Affinity Health at Work

20 years of improving the working lives of all… To mark this incredible achievement, on the 4th June Affinity Health at Work will be hosting a special 20th Anniversary Masterclass in London, with a fantastic line up of speakers sharing their insights on The Future of Wellbeing at Work: ⭐ Becky Thoseby, Head of Workplace Wellbeing, Ministry of Justice UK ⭐ Stephen Thomas, Health Safety and Wellbeing Lead, IOSH ⭐ Sally Belcher, Wellbeing Director, The Crown Estate ⭐ Gethin Nadin, Chief Innovation Officer, Benifex ⭐ Neil Greenberg, President, Society of Occupational Medicine ⭐ Atif Choudhury, CEO, Speaker, Campaigner, Calling All Minds ⭐ Jonathan Gawthrop, Global Chief QHSE Officer, OCS ⭐ Andrew Cooper, Head of Programmes, Aneurin Bevan University Health Board ⭐ Dr Emma Donaldson-Feilder, Coaching Supervisor and Relational Mindfulness Teacher, AFFINITY COACHING AND SUPERVISION LTD ⭐ Nancy Doyle, Founder and Chief Science Officer, Genius Within CIC ⭐ Louise Thomson, Associate Professor, University of Nottingham If you would like to learn more about our Research Consortium and masterclasses, comment below or email hello@affinityhealthatwork.com and we'll be in touch with details. ••• Affinity Health at Work was founded in 2006 and is led by Rachel Lewis and Jo Yarker, with the mission to improve the working lives of all. Find out more about how we can support your organisation to enhance wellbeing: 💻 https://lnkd.in/epR8MDmR ✉️ hello@affinityhealthatwork.com

We are delighted to share that Nathan Palmer has been promoted to the role of Principal Consultant.   Having previously worked in leadership positions in major national charities, Nathan developed a passion for supporting people to thrive at work and enabling individuals and teams to be successful. Since joining the Affinity team in 2022, he has contributed to a range of research and consultancy projects - including working with the Health and Safety Executive on Project OSCAR and with the CIPD on senior leadership development – bringing together existing evidence and expert opinion to create new tools and a more in-depth understanding of workplace wellbeing challenges.   Nathan is a registered occupational psychologist and having completed his MSc in Organisational Psychology at Birkbeck, University of London in 2022, he is now undertaking a Professional Doctorate so is brilliantly placed to help lead Affinity in our mission to improve the working lives of all.   Congratulations Nathan! ••• Affinity Health at Work is led by Rachel Lewis and Jo Yarker, with the mission to improve the working lives of all. Find out more about how we can support your organisation to enhance wellbeing: 💻 https://lnkd.in/epR8MDmR ✉️ hello@affinityhealthatwork.com

It's the night before your return to work after two months off with depression. You can't sleep as thoughts race: Will I get up in time? Will I cry if colleagues ask how I am? Do they resent me for being away? Can I still do my job or cope with the pressure? This Mental Health Awareness Week (an initiative spearheaded by the Mental Health Foundation) Senior Consultant Alice Sinclair explores how the IGLOO model can be used to support employees who may be feeling this way in her latest blog. The value of IGLOO is that it makes shared responsibility visible. It helps organisations move beyond a tick-box return-to-work process to really understand what needs to be in place, at each level, for people to return and stay well in work. Read the blog now: https://lnkd.in/eGxy5Jsp ••• Affinity Health at Work is led by Rachel Lewis and Jo Yarker, with the mission to improve the working lives of all. Find out more about how we can support your organisation to enhance wellbeing: 💻 https://lnkd.in/epR8MDmR ✉️ hello@affinityhealthatwork.com

We are thrilled to welcome Nina Gillespie to the Affinity team as an Intern Consultant. Nina completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Exeter last year, and is currently pursuing a MSc in Organisational Psychology at Birkbeck, University of London. Welcome Nina! ••• Affinity Health at Work is led by Rachel Lewis and Jo Yarker, with the mission to improve the working lives of all. Find out more about how we can support your organisation to enhance wellbeing: 💻 https://lnkd.in/epR8MDmR ✉️ hello@affinityhealthatwork.com

Poor psychological health costs the global economy an estimated US$1 trillion each year and a major driver of this loss lies in unmanaged psychosocial risks. This Stress Awareness Month it's important to remember that managing this risk internationally requires a tailored approach across different territories, in terms of both culture and compliance. In a recent article, Research Consultant Divija Bansal explores how legislation compares across regions, and how wellbeing leads can translate global lessons into practical action. Read more now: https://lnkd.in/eJTZXSNE ••• Affinity Health at Work is led by Rachel Lewis and Jo Yarker, with the mission to improve the working lives of all. Find out more about how we can support your organisation to enhance wellbeing: 💻 https://lnkd.in/epR8MDmR ✉️ hello@affinityhealthatwork.com

