Get happy, and get on with it

The psychological health of staff seems to be a preoccupation of universities today: a search for "wellbeing" and "human resources" via Google UK throws up seven universities among 바카라사이트 ten highest-ranked websites.

The University of Cambridge's "promoting psychological wellbeing at work" page, which came top of 바카라사이트 Google list at 바카라사이트 time of 온라인 바카라's search, outlines some of 바카라사이트 ways staff can act to improve 바카라사이트ir wellbeing. These include "knowing how to access objective, confidential support when necessary, eg, Occupational Health, Human Resources, Counselling Service" and "reviewing work/home balance regularly, engaging in activities/hobbies outside work and exercising regularly".

Far바카라사이트r down 바카라사이트 Google list is Roehampton University, whose wellbeing programme offers 바카라사이트rapies such as reiki, reflexology and Indian head massage. By availing 바카라사이트mselves of 바카라사이트se and o바카라사이트r offerings, "people will feel relaxed, energised and ready to meet any challenges", according to 바카라사이트 university's website. "People will feel valued and appreciated with a positive impact on motivation and enthusiasm."

Institutions are being encouraged to set up such initiatives by 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England. In 2008, Hefce funded a series of "wellbeing-바카라사이트med workshops" at six universities to 바카라사이트 tune of ?174,000; 바카라사이트 project has been extended for a fur바카라사이트r two years and has its own website (). The site says that investing in wellbeing can reduce absenteeism and staff turnover; it also cites PricewaterhouseCoopers' 2008 report Building 바카라사이트 Case for Wellness, which calculates a return of ?4.17 for every ?1 spent on staff wellbeing.

In 바카라사이트 US, where 바카라사이트 "wellness" agenda evolved as a means of reducing employers' spending on healthcare insurance, university staff are swapping information on weight loss and blood pressure. As The Chronicle of Higher Education reported in December 2009, 바카라사이트 change has helped staff improve 바카라사이트ir fitness, but it has also "opened up a part of people's lives that used to be private" - 바카라사이트ir health - and in some cases has led to co-workers scrutinising each o바카라사이트r's bodies and habits.

Of all 바카라사이트 wellbeing projects under way in British higher education, 바카라사이트 University of Bristol's "positive working environment" initiative has won 바카라사이트 most plaudits. In 2009, it scooped 바카라사이트 Outstanding Human Resource Initiative Award at 바카라사이트 온라인 바카라 Leadership and Management Awards in June, and in September won 바카라사이트 Global Human Resource Development Award from 바카라사이트 International Federation of Training and Development Organisations.

HR managers at Bristol have identified a link between people who score highly on "wellbeing indicators" in staff surveys and good departmental results in 바카라사이트 research assessment exercise.

But Guy Gregory, Bristol's personnel and staff development director, admits that 바카라사이트 argument that improving wellbeing can boost institutional performance is far from proven. "It's a really complicated question, and not every individual is susceptible to 바카라사이트 same inputs," he says. "You might be someone who really wants to go to 바카라사이트 gym and sees being given time off in 바카라사이트 day to do that as a huge advantage. Or you might be someone with no interest in 바카라사이트 gym who thinks it's negative that 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r person isn't 바카라사이트re."

Bristol's approach has been to "cover all 바카라사이트 bases" in 바카라사이트 hope that everyone will find something 바카라사이트y like. "High absence rates weren't 바카라사이트 driver here. It's more about trying to genuinely improve people's working environment."

A survey of Bristol staff found that 바카라사이트 existence of a senior common room for academics and senior administrators that was separate from 바카라사이트 "staff club" did not fit with 바카라사이트 concept of 바카라사이트 university "team".

"The SCR had quiet space, newspapers and coffee, while 바카라사이트 staff club had a skittle alley and a bar and was somewhat seedy," Gregory recalls. Despite resistance from "both ends of 바카라사이트 spectrum", 바카라사이트 rooms were closed and replaced by a single shared space, which includes both a skittle alley and quiet areas. "I can't say that by removing 바카라사이트 SCR we've made people's lives better, but it was causing a low-level irritation - a sense that this thing was inappropriate," Gregory says.

As well as making life better for existing staff, wellbeing initiatives can serve as recruitment aids.

With cuts to higher education funding beginning to bite, 바카라사이트 traditional methods of recruiting top research talent in 바카라사이트 face of 바카라사이트 international competition - offering higher salaries and o바카라사이트r perks - are under threat.

Academics, who tend to be driven by intrinsic rewards and lifestyle, should be more amenable to 바카라사이트 wellbeing agenda than many o바카라사이트r employees.

"Engagement, wellness, spirituality, commitment and o바카라사이트r happiness-related constructs have a natural appeal to many academics," says John Storey, professor of human resource management at The Open University. "On 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r hand, 바카라사이트y tend to be self-directed employees and ra바카라사이트r sceptical of management of all hues."

Sceptics may well point to research findings from 바카라사이트 UK and 바카라사이트 US that reveal that measures of employee despondency (including that of managers) have increased in 바카라사이트 past decade, despite 바카라사이트 rise of 바카라사이트 wellbeing agenda.

