Is Relationship Quality an Employer Issue?4 Feb 2015

Jan Mitcheson, Deputy Director – Innovation, OPO

Charlotte Sweeney, External Consultant & NHS NED

1. What the Research Tells Us

2. How Does this Work in Practice?

3. Resources to Support You

4. Call to Action

5. Additional Reading

Agenda

Happy Homes Productive Workplaces

Higher Work Engagement flexible working, women work central to their life private sector senior roles.

Work Engagement

Relationship Quality

Higher work-family conflict more strongly associated with lower work engagement lower RQ compared to family-work conflict

Higher RQ associated with not working flexibly and not being a parent.

Higher Work Centrality increases strength of association between WE & RQ

Engaging Workplaces, Effective Relationships – Key Findings

• Clear understanding of ‘Relational Capability’, however, limited articulation of the impact this has or any wider focus on activity

• ‘Mindful Working’ highlighted impact work behaviours and habits had on personal lives and relationships

• Relational Capability themes are transferrable skills in all aspects of life

• Limited connections made in company policies and procedures

• Relational Capability critical for effective Line Managers

• SME’s – blurred lines between work and personal relationships

Relationship Building

Aims Potential Products

Can be signposted to resources by employer or white-labelled on intranet; added value.

To support parents returning to work

Changes for Me and Us - an online course that helps new parents.

To build a relationally capable workforce

How to Argue Better –online course for Parents

Relationship Insights adapted for work situations.

To support employees through separation, considering retirement or caring for family members

Different types of content (articles, videos etc.) can be provided to employees to deal with personal relationships and adapted for work situations.

Call to Action

• Conduct a Pilot of Mindful working and share case study

• Complete the Diagnostic Tool for your trust and share findings and agreed actions

• Review Couple and Parent Connection – How could this be used to enhance your existing employee offering?

• Get your trust involved in the DWP co-created ‘Relationships at Work’ training development

Additional Reading

Wall Street Journal article about companies in the US spending time and money on 'making employee spouses happy' http://www.talentmgt.com/blogs/4/post/7031-companies-work-to-please-spouses

Engaging Workplaces and Effective Relationships Research - http://www.oneplusone.org.uk/content_item/engaging-workplaces-effective-relationships/

Happy Homes and Productive Workplaces Research - http://www.oneplusone.org.uk/professionals/research/our-focus/partnerships/happy-homes-productive-workplaces-research-launch/

Equal Approach: Is Relationships Quality a Business Issue?http://www.equalapproach.com/news-blog/guest-blog-is-relationship-quality-a-business-issue-(charlotte-sweeney).aspx