Latest updates and stories from Bedfordshire Chamber of Commerce and its Members

When it comes to the importance of employees’ mental health and wellbeing, the stats speak for themselves: in a recent CIPD UK survey, 75% of HR professionals stated that these would be the most important areas in which to provide support to staff in 2023.

Nothing makes people rethink their health and wellbeing like a succession of hard knocks – and if we didn’t all know that before, we certainly do now, in the wake of assorted global and national turmoil.

Businesses have adapted to remote working to protect staff and to help curb infection rates during the pandemic. The world changed almost overnight and Zoom and Teams meetings soon became the norm, so it comes as no surprise that returning to “normality” would present some challenges.

The events of 2020 have had a significant impact on the wellbeing of many people across the country. When we first went into lockdown in March, half of British adults reported feeling anxious. Health, making ends meet and job security were among the top worries - and for many people, still are.

Last month, Beds Chamber member Darren Kerr, Director of PostureFit, hosted our first-ever health and wellbeing webinar.

For many people, working from home has always been seen as a luxury. People will have dreamed of working from the sofa with the dog under their feet and a nice cup of tea. With no one looking over their shoulder or disrupting their train of thought.

Over two-fifths (43%) of businesses have had employees absent from work for more than four weeks due to ill health in the last two years, according to new research by the British Chambers of Commerce and Unum. 

Active Luton has published its Impact Report for 2018/19 highlighting the many ways in which it has engaged with Luton residents of all ages and abilities to get them active and improve their health, wellbeing and access to opportunities.