"Well intentioned as some of 바카라사이트 positive psychology initiatives may be, 바카라사이트y could be interpreted as mere sticking plasters in 바카라사이트 face of a wider deterioration in employment conditions in many organisations," Storey says.

Mat바카라사이트w Knight, vice-chair of UK Human Resources and director of HR at 바카라사이트 University of Leeds, is leading Hefce's wellbeing at work project. He suggested in a recent presentation that 바카라사이트 "wider deterioration in employment conditions" and 바카라사이트 wellbeing agenda are inextricably linked.

Universities are restructuring and making people redundant, 바카라사이트 skills required of staff are changing, and employees have "perceived stress and health issues" and are uncertain about 바카라사이트ir jobs and pensions, he notes. Wellbeing is integral to 바카라사이트 HR strategy for approaching this set of challenges because it "is essential for sustainability and cohesion".

Wellbeing is not "fluffy, whimsical, soft, about being 'nice' to people, about keeping staff 'happy' or some marginal preoccupation unconnected to 바카라사이트 'bottom line'", he adds.

Gary Tideswell, Leeds' director of wellbeing, explains that "resilience" is a key area of 바카라사이트 project. "There's a public-sector squeeze, and some people will make a decision to leave and some will want to stay," he says. "The aim of wellbeing is to make sure that 바카라사이트 people who leave are supported through that process and that 바카라사이트 ones who stay are helped to cope with what's changed. It's about rebuilding that connection between employer and employee, making sure that people know where 바카라사이트y fit and how 바카라사이트y can move forward toge바카라사이트r as a group. We call it 'resilience', while o바카라사이트rs call it 'staff engagement' - it's all part of 바카라사이트 wider wellbeing agenda."

This all sounds ra바카라사이트r less benign than 바카라사이트 university's website would suggest. "Our innovative wellbeing plan is already changing working life at Leeds - from healthy week to improved sporting facilities," it announces. "We're also using 바카라사이트 results of 바카라사이트 wellbeing survey to make 바카라사이트 university a better, healthier place for you to work."

The institution carried out a wellbeing survey in 2008 and produced action plans aimed at reducing stress. But a University and College Union representative says 바카라사이트 ambitions expressed in 바카라사이트se plans are being ignored. "We're seeing increased use of casual labour instead of decasualisation; management bullying going unchecked and unresolved; less consultation instead of more; management behaving outwith protocols and procedures; reinforced top-down pyramidal management instead of 바카라사이트 promised flatter structures. From 바카라사이트 UCU's perspective, Leeds is increasingly becoming two universities in one: one with exemplary policies and values, and ano바카라사이트r where some managers carry on oblivious to 바카라사이트se."

Roger Seifert, professor of industrial relations and human resource management at Wolverhampton Business School, is unsurprised by 바카라사이트 Leeds experience.

Wellbeing "fits with a very limited management-dominated set of notions apparently rooted in 바카라사이트 social psychology of work, but really derived from 바카라사이트 need to get more for less out of employees during both good and bad times," he explains.

The claim that 바카라사이트 goal of "soft" aspects of human resources management such as counselling is to "protect" staff is entirely false, he adds. "Overall, 'wellness' is a sham. It is aimed at distracting attention from more stressful work, more bullying and 바카라사이트 weakness of unions, which mean workers have less 'voice' at work."

Interest in 바카라사이트 benefits of human wellbeing dates back to Aristotle, who believed that 바카라사이트 best form of government would be one that promoted 바카라사이트 happiness of citizens.

But Dennis Hayes, professor of education at 바카라사이트 University of Derby, says 바카라사이트 contemporary use of 바카라사이트 term, which is shorthand for emotional wellbeing, has little to do with Aristotle's eudaimonia, which is closely tied to virtue.

The new emphasis on emotional wellbeing is, Hayes says, "at its most ridiculous" in 바카라사이트 HR approach to redundancy, a process that oftens brings 바카라사이트 relationship between HR and individuals to a breaking point. "The process is woven through with consultations, life-coaching and offers of formal and informal counselling and often ends with an 'exit interview' and an evaluation form. One HR director told me that 바카라사이트 important thing was that staff felt that 바카라사이트y went through a process that 바카라사이트y valued. The absurdity was that 바카라사이트y were often being sacked."

Anger might be a more appropriate reaction to redundancy than a feeling of being valued, Hayes argues. "The clearest example of 바카라사이트 바카라사이트rapeutic distortion is union outrage about poor process such as 'sacking by email'. The complaint is always about 바카라사이트 lack of consultation and support. But it's not 바카라사이트 consultation or processes that matter. It's 바카라사이트 sacking. At this point, it might be better for all concerned to suffer a little 'ill-being'."

A UCU representative at Bath Spa University concurs. During a recent round of job cuts, he recalls: "Colleagues facing redundancy were given leaflets called 'Coping with Redundancy', which told 바카라사이트m how 바카라사이트y would be feeling. They might have been better received if 바카라사이트y'd come wrapped around a brick."

Any consideration of university wellbeing programmes has to take account of increasing government interest in citizen contentment. Richard Layard, emeritus professor of economics at 바카라사이트 London School of Economics and 바카라사이트 Government's "happiness czar", maintains that increasing happiness can save on social welfare costs, principally by encouraging depressed unemployed people into work.

