Page 10 - Gi_November2021

management & education news

GPS SEEING INCREASE IN WORK- risk, and the prospects of heavier

or unmanageable workloads due to
RELATED STRESS, POLL FINDS workplaces downsizing.
“The fact that GPs are seeing this in
their surgeries is worrying, but important
in alerting employers and government
to recognise and develop strategies to
deal with it,” said Cooper. “The mental
wellbeing of employees should be a
strategic issue for all employers.”
On average, the GPs polled reported
that nearly two in five (39 per cent)
patients seeking help for work-related
stress were signed off work, which
the research said represented a “huge
hit to productivity”.
The top three most reported
contributing factors to work-related
anxiety were financial insecurity (45
STRESS, ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION
ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR OVER HALF OF per cent), returning to the workplace
LONG-TERM SICKNESS ABSENCES (43 per cent) and increasing workloads
(39 per cent), while nearly three-
ALMOST ALL GPS have seen an was yet to come, and that they expected quarters of GPs (73 per cent) said
increase in the number of patients to see demand increase further. their patients referenced ineffective
seeking help for work-related stress Commenting on the findings, Cary employer wellbeing strategies when
since the start of the pandemic, Cooper, Professor of Organisational reporting workplace stress.
research has found. Psychology at the University of When asked what might help, two-fifths
The poll of 252 GPs, carried out by Manchester and president of the CIPD, of GPs (42 per cent) said the provision of
Censuswide on behalf of Perkbox, found said even pre-pandemic, stress, anxiety flexible working would be an important
92 per cent had seen more people come and depression were responsible for pathway to improving wellbeing.
through their doors looking for medical over half of long-term sickness absences. A similar proportion (37 per cent)
advice about work-related stress and “The pandemic has obviously called for managers to be provided with
anxiety, with 68 per cent reporting an exacerbated this trend,” said Cooper, training on supporting mental health
increase in the last three months. with people worried about their job and wellbeing, while 30 per cent said
The survey also found four out of five and financial security, returning to the provision of wellbeing tools and
(80 per cent) GPs agreed that the worst the workplace while Covid is still a information would help.

FURLOUGH WAS ‘HUGE SUCCESS’ BUT RISKS OF

RISING UNEMPLOYMENT REMAIN, SAYS THINK TANK

THE GOVERNMENT’S JOB retention
scheme has been a “huge success” in
saving jobs, a think tank has said, but
rising unemployment is still on the
cards after the scheme came to an end.
Throughout the pandemic –
which was the worst recession
the UK has seen in 300 years – the
unemployment rate peaked at
just 5.2 per cent, the Resolution
Foundation has said; the smallest rise
in any recession in living memory.
However, with the furlough HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS WILL NEED NEW
JOBS NOW THAT THE SCHEME HAS ENDED
scheme’s closure at the end of
September, People Management continued to return to work at were due to return to their previous
reports there is still a risk of high the same rate as they did over the roles, particularly those on partial
unemployment. summer, around one million people furlough, it said it expected hundreds
Citing figures from the Office for could still be on either full- or part- of thousands more workers would
National Statistics, the Resolution time furlough when the scheme ends. be looking for new jobs now that the
Foundation estimated that, if people And while most furloughed workers scheme has ended.

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