Around 12% of men are experiencing a common mental health problem such as anxiety or depression at any given time and stress is a major contributing factor. April is Stress Awareness Month and in support of the year's theme of Be The Change, we're sharing some practical tips on how the IGLOO model can be used to take an evidence-based approach to supporting men's mental health in the workplace. Read the blog from Associate Consultant Christian Ferragamo, MSc to learn how you can put this into practice in your organisation: https://lnkd.in/ehX998hg ••• Affinity Health at Work is led by Rachel Lewis and Jo Yarker, with the mission to improve the working lives of all. Find out more about how we can support your organisation to enhance wellbeing: 💻 https://lnkd.in/epR8MDmR ✉️ hello@affinityhealthatwork.com

Continuing our series of blogs focusing on The SHINE Project (Supply Chain Health INitiative Evaluation), Consultant Yass Rad FMBPsS looks at why supporting staff health and wellbeing through the supply chain is an appealing proposition for large organisations. Our initial research shows that delivery of health and wellbeing services to SMEs via Large Enterprise Organisations (LEOs) is an attractive proposition that requires a few key elements to succeed: ⭐ The need for support in implementing HWS ⭐ Clear communication of how the services can be accessed ⭐ Clear articulation of what's in it for the LEO and SME ⭐ Both remote and on-site provision Read the blog now to learn more about the project so far, and what's coming next: https://lnkd.in/e-yF8Q_D With thanks to our project partners: Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, Research and Innovation at the University of Leeds, London Centre for Work and Health, NIHR (National Institute for Health and Care Research) and Lillie Turnbull-Jones, Transport for London, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, JLR ••• Affinity Health at Work is led by Rachel Lewis and Jo Yarker, with the mission to improve the working lives of all. Find out more about how we can support your organisation to enhance wellbeing: 💻 https://lnkd.in/epR8MDmR ✉️ hello@affinityhealthatwork.com

Companies have a legal duty to ensure workplaces are both physically and psychologically safe, but worryingly, 59% of employers report not being aware of this. With mental ill health costing UK employers an estimated £51 billion annually, managing psychosocial risk is not only a legal requirement but a business imperative. April marks Stress Awareness Month - led by The Stress Management Society - so there has never been a better time to act to ensure your business is both legally compliant and built for success. Take a look at our blog from Managing Partner Rachel Lewis for an introduction to assessing and managing psychosocial risk, and get in touch to find out more about how we could support you with it: https://lnkd.in/eQAMxbEg ••• Affinity Health at Work is led by Rachel Lewis and Jo Yarker, with the mission to improve the working lives of all. Find out more about how we can support your organisation to enhance wellbeing: 💻 https://lnkd.in/epR8MDmR ✉️ hello@affinityhealthatwork.com

This month, we are thrilled to be welcoming two new colleagues to the Affinity Health at Work team. First up, let us introduce Charlotte Hartley. A former corporate lawyer who is currently completing an MSc in Organisational Psychology at Birkbeck, University of London. Welcome Charlotte! ••• Affinity Health at Work is led by Rachel Lewis and Jo Yarker, with the mission to improve the working lives of all. Find out more about how we can support your organisation to enhance wellbeing: 💻 https://lnkd.in/epR8MDmR ✉️ hello@affinityhealthatwork.com

Only around 45% of UK workers report having access to occupational health services. That leaves more than half of the workforce without structured support through their employer. This larger half is often made up of those who work in small or medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Given that SMEs employ approximately 66% of the UK workforce, this represents a substantial proportion of working people. With this in mind, The SHINE Project (Supply Chain Health INitiative Evaluation) is exploring whether health and wellbeing services can be offered through supply chain partnerships. In the first of a series of blogs on this project, Consultant Yass Rad FMBPsS explores the current challenge around health and wellbeing in SMEs as the motivation behind this research. Read now: https://lnkd.in/ekDmyHV9 With thanks to our project partners: Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, University of Leeds, London Centre for Work and Health, NIHR (National Institute for Health and Care Research) and Lillie Turnbull-Jones, Transport for London, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, JLR ••• Affinity Health at Work is led by Rachel Lewis and Jo Yarker, with the mission to improve the working lives of all. Find out more about how we can support your organisation to enhance wellbeing: 💻 https://lnkd.in/epR8MDmR ✉️ hello@affinityhealthatwork.com