You Can Stop The Great Resignation!

Not all employees grumbles and reasons for leaving are monetary related!

My timeline is full of connections announcing that they have started new roles for another business which is great. The number one reason is usually monetary and because the working landscape has changed post Covid, employees can work remotely for companies 150 miles away from where they live that are willing to add another 20-30k to their salary, but this is not the sole reason.

Many employees are struggling to cope with the changes to the workplace, going from working in offices five days a week to working out of spare bedrooms and on kitchen tables. Research has shown that some employees working from home often roll out of bed five minutes before work to open their laptops without the same personal hygiene as they would on an office day, smart shirt for the camera and pyjama bottoms underneath for comfort.

There is no silver bullet to employee satisfaction and the benefits of hybrid working far outweigh the negatives in my opinion. We have grown used to the flexibility that hybrid brings, from savings on commuting, childcare, eating out as well as being able to spend more time with our families.

However, company culture is key. HR teams must stay connected and be proactive rather than reactive to the negatives that sitting at home working away without any human contact brings. One to ones and team meetings are vital.

Employees need an open line of communication to their management and HR team to build trust so that they know you are approachable for any issues they may have!

HR- DO YOU THINK THAT YOU ARE APPROACHABLE TO ALL YOUR EMPLOYEES THAT HAVE ISSUES AWAY FROM THE OFFICE THAT MAY BE IMPACTING ON THEIR WORK OR PERSONAL LIVES?

Would your senior leadership team approach you if they were struggling or would they be too proud to open-up or feel judged?

It’s very simple, if staff don’t feel they can communicate with you confidentially, then the relationship will be broken. You need to reassure staff that they are valued and that you will listen to their problems. If employees know they can approach a HR professional, a manager or a mental health first aider and speak openly about their anxiety, their alcohol problem, their marriage breakdown, their grief or financial worries without fear, it makes the world of difference.

Trust is a two-way street and by the employer letting staff know they have an open-door policy and that they are approachable, as well as having an employee assistance programme in place, they are doing their part. Employees must allow time for these business changes to be implemented. These changes are not always overnight but the rewards will be positive when they arrive.

Once you have the right policies and practices in place, the responsibility is with the employer to make sure there is a continued two-way communication stream in place. It is very important for the business to keep the workforce educated on issues which may arise during their time with the company and how maintaining a healthy work-life balance can mean that they can avoid falling down any dark roads which so many employees fall down year on year.

Musgrove and Ball are passionate about helping businesses understand employee addiction and alcoholism in the workplace. Poor mental health leads to drinking and drinking leads to poor mental health. Only one in five people get the help they need with alcohol, the other four could work for you.

If you want to improve the performance of the teams, lower absence levels, avoid costly turnover of staff, avoid having to pay big recruitment fees and uphold your reputation, you need to educate your staff on mental health and addiction, and you need to roll out a culture of trust across the organisation.

These changes are simple to put in place and the return for the business will be a happy flourishing workforce! 🚀