Improving the health and wellbeing of hidden workers
Published in Blog by Sarah Ingram on December 11th 2022
Sarah Ingram, Associate Director of Strategy & Partnerships at Tavistock Relationships, the charity helping individuals and couples to have better relationships, to improve their own wellbeing and that of their children, reflects on the findings of the charity’s new research examining the challenges faced by hidden workers.
We welcome Legal & General’s commitment to improving the lives of their ‘hidden workers’*, through the commissioning of our Working Well: Delivering Better Outcomes for Hidden Workers report.
The research aims to better understand the enormous challenges faced by these unseen workers, and calls on business to help tackle health and wellbeing inequality...
The research aims to better understand the enormous challenges faced by these unseen workers, and calls on business to help tackle health and wellbeing inequality through a series of commitments to their hidden workers.
The report is based on quantitative and qualitative analysis of ‘hidden workers’, with 88 workers contributing to the research findings. Interviewees and focus group participants worked in a range of different sectors, but predominantly in cleaning and housekeeping, catering and security.
These long working hours, often exacerbated by long commutes, have a direct impact on their mental and physical health and on their relationships...
Key findings of the report
Overall, the report found that a variety of factors affected workers’ physical and mental health, including:
- More than half of respondents worked nine hours a day, and a third of this group worked 11 hours or more a day. These long working hours, often exacerbated by long commutes, have a direct impact on their mental and physical health and on their relationships with partners, children, and their wider families and communities;
- Many workers do not receive pay if they attend a hospital, GP or other health appointment, and fear of losing pay or appearing weak or unreliable prevents them from asking for time off to look after their health; and
- Very few respondents had accessed counselling or advice services, and were unaware of how they could access these services if they wanted to do so.
Understanding and implementing improvements
Through consultation with its supply chain partners and a review of its existing arrangements, Legal & General has committed to: introduce sick pay policies, without waiting days and at the same level as standard pay; provide access for all workers to virtual healthcare services, including GP appointments; and provide death in service benefit as standard.
We hope this report will lead to employers having a better understanding of the enormous challenges faced by their unseen workers, their hopes and needs, and to follow Legal & General’s commitments to take meaningful steps to improve their lives.
As an organisation we are constantly evolving to reach out to more people, and we look forward to working with more businesses to help tackle health inequality.
As an organisation we are constantly evolving to reach out to more people, and we look forward to working with more businesses to help tackle health inequality.
We already work alongside organisations like the NHS, local authorities and charities to provide professional training and direct support to people.
In-person, online and app-based support
Supported by the Corporation of London, our City Wellbeing Centre offers counselling and psychotherapy for workers and residents in the City of London and neighbouring boroughs, including a low fee/no fee service to people on low incomes.
Our Between Us relationship support app, which can be made available to workers via Employee Assistance programmes, features communication exercises and videos to help couples find better ways of talking to one another and resolving arguments, reducing stress, improving communication, problem-solving and sexual difficulties.
Read the report
Download a high-resolution copy of the report (size 3MB)
*The ‘hidden workforce’ is identified as workers who keep buildings running, with roles including cleaning, security and maintenance. These workers are often not directly employed by the organisations on whose sites they work.
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© 2023 Tavistock Relationships. All Rights Reserved.
10 New Street, London, UK, EC2M 4TP - Tel: 020 7380 1975
Registered Charity Number: 211058. Tavistock Institute of Medical Psychology.
Company number: 241618.
© 2023 Tavistock Relationships. All Rights Reserved.
10 New Street, London EC2M 4TP
Tel: 020 7380 1975
Registered Charity Number: 211058. Tavistock Institute of Medical Psychology. Company number: 241618.