Man on phone

Support for employees returning to work

Experience and innovation in extraordinary times

Now is a testing time for employers and employees alike. But it’s also an opportunity to build a positive and more resilient culture.

Whether you’re planning a controlled return to the workplace or adjusting to new, remote ways of working, we’re here to help you meet the health and wellbeing needs of your teams. From health webinars to occupational health assessments, digital health coaching to anxiety counselling, we have the health and wellbeing services to support your managers and employees, and help your business thrive.

Help with returning to the workplace

The government has set out guidance for bringing employees safely back into the workplace. Alongside these ‘Working safely during coronavirus (COVID-19)’ resources, we’ve created a risk assessment toolkit for you to use. 

Our toolkit outlines three steps for you to follow to make sure you have the correct measures in place to enable a safe and successful return to work. 

As an employer, you must maintain an up-to-date risk assessment for your business to address the risks presented by coronavirus transmission. And you must implement and maintain all reasonable control measures. So the toolkit also includes guidance and a risk assessment tool to help you meet your ongoing duty of care. 

Many employees who are more vulnerable to the coronavirus should be able to safely return to the workplace with the correct control measures and adjustments in place, as guided by occupational health. To help your HR teams and line managers support everyone’s return and identify those members of staff who are more vulnerable, make use of our ‘COVID-19 health risk return-to-work questionnaire’ for employees.

The following pages summarise how our health and wellbeing services can benefit your business at this time. Speak to your account manager to discuss any of them, or talk through what you already have available. We’ll let you know how our health and wellbeing service provision develops as we continue to find our way through these times together.

For links to the latest advice and information about the coronavirus, including our guidance about COVID-19 testing, visit our information pages: axahealth.co.uk/coronavirus/ and COVID-19: Considerations For Employee Testing1

1Accurate to government guidance issued.

Preventing workstation injury and staying well at home

Supporting safe and healthy working

It’s as important to work safely and healthily at home as it is in the office. Our posture, position and equipment can directly affect our productivity. And setting up workstations badly can contribute to pain, strain and illness. 

Book as needed

Our ad-hoc remote ergonomics assessments5 help identify the issues that may affect your employees’ health and provide guidance to set up an effective workstation. Our clinicians will assess your employee’s situation over the phone, taking into account any health concerns, their current work environment and job role. Specialist assessment areas include:

  • Working-from-home setup 
  • Postural issues 
  • Musculoskeletal discomfort and pain 
  • Pregnancy assessments6

READ MORE

5 These services are provided by AXA Health is a trading name of AXA ICAS Occupational Health Services Limited. AXA ICAS Occupational Health Services Limited. Registered Office: 5 Old Broad Street, London EC2N 1AD, United Kingdom. Registered in England and Wales No. 1336017. Write to us at: AXA Health, AXIS House, 23 St Leonard’s Road, Eastbourne, East Sussex BN21 3PX.

6 Your employee must complete a pregnancy risk assessment first.

Small steps to a healthier you 

We’re here to help you and your teams stay fit and well. Proactive Health Gateway is your employees’ health and wellbeing platform tailored to whatever they want to achieve.

Encourage your teams to register, or speak to your account manager to get started with the Gateway

Guidance and support in an uncertain time

Helping your people with life’s challenges

Through your EAP, your teams have access to secure counselling via phone or video appointments when they need them. And, because some problems are easier worked through than others, there’s no limit to the number of challenges they can discuss.

Our EAP portal, Be Supported, is rich with health content related to the coronavirus. Topics include health anxiety, self-isolation and adjusting to working from home. Please use them in your own internal communications.

Counselling

If you have the EAP Premier service, your employees can benefit from a course of counselling which includes both phone and online options.

LifeManagementTM

From furlough to financial worries, consumer issues to housing concerns, care of the elderly to changed shift patterns, the LifeManagementTM team is here to listen, guide and support. They won’t provide legal advice, but you can be confident they’ll give you ideas to help your line managers and employees go forward.

Manager consultancy

As your managers deal with new and unfamiliar situations, remind them that they can get get the guidance and confidence they need to approach team-management conversations in a proactive way, just with a call to their EAP.

Speak to your account manager to learn more

Expert help with severe cases

If you don’t have an EAP in place, or the severity of the situation falls outside your standard EAP service, our FirstCall service can help. 

Perhaps you have an employee struggling to manage the isolation of working from home. Perhaps they’re dealing with a complex or unexpected bereavement. Perhaps anxiety about commuting or simply returning to work is getting to them. If you feel counselling support could help, First Call is here for you. 

