Years ago the limits to employee care were probably checking with HR why they weren’t at their desk if they were ill and sending them an annual Christmas card.
But this is 2017, and I believe any employer now has a much wider responsibility to monitor and react to the physical and mental state of their workforce. What’s more – to proactively improve those things. 
This weekend I’m staging Achieve, an exhibition in Bath showcasing and promoting the very latest from the fields of health, nutrition, financial awareness, mindfulness and general wellbeing.
World-famous speakers and experts, including Sir Ranulph Fiennes, Ruby Wax and Frank Bruno, will be inspiring audiences with their own tales of achievement and beating adversity.
What employee wouldn’t benefit from hearing Frank talking about his ‘biggest fight’ – with his own mind – or Sir Ran talking about chewing off his own fingers to avoid frostbite spreading. Spreadsheet hassles or employees own mental struggles might be put in to perspective.
It seems businesses are buckling under the weight of red tape at the moment – with new pensions provisions here and tribunal chasing lawyers there. But when you look at the most successful businesses – the ones that win awards and have high employee retention rates, the ones that show consistent, manageable growth and clear focus on their strengths and willingness to address their weaknesses – happy and motivated employees are probably a running theme.
And the route to being a ‘caring’ employer are not as complicated, expensive or time consuming as you might think. Structured team-building events are great, but an impromptu ‘Games Afternoon’, with Monopoly or Twister replacing Excel and Powerpoint for a few hours will have intangible but noticeable benefits.
As will an office outing to Achieve this weekend. The exhibition itself is FREE to enter, and I’m giving local business a 50% discount on tickets to see my speakers.
I can guarantee there are people working for local businesses who have problems they don’t ‘bring to work’, but which are affecting them at work.
Hidden mental or health problems that they fear mentioning. Or lifestyle changes that they could make – though nutrition or fitness or mental awareness – that could make huge changes to their lives and the lives of those around them.
And that includes their employer. You need to bring them to Achieve. It will be a small amount of money spent that is a) surely tax deductable as part of ongoing personal development and b) a really responsible and caring thing to do.
Achieve takes place at the Assembly Rooms in Bath on Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 October from 9:30am until 5pm. Entry to the exhibition is FREE, with discounted tickets for businesses to speakers from £5. Visit www.achieve.co.uk for more information and use AC50 for a discount.
