Mike Shaw

Managing Director
The Validium Group

Previous posts

• Sunshine at last!

  Monday, May 13, 2013

  After the snow and freezing conditions earlier in the year, it was especially nice to have some warm weather over the recent Bank Holiday weekend.

   

  For some, it was a chance to simply get out in the garden. Apparently lawns were mown, gardens tidied, new plants added to borders and BBQ’s were fired-up to cook at impromptu gatherings of family and friends. Others had visited local parks, ventured out into the countryside or taken a trip to the coast, but no matter whether the destination was urban or rural, local or further afield, just being outside in the sunshine had obviously provided ‘refreshment’ for body and soul. In the hustle and bustle of every day routine it is easy to miss out on the chance to enjoy the environment around us, to spend time outside or notice the warmth of the sun,  but the happy memories created that Bank Holiday weekend suggest we should make a little time to do so more often. And now, with researchers from Edinburgh University telling us that their preliminary research data is suggesting that exposure to the sun may cut the risk of heart disease and strokes, all we need now  is some sunshine!  I think though, before rushing out to do this, we should consider the risks of skin cancer caused by over-exposure to UV-light.  What the newspaper headlines rarely mention are the details of such studies – in this case, there were only 24 volunteers involved in the research, so, again, it’s early days and a good case for trying to do things in moderation in order to keep ourselves healthy. 

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• Dementia Awareness

  Thursday, April 11, 2013

  One of the topics on Validium's May Issue of the Employee Newsletter is Dementia Awareness Week, which, this year, runs from the 19th May to the 25th May.

  Dementia, of which Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause, is increasingly discussed in politics and widely covered in the media.  As an ageing society, the relevance of such exposure for all of us will only rise as more and more people are at risk of developing dementia due to increasing lifespans.  As a result of improved health awareness, more nutritious diets, better exercise and advances in medicine, bodies are now declining at a slower rate than minds, in many instances.

  The recent passing away of Margaret Thatcher, whose decline into a state of dementia was depicted in a recent film, The Iron Lady, is a stark reminder of the prevalence of dementia within our society.  When you also remember that Ronald Reagan, Thatcher’s close US ally during the Cold War also succumbed to dementia, you realise that two of the most powerful leaders of the western world in the last century were both susceptible to this form of mental decline, despite years in office using the very same brains trusted to make decisions that could have affected the fate of millions.

  Many people, around 800,000, are directly suffering from dementia (half of whom are completely unaware) and many of you reading this blog will have been, or know of someone close who has been, impacted by the high care demands placed upon them.

  With the UK government’s abolition of the default retirement age, resulting in an ageing workforce, we also need to be aware of people in the workplace who begin to show signs of this progressive disease.  Employers must be prepared to support people with dementia and to make reasonable adjustments so they are not disadvantaged at work, even though, over time, it may become impossible for them to carry on working.

  The theme for this year’s Dementia Awareness Week is “Talking”.  By talking about dementia we can all raise awareness and knowledge about the subject.  Although there is no cure for dementia there are drugs available that can slow down the effects, so early diagnosis and preparation for the years ahead is really important.

  For more information:  http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/

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• Your Lungs Will Thank You

  Thursday, March 14, 2013

  The lead of our current Employee Newsletter – available for Validium customers – reflects the fact that 13th March 2013 is National No Smoking Day in the UK.  This year marks the 30th anniversary of the venture, which, in 2011, joined with the British Heart Foundation.  It’s also a time of year for me that reminds me of a personal sadness, having lost my father, just before Validium was founded, to smoking-related disease in the 1990’s.

   

  In common with many smokers, Dad protected his choice with a variety of arguments designed to ‘fend off’ the anti-smoking lobby, often perceived as being me!  As well as the often heard, ‘it’s my choice’ or ‘when you’ve got to go, you’ve got to go’ (meaning that you have to die of something), he used to carry around in his wallet a very dog-eared press-cutting describing a man who had lived into his nineties but who had smoked heavily all his life. This was for those arguments when he felt that ‘evidence’ was needed.  Fortunately, these days, education is much better, fewer people are smoking and, as a result, are living longer.

