The 7th annual MAD World Summit

The CIPD’s quarterly Labour Market Outlook is one of the most authoritative employment indicators in the UK and provides forward-looking labour market data and analysis on employers’ recruitment, redundancy and pay intentions.

As echoed both in this Make A Difference feature “The 2025 challenges that need to be on your radar” and in this article outlining “Hot topics and investment priorities for workplace culture, employee health and wellbeing”, the CIPD’s winter 2024/25 report indicates that rising employment costs, driven by National Insurance contribution increases and the reduction in the ‘secondary threshold’, are forcing many businesses to rethink their workforce strategies.

Here, two leading voices respond to the report’s findings.

Rethinking approaches to recruitment and retention

Commenting on the latest CIPD Labour Market Outlook, Mark Jones, Reward and Benefits Partner at Isio said: “With confidence falling sharply, its clear employers are still navigating a complex environment of rising costs, persistent skills shortages, and shifting workforce expectations. Small businesses, in particular, may struggle to expand their talent pools, which could limit long-term resilience.

“With private sector confidence at its lowest in a decade, excluding the pandemic, employers are facing increased pressure to remain competitive, particularly in attracting and retaining key talent. However, pay alone isn’t the answer. Employers who take a broader view, investing in benefits that support financial wellbeing, flexibility, and career development, will be better placed to sustain engagement and productivity in the long term.

“To build a workforce that is both diverse and sustainable, businesses must rethink their approach to recruitment and retention. Creating opportunities for those facing employment barriers – such as older workers, parent returners, and individuals with long-term health conditions – isn’t just about inclusion; it’s a practical solution to ongoing talent shortages.”

Implications for workers over 50

Meanwhile, Catherine Foot, Director of Phoenix Insights, which advocates for better, longer lives said: “Today’s figures highlight ongoing challenges in the labour market. With recruitment intentions slowing, economic inactivity remains a concern. To help close the gap in economic inactivity, pay alone isn’t enough to support workers back into employment. We need to look at factors beyond pay – flexible work is the top priority for workers over 50 seeking to remain in work.

“While many still face barriers to re-entering the workforce, our Employment Index reveals that access to meaningful, well-paid employment varies significantly across the UK. This disparity can impact long-term financial security, particularly for those nearing retirement. Workers in regions with lower job satisfaction and financial security are less likely to save effectively for retirement. Flexibility is key to helping people stay in work longer to save and earn, but it’s not just about pay – it’s about creating an environment where people feel secure and supported in balancing work with health or caring needs.

“With vacancies declining, it’s important that roles provide flexibility, job security and inclusive recruitment. The Government’s Employment Rights Bill and Get Britain Working White Paper are steps in the right direction, but more action is needed to create a labour market that works for all.”

You can download CIPD’s most recent quarterly Labour Market Outlook report here.

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International Women’s Day (8th March 2025) can raise polarising views about its relevance in the modern workplace. A quick scroll through social media feeds reveals people championing it, while others express deep frustration. If your networks are voicing contrasting opinions on social, chances are your workforce might be too. So, how can you make a meaningful impact on days like this, and what common pitfalls should you avoid?

Serve their needs not yours

First and foremost, it’s crucial to consider what your people truly need and want. While this may seem obvious, it’s often overlooked. The very demographic you aim to serve should be involved in the planning and execution of events. Ask your staff what they want to see, hear, and feel from your commitment to the day. This input can make all the difference between a successful initiative and a PR stunt that fails. 

The reality for women

Women are increasingly concerned about the current political climate, their rights, and the potential undoing of decades of progress in the pursuit of equality. It’s crucial to acknowledge these realities and ensure that this year’s efforts don’t just replicate what’s been done in the past. Women deserve more than rinse and repeat events – they can see through them. Staying out of touch with the current climate can be damaging in the long run.

Don’t treat it like a PR stunt

International Women’s Day should never be an opportunity for you to deploy PR tactics to pat yourselves on the back. If you rely on one day a year to show your commitment to women in the workplace, the likelihood is that your company has deeper problems that cakes and pens won’t solve. Instead, consider how IWD fits into your year-round strategy and aligns with the broader work you’re already doing. The result of this is that IWD doesn’t feel like tokenism. Ask yourself, what impact do you want to make for your people—not just on one day, but throughout the year?