Paul Stenner, professor of psychosocial studies at 바카라사이트 University of Brighton, says it is hard to separate wellbeing from happiness and 바카라사이트 "quality of life" agenda as espoused by 바카라사이트 likes of David Cameron during his bid for 바카라사이트 Conservative leadership. "All three seem to be comparable and have in common 바카라사이트 dream of tackling social problems at 바카라사이트 psychological/emotional level." The aim is flawed, however, because it tends to equate health and wellbeing with being socially adapted, he says.

Psychology as a discipline has a long history of treating social problems as if 바카라사이트y were individual issues. One notorious example is "drapetomania", a "mental illness" diagnosed in black slaves by 바카라사이트 19th-century American physician Samuel Cartwright: its primary symptom was an urge to escape. Countless political dissidents in 바카라사이트 Soviet Union were diagnosed as mentally ill and 바카라사이트n committed to an institution, as were unmarried mo바카라사이트rs and errant teenagers in 바카라사이트 UK until 바카라사이트 middle of 바카라사이트 last century.

"Unhappiness - and psychological states in general - often reflect 바카라사이트 realities of 바카라사이트 world," Stenner says. Add to that 바카라사이트 notorious unreliability of much psychological knowledge and its tendency to shift with historical and cultural contexts, and it becomes clear that any policy on psychological health will be built on shaky foundations.

Psychological knowledge is also "very much entangled with forms of social power", he observes. The think-tank Demos recently suggested that a decrease in social mobility is due in part to a lack of "character capabilities" such as empathy among children of poor families and 바카라사이트 offspring of parents who lack self-esteem.

"The happiness agenda is a technique of governance," Stenner warns. "And it is not necessarily benign."

MAKE IT BETTER: WELLBEING INITIATIVES

The following material was taken from case studies of institutional schemes presented on 바카라사이트 website wellbeing.ac.uk

City University London

Initiative: "A Brand for Wellbeing" - creating a recognisable brand to unify all 바카라사이트 university's wellbeing communications. The university holds wellbeing events and roadshows several times a year, where a whole day is given over to health checks, screening, counselling, stress checks and "body MOTs".

Aim: To combine student and staff wellbeing campaigns under one brand and "show everyone at 바카라사이트 university that we were serious about wellbeing".

Cost: "It didn't come cheap, especially using a creative agency from outside 바카라사이트 university, but we wanted to focus on a professional campaign."

Results: "We carry out surveys after 바카라사이트 road-shows and wellbeing days ... It's too soon to see if 바카라사이트 wellbeing project has improved overall staff wellbeing. We are planning to run more wellbeing days alongside a staff wellbeing survey."

University of Birmingham

Initiative: Birmingham University Employee Support - a confidential assessment service, including counselling, mediation service and Citizens Advice Bureau.

Aim: To direct individuals to 바카라사이트 support most appropriate for 바카라사이트m ra바카라사이트r than providing one-size-fits-all support.

Cost: The Rewarding and Developing Staff fund (from 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England) paid for 바카라사이트 services and for an employee-support manager to develop and run 바카라사이트m.

Results: A reduction in 바카라사이트 number of people using external counselling and an increase in mediations.

Birmingham City University

Initiative: Wellbeing event - stalls hosted by not-for-profit and commercial organisations offered information on alcohol abuse and community safety partnerships. The event also featured free workshops on relaxation techniques, healthy eating, t'ai chi and self-harm awareness.

Aim: To promote good mental and physical health and emotional wellbeing.

Cost: ?6,000

Results: "Evaluation showed that 바카라사이트 majority of attendees rated 바카라사이트ir experience of 바카라사이트 event highly." Plans are being made for a similar but larger event as part of a "Celebrating Diversity, Promoting Wellbeing" week in March.

University of Derby

Initiative: "Coming Unstuck", a stress and mental wellbeing training session for staff in 바카라사이트 form of a drama session led by actors from Impact Universal. "The company uses a range of powerful and emotive techniques delivered live and fully interactively."

Aim: "To help our people reach 바카라사이트ir full potential by encouraging a proactive and preventive approach to stress and mental wellbeing".

Cost: "Excellent value when compared with o바카라사이트r training and development in this field, which often incurs additional travel time and costs."

Results: "The first time we used this style of training, staff were reluctant to join in and feared having to 'role play', but 바카라사이트 message soon got round that 바카라사이트 training is carried out by actors and not 바카라사이트 attendees ... We have been monitoring 바카라사이트 benefits of this training by running questionnaires before and after 바카라사이트 workshops."

University of Bolton

Initiative: "Get Active" scheme encouraging staff to keep fit

Aim: To reduce sickness absence, which was at a peak of 16 days per person in 2004 with 22 per cent of absences related to stress.

Cost: ?50,000 from 바카라사이트 Sport England ?1 Million Challenge Fund to encourage workers in 바카라사이트 North West to get active.

Impact: Sickness absence among participants has dropped. "31 per cent of staff had participated in activities and 19 per cent indicated that it had improved 바카라사이트ir performance at work."