  It was interesting to receive in my Inbox today an offer from our health insurers offering 75% off an Alan Carr Stop Smoking course – insurers are not commonly known as philanthropists, but they obviously think the investment is worth it.  As a responsible employer, Validium has always offered employees who smoke the chance to attend an Alan Carr course to help them ‘kick the habit’.  This has been very successful with the results that we now have very few smokers in the organisation.  To those who do smoke, I usually ask: ‘If you could press a magic button to become a non-smoker, would you press it?’ and the answer is usually ‘yes’.  Even my father said ‘yes’ when he was being less defensive.

  So maybe National No Smoking Day is a good time to start.  Good luck if you give it a try – you can always call your Employee Assistance Programme for help, if your organisation provides one.

   

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• February is National Heart Month

  Wednesday, February 13, 2013

  The British Heart Foundation has designated February as ‘National Heart Month’ in order to promote the benefits of making positive lifestyle choices which may reduce the risk of having a heart attack, and also to raise funds for the pioneering research the charity undertakes in the diagnosis and treatment of heart disease.

  
  

  A recent BHF campaign on TV featured the footballer and actor Vinnie Jones demonstrating the technique for Hands-Only CPR in time to a backing-track of The Bee Gees hit ‘Stayin’ Alive’. At the end of the film, as Vinnie held up his fists to show the words HARD and FAST spelt out across his knuckles, the message on the screen was “It’s not as hard as it looks”. The combination of Vinnie’s ‘hard-man’ character, the high falsetto voices of The Bee Gees and the lyrics of the song created a humorous and memorable way to deliver a serious message that can, and has saved lives. More information about the work of the BHF can be found at www.bhf.org.uk

  Fundraising is a vital source of revenue for any charity and often this fundraising activity is linked to the workplace. Organisations donate materials, resources and man-power to help local or national projects, allow sabbaticals for long-term involvement with VSO or enter charity challenges as team-building exercises for employees. However, for most organisations and the majority of UK workers, charity fundraising definitely ‘isn’t as hard as it looks’ because it involves fun-filled activities like sponsored events, dress-down days or cake sales. No matter what level of corporate involvement, raising money for charity can be an enjoyable aspect of working life that delivers benefits for both the individual and the organisation whilst helping others at the same time. It really is a win, win, win situation.

  This month also sees celebrations in many countries for St Valentine’s Day when it is traditional for sweethearts to exchange tokens of love on the 14th February and in a Leap Year, for a woman to propose marriage to a man. The origins of this day are not clear because there are a number of early Christian saints with the same name. However the most popular story associated with Saint Valentine is that he was a Christian priest imprisoned by the Romans because he performed weddings for soldiers who were forbidden in law to get married. Before his execution, St Valentine was said to have written a farewell message "from your Valentine" and since the Middle Ages when Geoffrey Chaucer wrote stories of courting and courtly love, St Valentine’s Day has been associated with romance. Over the years this has evolved into an occasion for presenting flowers or offering confectionery as symbols of love and affection and the popular Victorian activity of sending anonymous hand written ‘valentines’ has grown into a global industry with approx 160 million cards sent on Valentine's Day, according to the Greeting Card Association.

  With a focus on matters of the heart this month, a quote from the French author Antione de Saint- Exupéry seems rather appropriate:

  “Life has taught us that love does not consist in gazing at each other but in looking outward in the same direction”

  de Saint-Exupéry, who wrote ‘The Little Prince’, had a short but adventure filled life. Born in 1900 to a family of provincial French nobility, he failed the final examination for university and instead studied architecture at the École des Beaux-Arts. During military service he was offered the opportunity to become a pilot but moved to Paris, took an office job and began to write. During the following years he tried several jobs including bookkeeper and car salesman before flying the mail for commercial airline companies in North Africa and South America.

