Breathe in the news

Whether it’s down to a toxic boss, gaslighting, or a lack of communication, how your workplace feels really does make a difference. If your office (virtual or physical) has a poor culture, this can lead to burnout, self-doubt, and, ultimately, the decision of many workers to simply leave.

New research from Breathe reveals that nearly a third of UK employees are leaving their jobs due to a poor workplace culture.

With people have become used to working from home throughout the pandemic there are indications that many employees would be reluctant to come back to the workplace on a full-time basis.

Where there used to be a stigma attached to home-working and mentioning it at a job interview may have raised eyebrows, it is now much more acceptable. This article explores the subject and explains how candidates should speak to prospective employers about remote working.

After England won the semi-finals in the 2021 Euros, there was a spike in the number of people who booked the day off after the final in anticipation that they might be feeling the worse for ware and in need a day off. People were even using Breathe to request annual leave while the semi-final was being played.

This Business Leader article incudes data about leave requests and commentary from Breathe’s CEO, Jonathan Richards, about the importance of taking time off to recharge and recuperate, especially important for anyone who had to deal with the stress of extra-time and missed penalties.

In addition to seeing a surge in holiday requests after England won its place in the 2021 Euros, there was also a spike in the number of employees calling in sick after late nights celebrating the country’s success.

This GR Grapevine article looks at the numbers and also the cost to businesses and the wider UK economy following a night when hospitality industry organisations estimate that more than seven millions pints were drunk.

CESafety analysed HSE data to reveal a concerning trend of workplace violence. Following the reopening of offices in the UK, the occupational health and safety specialists have compiled advice for industry professionals who are looking for support in their fight against workplace violence. 

This HR News article draws on research from Breathe’s 2021 Culture Economy report which revealed that toxic workplace cultures cost the UK economy £20.2 billion per year.

In times of crisis, we turn to our leaders for guidance – their actions and mood set the tone for the rest of the company. But who do the leaders turn to when business as usual ceases to be… business as usual?

In this Elite Business article authored by Breathe’s Jonathan Richards, he discusses the changes of leading a business during challenging times and the importance of seeking guidance and support from peers in outside organisations and networks.

In a recent webinar, we polled 82 SME HR practitioners to ask if their roles have changed over the past 18 months and see whether they feel they are being supported.

Our research – the findings of which are discussed in this article- revealed that 95.1 per cent of our poll respondents have seen a growth in their workload since March 2020 – and some SMEs haven't invested in dealing with Covid-related HR challenges.

We also found that over a quarter (26.8 per cent) of SMEs haven’t invested in additional training to handle pandemic-related wellbeing concerns and HR staff felt ill-equipped to cope. 58.6 per cent of respondents feel they are not being supported. Clearly this needs to change.

A great article by Steve Brooks from Enterprise Times who discusses our recent research findings about HR practitioners, their workloads and the extent to which they feel they have been supported as they have shouldered heavy burdens throughout the pandemic. 

Sadly, we found that more than half do not feel they are being adequately supported. 

So many people have relied on HR in the past eighteen months and Steve discusses ways in which SME business leaders can support the personnel managers and administrators who have played such an important role in supporting people.