is a surprisingly moving venue due to an unusual memorial erected by the painter and sculptor George Frederic Watts in honour of Heroic Self Sacrifice. 

It was built in honour of Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee. The memorial commemorates normal citizens who courageously gave their lives to save others. I love the fact their acts will now not be forgotten.  I also find visiting the memorial strangely therapeutic - it reminds me that my life is easy in comparison to so many others and that there are things that I, un-heroic as I am, can do to take better care of myself. You owe it to yourself and those you care about you to take care. Don’t be ashamed of wanting to take a break. Better having a break than becoming broken.

Photo by Bing Wright

Not To Be Sniffed At!

I’ve been fighting off a foul lurgi (as The Goons would have called it) for the past four weeks.  Currently I can hardly speak and I make a sound like a mouse when I try to cough.  Not an ideal week in which to speak at a conference.  However, the occasion itself was a great success (thank goodness for microphones).  For the first and probably only time in my life I was able to open with “The voice of women has often not been heard and tonight will be no exception...” not an observation on the quality of my fellow speakers, who were excellent, but a reflection on my predicament. I’m grateful to Michael Carty of Xpert HR for the inspiration (http://www.xperthr.co.uk/blogs/employment-intelligence/michael_carty.htm). The event, put on by the Strategic HR Network and hosted by Penna, was about “Unlocking Female Talent”.  I was one of five who spoke about our personal experiences, the out-dated, current and emerging approaches to support women, (and our opinions as to what seems to work and what detracts from) creating an environment in which to encourage high performing women at all levels in organisations. 

 

We covered everything from psychology and unconscious bias, to ways of fostering women's careers, (including: training, the need for good managers, appreciating what women require from work and what motivates them, what puts them - and people from certain other sectors of society - off from wanting to be a member of the C-Suite and/or senior management, the value of networks (especially the advantages of establishing them in conjunction with other organisations, thereby enabling unfettered discussions), mentoring, the significance of role models, the importance of sharing success stories, demographics, flexible and agile working approaches and the necessity for listening).  What we said seemed well received and the public questions, with the Chair and audience’s agreement, ran on long after the end of the session.

 

I found myself in the role of the elder spokeswoman, who had lived through many approaches and had been a victim of uninspiring career advice at school.  I stressed that society has a huge impact on the women within it (when 17, I was told I should be a nurse, teacher, secretary or shepherdess – I suppose in a way that I am all four now, but not in the way that my school intended).  When I was leaving school, women were not expected or encouraged to go into senior levels of business, even those of us with strong academic results, who had secured places at university. It was in contrast to the observations from one contributor, who had grown up outside the UK - she had two highly skilled grandmothers (both engineers, working in challenging industrial environments), they were not considered exceptional, despite being female, as many other women followed similar career paths.  It was not until the speaker came to the UK that she realised that in some countries doors are closed to some because of the culture in which they reside. 

 

It is easy to forget the impact that society can have.  I suspect that one of the main reasons why so few women spoke out over the six decade period, during which Jimmy Savile was allegedly taking advantage of them, was because of the way in which UK culture functioned at the time.  I was one of a few women working in a dealing room in The City in the mid eighties and regularly was told to wear a short skirt when we had clients coming to visit.  My father was a lawyer and I used to meet him in the renowned bar, El Vino’s, in Fleet Street – women not wearing skirts were often turned away and they were not able to buy drinks at the bar (a man had to do that for them).  At the end of the 1980s, when in recruitment, I was regularly propositioned by male clients, who seemed to think that a no-strings physical relationship should be provided as part of the service.  I didn’t complain – I probably should have done so - I felt that to speak out would only make my life more difficult, as to others it was “only a bit of fun”.   

These days a surprisingly high proportion of workers will “throw a sickie” (i.e. take a day or longer of unauthorised absence, claiming illness) in order to have a bit of fun.  Despite the impact that this type of behaviour can have on the business, in many Western nations it is accepted (indeed it is almost expected) that employees will be absent at times, without authorisation.  Employment experts in the UK refer to what call thay call “national sickie day” – analysis of attendance patterns over a number of years has singled out the first Monday in February as the worst day of the year for absenteeism in Britain, due to post-Christmas gloom, little sunlight/short days and low morale, partially attributable to the length of time until the next official public holiday.  Having “a duvet day” (taking unauthorised time off whilst claiming illness) is not just a British malaise.

European and Asian based employees might be interested to know that it is common for US employment contracts to include a certain number of approved “personal absence” days.  In the USA there are two traditional absence policy approaches; the most traditional distinguishes between excused and unexcused absences.  Under such policies, employees are provided with a set number of sick days (frequently three days in every ninety day period) and a set number of vacation days (usually around ten days per annum).  Workers who are absent from work after exhausting their sick days are required to use vacation days.  Absences that take place after both sick and vacation days have been exhausted are subject to disciplinary action.  The second policy (sometimes called a “no-fault” approach), permits each employee a specified number of absences annually (either days or occurrences – when multiple days of continuous absence are counted as a single occurrence – this policy does not consider the reason for the employee’s absence), but, as with the traditional approach, once the permitted days or occurrences have been used the employee is potentially subject to disciplinary action.

In Europe, the number of days of permitted absence and paid vacation is seldom linked to a specified number of occurrences of personal or unauthorised absences; hence the American approach is often seen as strange.  However, once employees outside the USA become aware of the policy of “personal absence days”, the apparently small number of days’ vacation in most American employment contracts doesn’t seem so ungenerous.  It is common in Europe for an employee to have at least twenty days permitted vacation per annum, but lengthy medical or dental visits are often expected to be taken from these days. 

Although the occasional unauthorised day off costs businesses, in many ways long-term sickness is more expensive both for companies and the state.  The publication earlier this year by the UK’s Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr), looking into long-term sickness absence (i.e. sick leave for periods lasting more than six months), is the first of its kind to assess the cost of long-term sickness – in the Public Sector the bill apparently hits £3.4 billion per annum.  It is claimed that the problem costs the average company with more than 500 employees £620,000 a year (mainly due to the length of time that most organizations provide full pay to an absent employee followed by a further period on half pay with no contribution from the individual, as well as additional costs incurred through the provision and training of replacement staff).  http://www.hi-mag.com/health-insurance/product-area/income-protection/article400093.ece

Perhaps we should be focusing more on prevention.

 

Trying to reduce illness, that can have an adverse impact on production, is not a novel concept. My mother used to lecture me and my siblings to cover our mouths when coughing or sneezing.  Being a “War Baby”, I suspect that she was inspired by this 1943 British Ministry of Information newsreel trailer intended to persuade people to use a handkerchief.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W728NGYhmmQ

Coughs and sneezes spread diseases!

 

So I have a dilemma, given how grotty I am, will I be leading by example by going to work and “soldiering on” or is it more responsible to stay away until I am less likely to infect others?  How much will my decision be made as a result of the society and culture in which I live?  All in all, it’s not an issue to be sniffed at...