  The isolation of flying and harsh beauty of the desert became the background for The Little Prince and also his second novel, Night Flight, which became an international bestseller and a film starring Clark Gable and Lionel Barrymore in 1933. He later became a test pilot but continued to write and after an aviation accident in North Africa he was lost in the desert for days before being rescued. He was seriously injured in another plane crash in Guatemala but continued to write during his convalescence. It was during World War II when de Saint-Exupéry was in North Africa with the French Air Force that he wrote The Little Prince in which the narrator, a pilot, crash-lands in a desert and meets a boy who turns out to be a Prince from another planet. In the story, the Prince describes his adventures on Earth and tells of the precious rose from his planet. He is disappointed to learn that roses are common on Earth until a desert fox convinces him to love it just the same, thus, having found the meaning for his life, the Prince returns to his own planet. In 1944 Saint-Exupéry took off from Sardinia on a flight over southern France when his plane tragically disappeared. The wreckage of the plane was not found until May 2000.

  Although his early years were uneventful, de Saint-Exupéry went on to find adventure, success and happiness in his life, expressing his view that love is about ‘looking outward in the same direction’. For anyone in a relationship, for friends or even for colleagues working together, to be looking in the same direction can only be a good thing.

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• Winter Hazards

  Wednesday, December 12, 2012

  Today, the Met Office issued a ‘Level 3 – Cold Weather Alert’ to warn of freezing temperatures and icy conditions heading across the UK from the east.  In late November, the forecast of a few days of ‘wintery’ weather was only to be expected, but this particular cold-spell is likely to have a much greater impact than usual, coming so soon after the torrential rains that caused widespread flooding in large areas of the country.  No matter what the season, the weather can have  a powerful impact on our lives and our health, influencing what we wear, what we eat, our physical activity and our sense of personal wellbeing.  This is especially so in winter, when travel is often disrupted, colds and flu are rife and there’s nothing worth watching on TV!  So it’s no wonder that during the short winter days and long hours of darkness we experience the ‘winter blues’- but it doesn’t all have to be doom-and-gloom! 

   

  The Met office has teamed up with the Government to provide information about coping with the bad weather(http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/learning/get-ready-for-winter) and NHS Direct has plenty of tips for those suffering from the sniffles and even a symptom checker at https://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/CheckSymptoms.   Validium customers can access resources, downloads and easy to use podcasts which have been designed to enhance positive mental health and counteract the winter blues.  The winter Solstice on 21st December marks the gradual change to longer days and shorter nights and heralds a positive reminder that there are brighter days to come.  I can’t wait!

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  General

• 8 in 10 people with Depression experienced discrimination

  Wednesday, October 24, 2012

  The latest newsletter from ‘HRreview’ included an article about an international study which found that 8 in 10 people with Depression experienced discrimination in both their private and working lives.

   

  The research, which involved over 1,000 people in 35 countries, was originally published in The Lancet and showed that 79% had experienced discrimination in at least one life domain, with many stating that this discrimination had affected them in the workplace. The same article cited other recently released UK research which found that the economic downturn has led to a deterioration in people’s Mental Health, with men particularly affected. The study concerned 107,000 adults aged 25 - 64 with data taken from the Annual Health Survey for England (1991 – 2010). Reporting that the prevalence of Anxiety and Depression among men rose from 11.3% in 2008 when the economic crisis began, to 16.6% in 2009, the researchers gave a potential explanation for the results that job insecurity during the current recession was responsible for the deterioration in mental health, with men’s psychological health remaining more affected by economic fluctuations. In response to the latest Mental Health research and studies like those mentioned in the article, Validium has introduced a series of specific interventions that support employee Mental Health issues including Stress, Anxiety or Depression which can impact the ability to work or function effectively.  By operating on a Managed Referral basis, these enhanced services can help an organisation to manage absence or performance where support for the employee via the Employee Assistance Programme is not clinically appropriate. Validium is currently working with a number of organisations to enhance employee Mental Health and establish ‘Best Practice’ strategies around Stress Management and Resilience.

