Work-Life balance for Staffordshire and Cheshire workers is at a 'tipping point'
Research shows Brits missed 124-million holiday days last year
Workers across Staffordshire and Cheshire are being urged to think about a better work/life balance amid fears many are close to burnout.
New research reveals that on average Brits skipped four days of annual leave last year due to the pandemic - amounting to over 124 million missed days as a nation, according to new research.
Approximately half (47%) of working adults in the UK have worked additional hours during the pandemic
This work/life balance creep has left Britain at a tipping point, says psychiatrist Dr. Sarah Vohra, with two in five (40%) of those that have worked longer hours stating they're experiencing feelings of burn out
On average Brits have worked an extra three hours a week and one in ten people (10%) have been found to be working an additional 10 hours a week since Covid-19 hit in March last year. This equates to an extra 40 hours a month, which is an entire extra work week. Over the course of a year, this equates to a further full three months of work.
Worryingly, this pattern looks like it could be set to continue. At the mid-year mark, a third of Brits (33%) are yet to take any annual leave this year, with 24% saying the main reason is they are waiting for UK restrictions to lift before they book any leave.
Today's research highlights the impact that untaken leave has had on the nation's wellbeing and calls to attention the importance of taking time off, even if it's just the odd day midweek, a visit to a relative, a little adventure or a mini-break.
Daniel Meeks works at Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service and is known as 'the mindful firefighter'. He set-up the Wellbeing Community Group to support dozens of his colleagues with issues of work related pressure and burnout.
"I have noticed several of my colleagues experiencing burnout and what I'm looking for is to spend a bit of time with the person really, talking about what makes them tick, what they enjoy to do in their free time. And I've taken people for walks, I've taken people for runs on a regular basis." said Daniel.
"Whatever they fancy doing - be it crochet, golf, mosaics, the idea is really to spot the signs. And then once you spot this signs of stress, and maybe a little bit burnout coming in, because you then find a solution, and you then you make them find a bit of time for themselves. And you join them on that if they would like you to."
"We've done meetings where we don't talk about work at all - and we talk about what we're doing as hobbies, what we've done for enjoyment, have it be walking, biking, whatever activity and that introduces more than relaxed approach to conversations. And so you could have a meeting virtually or face to face that isn't going to talk about work. I've taken people for guns, it's about really speaking to your employer and making sure that your employer understands or you're happy with, when you're in work that is very much about can making that connection with your colleagues. Again, that's something that society has missed out on recently, and maybe put less pressure on yourself to answering emails,
"people made that transition back into work is going to be a big step. And so it's about really speaking to your employer and making sure that your employer understands or you're happy with make that an environment when you're in work that is very much about the face to face connections that you haven't had for such a long period of time. I found journaling being very good. And it helps me to understand and write down what I've done throughout that day process and how much time I've actually given to each area. So how much time I've given to my friends to my family and how much time I've given to work then lets me critique that understand the best use of my time. What we're trying to find is the ability to do all three time for the family time for the friends time for work as well. People have changed their working patterns flexibility comes from their own approach to understanding how they can best use their time part mentalizing would be the overall kind of approach that I take one thing at a time to the best of my ability."