The Evolve Workplace Wellbeing Podcast

In this podcast, Dr Helen Fitzhugh of the Workplace Wellbeing Research Team at the University of East Anglia talks with Chloe Jepps of CMI about the importance of good management for wellbeing, performance, retention and more.  With a focus on CMI's recent Better Managers Campaign (report freely downloadable here: https://www.managers.org.uk/knowledge-and-insights/research/better-management-report-take-responsibility-take-action/ ) the podcast also explores other pieces of research carried out by CMI (see below). The findings build to give a rounded picture of the importance we in the UK should be placing on training and supporting managers - for happier workers and smoother-running companies. The podcast also references:- NHS report: https://www.managers.org.uk/knowledge-and-insights/research/a-picture-of-health/- Education report: https://www.managers.org.uk/knowledge-and-insights/research/the-state-of-leadership-and-management-in-education-report/- Insecurity report: https://www.managers.org.uk/knowledge-and-insights/research/managing-insecurity-report/

In this podcast, Professor Kevin Daniels of the Workplace Wellbeing team at the University of East Anglia speaks with Valarie Williams-Foy, Senior Organisational Development Consultant at Imperial College London. They talk about how evidence can be used to support organisational development. A note for those who may be coming in fresh to listening to our podcasts...- Mention of 'Helen' refers to Dr Helen Fitzhugh, producer of this podcast and another member of the Workplace Wellbeing Team at the University of East Anglia.- Mention of the 'Hackathon' refers to a day event put on by the PrOPEL Hub (www.propelhub.org) in 2022 where Kevin Daniels and Helen Fitzhugh facilitated workshops on workplace wellbeing. - Mention of the '4 boosts' refers to a project carried out at UEA to define 4 boosts for frontline workers (e.g. in retail, hospitality and care) which resulted in evidence-based resources that are free to download at: https://evolveworkplacewellbeing.org/4-boosts-for-frontline-workers/ 

 In this podcast we will look at an issue which could influence workplaces and workplace wellbeing in the future: Universal Basic Income. Dr Mark Bryan from the University of Sheffield joins us to explain what UBI is, who is thinking about it and the potential implications for organisations, managers and HR leads. Usually on our podcast we catch-up retrospectively with ways research has been used to influence workplace wellbeing. It’s important to base action on evidence and our podcasts like to offer that evidence to you. However, imagining how the future could be different is also important - it helps organisations prepare and potentially shape the future they want to operate in. 

In this podcast Dr Emma Russell of the University of Sussex joins Dr Helen Fitzhugh from the Evolve Workplace Wellbeing Team. Emma is an expert in understanding email behaviours at work - those which support workplace wellbeing and better performance - and those which are problematic and should be avoided. In this podcast she explains four 'super actions' to beat problematic email behaviours and in doing so, improve wellbeing and performance.  With colleagues she has just published an open access review article in the Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology: https://doi-org.uea.idm.oclc.org/10.1111/joop.12462 Find more resources drawn from Emma's research here: https://digit-research.org/research/related-projects/understanding-email-incivility/  

We are delighted to host a takeover of the Evolve Workplace Wellbeing Podcast by the IPPO (The International Public Policy Observatory) to mark the publication of the IPPO's rapid evidence review on NHS staff wellbeing. Professor Kevin Daniels from our UEA team offers an overview of the report's findings first, then Sarah O'Meara of the IPPO asks questions of report authors Professor Sara Connolly (UEA), Dr Christian van Stolk (RAND Europe) and Professor Kevin Fong (UCL).A summary can be found here: New report highlights the need for investment in NHS staff wellbeing - evolveworkplacewellbeing.orgThe full report can be downloaded here: IPPO NHS Staff Wellbeing report_LO160622-1849.pdf (ioe.ac.uk) 

In this follow-up podcast to the conversation with Chief Inspector Steve Kerridge, Dr Helen Fitzhugh speaks with Matt Blowers from NatWest. Where the previous conversation talked about the creation and police application of the UEA / PrOPEL Hub 'Checklist for the Pro-active Management of Remote Workers', this follow-up sees Matt describe how he has used the checklist with his team in practice and what benefits he sees from using evidence-based resources on workplace wellbeing.   This podcast is part of a toolkit of free, evidence-informed workplace wellbeing resources provided by the Workplace Wellbeing Research Team based at the University of East Anglia, in the UK. You can find the checklist to read and download at: Checklist offers pro-active approach to managing hybrid workers - evolveworkplacewellbeing.org

In this podcast, Professor Sara Connolly speaks with Chief Inspector Steve Kerridge from Cambridgeshire Constabulary. They discuss the constabulary's move to more agile working during the COVID-19 pandemic and how a research collaboration with the Workplace Wellbeing Research team at the University of East Anglia fed into the team's creation of the 'Checklist for the Pro-active Management of Remote Workers'. Steve explains the benefits of using this evidence-based tool and explores some of the barriers and enablers of more agile, hybrid or remote approaches to work post-pandemic. This podcast is part of a toolkit of free, evidence-informed workplace wellbeing resources provided by the Workplace Wellbeing Research Team based at the University of East Anglia, in the UK. You can find the checklist to read and download at: Checklist offers pro-active approach to managing hybrid workers - evolveworkplacewellbeing.org

This month Dr Helen Fitzhugh speaks with George Challouma from the Marina Bay Cafe in Gorleston (near Great Yarmouth). They discuss ways in which any business - large or small - can create a great experience at work for public-facing workers and benefit as a business from doing so. Their conversation calls upon George's experience and the '4 boosts for frontline workers' model, developed during the Good Jobs Project at the University of East Anglia, by Helen and her colleagues Ritchie Woodard and Andrea James. This podcast is part of a toolkit of free, evidence-informed workplace wellbeing resources provided by the Workplace Wellbeing Research Team based at the University of East Anglia, in the UK. You can find the resources (including the '4 boosts' infographic, video, handbook and FAQ) on www.evolveworkplacewellbeing.org 

This month Professor Kevin Daniels, who leads the University of East Anglia's Workplace Wellbeing Research team, kicks off the Evolve Workplace Wellbeing podcast series by talking with Emma Mitchell, Talent Director at EY. They discuss  what works in supporting people with disabling long-term health conditions to stay in work, based on recent research by Helen Musgrove and Emma's personal experience.This podcast is part of a toolkit of free, evidence-informed workplace wellbeing resources provided by the Workplace Wellbeing Research Team based at the University of East Anglia, in the UK. You can find the resources on www.evolveworkplacewellbeing.org