  More information can be found by here

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• 'Bounce Back'

  Tuesday, September 11, 2012

  The Olympics and Paralympics have come to an end, with the past 6 weeks packed full of inspiring sporting events and great achievements by athletes striving to be the best. For the competitor who didn’t win medals at London 2012, the frustration and disappointment must now be put aside in order to prepare for the next competition, the next opportunity to shine.

   

  Being able to ‘bounce back’ after a setback, to try again, to keep going when things get tough or don’t go according to plan are personal qualities we can all develop, and by doing so, can enhance or own sense of wellbeing. By choosing to adopt a positive attitude, by having  a ‘can do’ approach and by seeing challenges as opportunities, we develop life-long coping mechanisms and personal resilience. Such resilience is especially evident in our Paralympians who have faced huge challenges, overcome adversity and taken positive actions in order to achieve the honour of representing  their country at the highest level.  The Collins Thesaurus states that the resilience of human beings involves Strength, Toughness, Adaptability and Hardiness. No matter what we hope to achieve or what challenges we face,  these are personal qualities to which we can all aspire.

  ‘Oh, and I shouldn’t forget to congratulate Andy Murray on his sterling efforts in winning the US Open – another example of what being resilient can achieve!’

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• Mindfulness in the workplace

  Thursday, August 16, 2012

  With Team GB winning 29 Gold, 17 Silver and 19 Bronze medals at the London 2012 Olympics, there has been a lot of press coverage recently about how our top athletes have achieved such phenomenal success. Each personal story told of long hours of physical training, a diet designed for optimum nutritional intake and plenty of determination. Watching on TV, it was obvious that at the start of each event, every athlete was totally focused on the moment, focussed on winning. We may not all be able to win Olympic medals, but recognise that by taking some physical exercise and eating a balanced diet, we too can be fit and healthy. We realise that our personal or professional goals can be achieved through hard work and determination. However few of us take the time to really focus on the moment. Often we find that parts of a familiar journey have been ‘lost’ because we just didn’t notice the passing scenery. Sometimes we need to re-read the same page of a book because we didn’t take it in the first time. In our Newsletter this month, we highlight the benefits of practising Mindfulness to help us focus on the moment. By becoming more aware of our thoughts and emotions we are able to better manage them rather than being overwhelmed by them. Our athletes showed that they were still able to focus on the moment despite the expectations of the nation resting on their shoulders, the pressure of a huge global event, the noise from the crowd, the elation of participating at the Olympics or the multitude of TV camera crews swarming around them. Practising Mindfulness techniques can help us cope with feelings of stress or anxiety, can enhance personal wellbeing, boost concentration and energy levels and enhance the sheer enjoyment of life. 

   

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• 2012 is a Great Year for British Sport and Sporting Events

  Monday, July 23, 2012

  Okay, the football was not as successful as we would have liked but this was closely followed by an exciting Wimbledon, an eventful Grand Prix, some great golf at the Scottish Open and the Open, a Brit winning the Tour of France and now the Olympic and Paralympic Games fast approach.  Between 27th of July and 9th of September, London and other areas of the UK will receive over 1 million visitors to take part in, work at, or simply enjoy watching the games.  This is set to bring logistical challenges for many of us based around the various sporting venues.

  At Validium, we have spent the last 3 months assessing all our business areas, processes and policies with a view to reducing any impact on our service delivery and quality standards.  As we provide Employee Assistance, Psychological Rehabilitation and Trauma Management services 24 hours, 365 days a year, business continuity is a vital part of our service delivery. As you might expect, and in line with our business continuity standard BS 25999, we have developed contingency plans to address any impact that we can foresee across the business.
   
  We know that our customers will have implemented business continuity measures too and that this will be different depending on exactly where you are and what service you provide or goods you produce or manufacture.  It will also depend on how mobile your services are and the type of travel your employees will have to use.  Some companies will be able to be inventive in how to negotiate the crowds, manage the travel demands and contain the excitement that the Games are going to produce.  We’ve heard from customers whose employees have taken leave of absence to work at the Games, or those who are going on holiday to escape any disruption to their daily working lives.  Flexible working and homeworking are being actively encouraged in some businesses during this time and there may be more relaxed internet policies to allow those coming to work to feel a part of Team GB (or their individual country Teams) by logging on during breaks to cheer on their home nations.