Speak to your account manager to learn more

Actively support your employees’ health and wellbeing

Keep your teams happy, healthy and motivated

Encourage your teams to look after their health and wellbeing with a Health Check-in. This service offers an alternative to face-to-face health assessments to help keep your teams happy, healthy and motivated during the current situation.

While remote working provides flexibility, it comes with its own set of challenges. From anxiety and feelings of isolation to sedentary habits, there are a number of conditions which can affect productivity, stress and wellbeing.

Our Health Check-in includes a 20-minute phone or video health-risk assessment with a physiologist. Your employees will be rewarded with personal insight into the behaviour changes that could improve their ‘health age’ and reduce their risks.

Effectively manage and boost mental wellbeing 

Looking after our mental wellbeing is essential at this time. Thrive helps boost your mental wellbeing and build resilience, so that difficult times can feel easier to manage. And, because it’s an app, Thrive is available 24/7. Because stress, anxiety and depression don’t stick to a schedule.

  • 24/7 mental wellbeing support
  • Includes clinical measures to tackle anxiety, including cognitive training modules to help employees cope with daily demands
  • Tackles common stressors such as sleep, work issues and more
  • Prevents, detects and manages stress and mental health conditions
  • Screens for anxiety and depression using NHS-assessed tools
  • Provides tailored content, sound guidance with proven results
  • Secure and confidential.

READ MORE

WATCH DEMO

Information and wellbeing advice for you and your employees

Helping your people understand their health 

Knowledge is a great motivator. Once your employees know how simply they can make changes for the better to improve their health and wellbeing, the more likely they are to try them. 

Our series of wellbeing seminars and workshops – all available for remote delivery – can be mixed and matched to give a boost to your existing wellbeing programme. Choose from a wide range of subjects including:

  • Working well wherever you are
  • The power of food
  • Heart health
  • Positive coping
  • A day in the life of your working body
  • Managing stress and building resilience
  • Mental health – supporting your staff.

Expert support and guidance for managers 

Being a manager brings many challenges. Our Manager Helpline7 connects your managers to the help and guidance they need when they want to support their teams. 

With access to advice about mental health, life management and occupational health concerns, your managers can feel confident they’re dealing with unfamiliar or complex situations in a proactive way. 

Example topics your managers might need help with:

  • Supporting a team if a member dies or is diagnosed with a terminal illness
  • How to help if a member of a team opens up about a matter of abuse 
  • How to raise a concern about a detrimental business practice
  • How to talk with an employee about returning to work, their performance or their mental health.  

If you have an existing employee assistance programme (EAP) or occupational health service with us, you already have access to manager consultancy or our Occupational Health Manager Helpline.

READ MORE  

7 This service is provided by AXA Health is a trading name of AXA ICAS Limited. AXA ICAS Limited. Registered in England and Wales No. 2548573. AXA Health is a trading name of AXA ICAS Occupational Health Services Limited. AXA ICAS Occupational Health Services Limited. Registered in England and Wales No. 1336017. Both companies Registered Office: 5 Old Broad Street, London EC2N 1AD, United Kingdom. Write to us at: AXA Health, AXIS House, 23 St Leonard’s Road, Eastbourne, East Sussex BN21 3PX.

Proactive ways to support mental and physical health

Practical help in mental health emergencies

When an employee has an accident at work, a first aider is usually on hand to help. But that’s not always the way with mental health issues. They’re unseen and often not openly discussed in the workplace, but this doesn’t make them any less serious.

Our fully accredited Mental Health First Aid – Aware four-hour course teaches individuals to spot, understand and help someone who’s experiencing a mental health issue, and can be delivered remotely so your managers can continue to support other members of the workforce, wherever they’re based.

For healthy changes that last

Sticking to the positive changes we make for our own good can be a challenge. But healthier people make more energised, positive and engaged colleaues. Health Coaching empowers your employees to live healthier lives as part of a more positive culture at work. Whether that’s by inspiring positive behaviour change to lose weight or manage stress. Motivating healthier eating, exercise and sleep habits. Or targeting known health risks, such as diabetes, through exceptional guidance and lifestyle support.

Health Coaching is especially designed for those who’ve had health risks identified during an AXA Health telephone wellbeing assessment, and who may need a little extra motivation to make positive lifestyle changes.

Your people will get:

  • Support every step of the way
  • Personal health coaching via a dedicated app
  • The knowledge they need to make positive daily changes that last.

Further information

For the latest health information please visit our information page: axahealth.co.uk/coronavirus/

Speak to your account manager is you’d like to offer these services to your teams. Or, if you’re new to AXA Health, you can speak to an account manager by emailing us at wellbeing@axahealth.co.uk or calling 01412 454010.