Women don’t work for free

If you’re planning a day of events, discussions, or workshops, ensure you have the budget to support it before making plans. Without adequate funding, it’s not worth pursuing. Every year, I’m asked to participate in IWD initiatives without compensation by companies looking to tick the box. The answer is simple: No. Women don’t give away expertise for free and shouldn’t be expected too because of their sex. Their knowledge, experience and expertise are valuable, and you need it. Cutting corners like these damages your brand reputation and limits the experience and wisdom you get in through the door positively impacting your culture. 

Sitting in discomfort and feeling vulnerable

International Women’s Day presents a valuable opportunity to foster debate, encourage open discussions, and explore different perspectives—some of which may feel uncomfortable. As an Executive Coach, I often guide clients through their discomfort. We examine the emotions tied to that discomfort and what they reveal about our current realities and future actions. Creating space for discomfort and introspection is crucial, especially when addressing sensitive issues like gender equality.

By leaning into uncomfortable conversations, we can tackle important topics affecting women in the workplace. Take menopause, for example—a subject still shrouded in taboo. Many organisations offer little to no support for it, despite the fact that 1 in 10 women will quit their jobs due to menopause-related challenges. With over 13 million women experiencing menopause in the UK, and women over 50 being the fastest-growing demographic in the workforce, it’s clear that this issue cannot be ignored.

Allowing room for these tough conversations can leave us feeling vulnerable, but it’s often in that vulnerability where growth happens. These discussions provide a chance to lean into subjects we may feel excluded from—yet are critical to advancing equality in the workplace. It’s about challenging ourselves to see the meaning and purpose of our plans for IWD. 

About the author

Anna Allerton is a triple-accredited trained and qualified Executive Coach with over 20 years of corporate experience. She has held senior roles as Head of Internal Communications, as a Sports Journalist and TV Producer at Sky. Through her business, Allerton Coaching (www.allertoncoaching.com), Anna specialises in helping individuals and businesses navigate the challenges of maternity, perimenopause, and menopause. She works with organisations from SME’s to FTSE companies who recognise the value of her niche in creating bespoke support for women in their organisations. In addition to her coaching, Anna leads popular workshops on these topics, speaks publicly, and is co-author of the book Myths of Menopause. Her work has been featured in Grazia, Stylist, Top Sante, and on Times Radio.

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At a time when an environment of change continues to reshape priorities, it’s more important than ever to tune into evolving needs and expectations.

With this in mind, in November 2024 the organisers of our sister event, The Watercooler, conducted research with professionals who attended the last edition of the show. They also sought the opinions of those in their network that didn’t attend the event. The goal: to give the audience the chance to shape the future of work by making the content of the The Watercooler Event in 2025 as relevant to them as possible.

The insights shared provide a “State of the Nation” snapshot of evolving priorities, which is useful for
employers that want to stay ahead. It’s also insightful for suppliers who want to understand what employers are looking for in the year ahead.

Crucially, the majority of respondents indicated that they will be spending about the same, more or much more. Particularly around wellbeing, training, systems, benefits and the office environment.

Employee health & wellbeing and leadership are stand out issues

To gain insight into the information needs and investment priorities of the community, respondents were asked to share the key areas that they are reviewing in 2025.

Employee health and wellbeing is the stand-out issue (79.3%), followed by employee experience (65.2%), DE&I (47.8%) and AI (43%).

As referenced in this report from our summer “In search of productivity?” Leaders’ Lunch, ten, or even five years ago, it felt insensitive to talk about employee health, wellbeing and productivity in the same breath. The focus was more on the moral rather than the business imperative. But the narrative is shifting – with over a third (34.8%) of respondents naming business productivity as an investment priority.

One respondent commented that they are focused on the different pillars of employee wellbeing under the umbrella of “leadership”. Others noted their frustrations around the lack of accountability for managers and leaders in their organisation with regards to health and wellbeing. The impact that change fatigue and management decisions is having on employees’ health and wellbeing was also emphasised.

All of these comments emphasise the crucial role that leaders play, both in creating workplace environments that enable colleagues to thrive, and in embedding strategies that really make a difference.

Aligning rewards, benefits, health, wellbeing and inclusion

Top priorities for respondents around pay and benefits are inclusive benefits options, benefits packages (broadly), new benefit opportunities and trends, as well as the rising cost of employee benefits. National minimum wage and salary sacrifice issues were also cited as a key area of focus.

Meanwhile a top priority around diversity, equity and inclusion is integrating DE&I into health & wellbeing and management training. This approach will not only ensure that initiatives are inclusive and respond to specific needs. It should also deliver the greatest value on investment.