  However, for some businesses there may be the threat of enforced absences as employees find themselves stuck in traffic and, because of the nature of the business or not being electronically set up at home, they will be unable to be productive at this time.  While every precaution is being taken by the Games’ organisers and special routes and lanes for Olympic traffic are being trialled in advance, we just don’t know how it may all impact us until it actually happens.   Let’s hope it is a great success and does Britain proud. 

  Visit us on Facebook over the coming weeks and tell us your Games stories and innovative solutions or post a comment by clicking on the comments box on the right of this page.

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• True Cost of Presenteeism

  Wednesday, June 27, 2012

  In a period of ongoing recession, has an unwise focus on face-time caused absenteeism to be replaced by the more costly problem of presenteeism..?

  Absenteeism is finally on the decrease, with data from the Office for National Statistics reporting that the average number of days lost through sickness has dropped significantly from seven days per individual to just four.

  Unfortunately, it’s a hollow victory. The cost of presenteeism – when sick employees attend work but fail to perform - is on the increase, accounting for 1.5 times more working time lost as sickness absence, according to a study by The Work Foundation. And that’s before you take into account the cost of other types of presenteeism, generated by employees who attend work but lack either the motivation or skill required to add value.

  Presenteeism indicates the ongoing effects of the recession, where employees feel the need to put in face-time and try to hit targets despite ill health, for fear of putting themselves at increased risk of redundancy otherwise. The trend highlights the extreme pressure most workforces are now under, with more than 40% of employees surveyed for The Work Foundation study reporting that they felt under pressure from managers and co-workers to come to work when ill.

  As ever, the focus would appear to be on preventing the negative, limiting the number of days people take off sick or looking at what targets they haven’t hit, instead of encouraging the positive. In reality, to be truly effective, any wellbeing policy must go beyond just presenting absence and instead look towards enabling employees to be as effective and productive as possible. A key component of such a policy relates to allowing people to recharge and properly switch off from work, not just when they are sick but in the evenings and at the weekend.

  As the marked increase in calls to our helplines from people who are at breaking point shows, employees and managers alike are putting unreasonable pressure on themselves, to the point where this is now becoming counter-productive.

  Yes, we’ve all had days where we had to put in the extra hours and effort to hit that deadline or target. But with many businesses still struggling to survive, reducing headcount to cut costs or encouraging individuals to take on workloads previously carried by two or three people, many people are now working in a constant state of stress or anxiety. And the result? Not only are they becoming less productive, they’re also more susceptible to illness, as increased levels of cortisol, a key stress hormone, reduces their immunity.

  Critical to stopping the trend is for everyone to step back and collectively prioritise what really needs to be achieved within each organisation. If restructuring activity has forced individuals to take on the workloads of several people, it’s simply not viable to expect them to operate under that level of increased pressure for a prolonged period of time. Instead, business priorities need to be agreed and roles re-defined to give people the opportunity to focus on what matters most, so that they can make a valuable contribution within the confines of the working day, instead of constantly staying late, attending while sick or taking work home with them.

  At the same time, individuals themselves need to be encouraged to work in the most productive way possible. Ideally that means blocks of 120-150 minutes on a dedicated task, without interruption, followed by a break of 20 minutes to recharge and refresh themselves. Where employees are unable to concentrate on the task at hand because of intrusive worries and concerns about work or issues outside of work, they should be directed towards appropriate support, be this the EAP or associated debt, emotional counselling and legal helplines.

  Once common principles across the workplace, the idea of taking a break, let alone a lunch break has somehow become synonymous with slacking off or not putting in the effort. This has created unhealthy, unproductive working environments, where people deny themselves the opportunity to recharge themselves, but instead end up becoming sluggish and ineffective, only to have to work longer to get the same amount done.

  Only by focusing less on face-time and attendance and more on output and results can we identify which policies are truly most effective at supporting the ability of individuals to perform - and, by doing so, the performance of the business as a whole.

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