Wellbeing in Our New Hybrid World: A Rethink for Employers
The session looked at what a lasting wellbeing strategy needs as employers move to hybrid working, with a focus on working parents and carers. James Marsh of HRreview hosted Jennifer Liston-Smith and Karen Harbisher of Bright Horizons, with the approach of Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust outlined on the trust's behalf.
Jennifer Liston-Smith and Karen Harbisher, Bright Horizons. Hosted by James Marsh, HRreview.
Key takeaways
Get the practical support right before the emotional and cultural layers
Liston-Smith frames wellbeing for working parents and carers as three interlocking areas: practical, emotional and cultural. Care and working arrangements come first, then networks and normalising family transitions, then leaders who visibly walk the talk.
Ask each team to agree a wellbeing charter for hybrid working
Harbisher said one employee described remote work as 'living at work', so teams are writing local charters that define the working day and reasonable email traffic. The norms only stick when the whole team signs up, not just the leader.
Train managers to open mental health conversations and know where to stop
Harbisher said managers need guidance on how far to take a conversation and when to move it to clinical support, without acting as clinicians. Simple check-in tools, such as a team 'how are you feeling' grid, help.
Make sure hybrid choices do not count against people's careers
Liston-Smith warned that working parents who choose to work more remotely risk losing visibility. Managers should make remote attendees visible in meetings, give everyone a chance to be heard and allocate work fairly, not just to whoever is in the office.
Treat care support as a retention tool
The NHS trust's business case for backup childcare rested on the cost of London childcare and competing trusts offering onsite nurseries. Liston-Smith added that a sustainable hybrid model assumes people have normal care and schooling in place.
Set up a working parents and carers network if you do nothing else
Liston-Smith called a network the single most useful step, and said it can be simple: internal volunteers will speak on panels about topics from homework to infertility, which builds belonging.
The closing Q&A, with frank answers on presenteeism, the right to disconnect and managers who expect parents to hit unchanged targets.
Never miss the next one. Get InsideHR webinar alerts →