Taking the professional pulse

As well as understanding investment priorities, the survey aimed to get a sense of how professionals with a workplace culture, employee health and wellbeing remit feel about their work, and the specific challenges that they are facing. Whilst 42.6% indicated that they love their job and find it very fulfilling, the majority (54.3%) recognise that it has challenges.

Reassuringly, whilst 47.8% of respondents feel about the same about their job as they did last year, over 40% think that their job is better or much better than last year. I wonder how many professionals in other roles would say that?

When respondents were asked to elaborate on the key challenges they personally face in their role, the two stand-out issues are:

• Choosing between competing priorities
• Overcoming silos and getting departments to work together.

By bringing all stakeholders together, The Watercooler Event provides a unique opportunity for those responsible for health & wellbeing, safety, workplace culture, benefits, DE&I, L&D, employee experience and engagement to convene. Networking, sharing ideas on new and best practice and discovering products and services that will maintain the leadership buy-in needed to empower both people and businesses to thrive.

You can download the full report of key insights from The Watercooler research here.

Taking place on 7th and 8th May 2025 at ExCeL in London, The Watercooler Event is Europe’s leading trade show, with free-to-attend content, dedicated to creating workplaces that empower both people and business to thrive.

Now in its fourth year, it’s two days of cutting-edge employee health, wellbeing, workplace culture, networking and product discovery – celebrating the future of work. Co-located with The Office Event for the full 360 degree workplace experience.

You can find out more and register to attend here.

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These are the words of Gary Acheson, Head of Learning & Development at Rapport Guest Services, which regularly tops lists of the best places to work in the hospitality industry.

One of the reasons for this is the employer’s commitment to investing in mental health awareness, as well as career and personal development. These are topics, as well as promoting engagement through breaking down silos, that he’ll be speaking about at our sister event, The Watercooler, on 7th & 8th May, in London.

We caught up with him to find out more…

Why is employee Health and Wellbeing so important to you personally, and as a company?

Firstly, there have been pinch points in my life where I’ve personally gone through stressful periods and, being able to embrace my identity and who I am as an individual, has been important. For instance, in relation to my sexuality when, at times, I felt a struggle to fit in and the importance of human connections and community networks became very clear to me.

Secondly, professionally, our main job is to welcome guests into our spaces and those guests will sometimes show up stressed. Some of them might even be having panic attacks, or there could be a medical situation unfolding in front of our employees. Hospitality is a pressurised industry, afterall.

Therefore, we have to look after both the physical and mental wellbeing of our people, as well as the people that they’re greeting. If we don’t do those two together, we aren’t able to best serve our clients. For that to happen, your employees must feel looked after and cared for.

I suppose you could say, you have to build a ‘rapport’ (excuse the pun!) with both your employees and your client’s guests?

Yes, our company name ‘Rapport’ is all about connecting with people. We have to ‘do what it says on the tin’ when it comes to the most pivotal points in people’s lives. These times – from a death of a colleague in service, for example, to a colleague who’s suffered an ectopic pregnancy – are times when you have to switch off the corporate part, and switch on the human part.

Covid actually really brought the ‘people issue’ to life and we saw CEOs and other leaders lean into the difficulties that people faced and took a more human approach than ever seen before.

Do you think leaders are still as committed to this ‘human approach’ now the Covid pandemic is over?

Well, if you look at what is going on in the world just now, particularly in the US, but also in Europe and potentially here in the UK, you could say there is a shift to softening, especially within tech companies, the DEI approach. 

But that is not something that we feel or experience here currently at Rapport. None of our clients are asking us to pivot or tone down DEI. The science is clear, too; you get the best out of people by looking after them and making them feel welcome. The more you get the best out of the individual, the more they’ll give back to the organisation.

What is your biggest learning so far about creating a positive culture?

That collaboration across business is essential for maximum impact when building a culture, employee engagement and psychological safety.

So, while Human Resources and Learning and Development are working together to bring Health and Wellbeing to the forefront of business culture, it’s built into the strategy from the top. 

As part of this, at the session at The Watercooler I’ll be looking at topics like gaining stakeholder engagement and breaking down silos.

What advice do you have on breaking down silos between different teams and functions?

Quite often it’s done by humanising teams and helping teams communicate more effectively. It’s about getting them in the mindset of ‘we’re one team’.

We’ve just delivered a ‘five ways of wellbeing’ training for one of our clients and we were looking at how do we get different employees such as security officers, cleaners, receptionists, facilities managers, caterers, gardeners and electricians to connect over the idea of looking after each other as a community. This is super important from a learning development perspective.

What do you think is the best way to help line managers to start a conversation with their team about wellbeing?

Training line managers as Mental Health First Aiders is one way. We have about 130 in our business but that, on its own, is not enough. We find that people get the qualification but don’t necessarily live and breathe it. 

One way we help our managers is through our onboarding process. A fundamental part of this is two days off the job where we cover the foundations of DEI and what it means to be an inclusive organisation and to look after your wellbeing. We also cover the resources available like the 130 MHFAs and traditional things like the EAP and healthcare benefits, and so on. 

But more than anything it’s about creating a sense of community in everything we do and to facilitate this we also have a platform called My Rapport, because our staff are so scattered so it’s a way of bringing everyone together. Another way we are helping our line managers is through pulse learning. Gamification is built into this with, for example, questions to answer each month around a theme. 

What are the biggest challenges you’re addressing right now?

We are seeing a massive uplift in the number of HR cases and we are trying to dig into the data to find out the reasons behind this. Key topics are neurodiversity, as well as the millennial culture of expectation.

One thing we’re kicking off as a result is providing introductory sessions about neurodiversity. The strategic leadership team have all already completed this but we are now rolling it out. One part is a 90 minute online introduction to neurodiversity, and another is a skills workshop for managers lasting four hours including case studies on how you handle situations. 

It covers everything from language and what questions you could ask and to identify whether action needs to be taken. In most cases we actually find that employees just want to be heard and line managers just need equipped with knowledge so they can be confident in these conversations.

What do you find best builds line manager confidence?

We have monthly, or six weekly get-togethers and we try to do these in person. And again, it’s about community creation. 

We cover different topics but we mandated, over a year ago, a development programme of mandatory, as well as elective, modules. We’ve established various partnerships to help deliver this, for example with Down Syndrome Ireland, which has given us some free learning modules. 

Against, I think the biggest benefit comes, not from being in the classroom, but from learning alongside a network of peers who are going through the same situations, and can also see it from different angles. Being able to bounce ideas around with peers is invaluable.

We’ve built on this with more informal leaning sessions, too. For example, take the topic of menopause. Rather than bringing an expert in who would talk on a theoretical basis, we had a bit of fun in our head office by taking it over for a Friday afternoon and getting a group of employees to come in and talk about their personal experiences. 

That’s a lot of resources available. Which is great. But also potentially overwhelming for already-busy line managers. How do you help them not feel overwhelmed?

The strategic leadership are there to help line managers and, in my team, I also have a dedicated individual who is a coach who is available to individuals. Also, almost everyone in my team is a MHFA so they are also supportive contacts for managers. 

We also realise that it’s natural to have a dip in engagement as people get stuck into their day to day jobs and they feel they don’t have the time and the space. That’s why we are constantly bringing Health and Wellbeing onto their agenda in operationalised learning sessions; that’s these get-togethers that we put in diaries when they come together as a community. Giving them this time, and building it into their diaries, is part of the culture of who we are as a company and how seriously we take their learning and development. 

What are you most looking forward to at The Watercooler?

I’m actually looking forward to questions from the audience after the session and sharing ideas and best practice. Even people challenging us, and saying they disagree, is an opportunity for new ideas.

Taking place on 7th and 8th May 2025 at ExCeL in London, The Watercooler Event is Europe’s leading trade show, with free-to-attend content, dedicated to creating workplaces that empower both people and business to thrive.

Now in its fourth year, it’s two days of cutting-edge employee health, wellbeing, workplace culture, networking and product discovery – celebrating the future of work. Co-located with The Office Event for the full 360 degree workplace experience.

You can find out more and register to attend here.

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Due to unforeseen venue-related circumstances, our sister events, The Watercooler and The Office Show will now take place one week later, on 7th – 8th May 2025, instead of 30th April – 1st May.

Whilst the change was unexpected, the organisers have worked closely with the venue, ExCeL London, to ensure the best possible outcome for exhibitors, sponsors, speakers, and attendees.

Simon Mills, CCO, ExCeL London explained:

“Here at Excel London, we are constantly striving to deliver excellence for each of the 400 events we host annually and to ensure a world-class experience for all our event organisers, exhibitors and visitors. This year, which marks our 25^th anniversary, we are experiencing record demand and occasionally this can result in scheduling adjustments needing to be made.

As a result, we have asked our valued partners at The Watercooler Expo and The Office Show to kindly accommodate a date shift by one week. We remain fully committed to supporting the long-term success of both events and ensuring they are a resounding success for all stakeholders.”

Simon Berger, Co-Founder of The Watercooler Expo & The Office Show added:

“We have collaborated with Excel London for many years and understand that this was a difficult decision for them. As exhibition organisers, our priority is to ensure minimal disruption for our stakeholders.

While we acknowledge that this shift may require some logistical adjustments, we believe it could prove beneficial as it means our event will no longer coincide with two other major industry gatherings. That said, we sincerely apologise for any inconvenience and deeply appreciate your understanding and continued support.”

Additional support & enhancements

To reinforce Excel London’s commitment to the long-term success of The Watercooler Expo and The Office Show, they are making a significant contribution to enhance visitor marketing – including industry media and digital campaigns – which the organisers hope will help to drive record-breaking attendance.

Francis Barham, Event Director said: “We remain fully committed to delivering an exceptional event and are working diligently to maximise the benefits of this revised timeline. We look forward to welcoming you to The Watercooler Expo and The Office Show on 7th – 8th May 2025“.

One of the biggest bonuses of using AI in Health and Wellbeing is that it can significantly increase the uptake of benefits. This is great news for professionals in the sector because low uptake is a perennial source of concern for professionals (as addressed in this article).

Low EAP utilisation is the most typical concern, with employers generally reporting uptake rates of EAPs as between 3-10% of employees, with more reporting at the lower end of this figure and very few into double figures. However some providers are seeing huge jumps in utilisation after implementing AI.

Wysa is an AI powered chatbot that delivers cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). It’s used by the NHS, but also by employers such as Bosch, L’Oreal and Accenture to improve employee wellbeing, mental health and resilience.

Change the benefits game

“We have multiple tools built into Wysa which stand alone but if you just offer it on its own, it also has pretty average uptake,” says Sarah Baldry, Chief Marketing Officer, Wysa. 

But, the point at which the AI element becomes game changing is when “you put it front and centre of the whole benefits offering”, she says. This means that when an employee visits the wellbeing hub the first thing they see is a simple chat bar where they can enter any concern and receive the information they need. All the relevant Health and Wellbeing data, not just Wysa’s, is fed into the AI system including all information on every other resource and benefit available.

“Employees can then go onto the hub and freely chat to it about anything that is going on in their lives. Often they’re not sure what they want, so are prompted by the AI which is helping them find what they need. What we find is that because we’ve got this very powerful chatbot, that understands people’s needs and has safety built in, if you let people chat to it, it can personalise its response,” says Baldry. 

Tailoring AI to your organisation

Based on what the employee is saying, for example, the AI can suggest calling the EAP and giving the telephone number, or direct to the SOS feature with a comment like ‘There are people who will be able to guide you through this tough time. Do get in touch with them here.’ or ‘sounds like you’re overwhelmed, would you like to try an exercise to calm you down?’.

“The AI is entirely tailored to the organisation and embedded in everything that they offer,” she says. Obviously, this can be a complex system to set up, depending on how many sources of information you are dealing with and added complications like the difference between what benefits are offered in which countries, and different languages.

“So for some multinationals it is complicated and will take a good six weeks to set up the technology to ensure it can surface the right tools or supplier. But what we see, when clients do this, is that the uptake of resources massively increases across the entire board,” she says.

Increasing engagement tenfold

Accenture is one of Wysa’s clients which, after this process, saw employee engagement in wellbeing increase tenfold.

“That’s why, if you’re working in the HR benefits space, I’d recommend putting your AI in the middle of your benefits package, to help people navigate what’s available to them, rather than promoting each of your packages, from financial to health, separately,” says Baldry. 

“Let the AI find the right resource for the employee. That way, it feels like real personalisation because the AI isn’t just using their name, it’s understanding their needs and suggesting something for them.”

AI can simplify complex information quickly

Geeta Arora Bhojak, Global Mental Health Lead at Accenture, having seen this approach work is now a strong advocate for AI and the positive impact it can have on employee wellbeing, saying:

“Between a mental distress or a life event happening with somebody and them getting ‘human’ help there is a lot that can be done.”

One reason why experts believe that AI could revolutionise benefits uptake is due to its ability to simplify information in an extremely complex space. Communications have always been a huge challenge for professionals, not helped by the heavy and often jargon-filled information booklets sent out to employees when they are signing up to policies (touched on in this feature). 

Health information can be overwhelming

It’s a testament to how far the industry has come that there are now so many different ways to support employee wellbeing, but employer offerings can often feel overwhelming to employees due to this wide variety of support. This complexity can hinder, rather than support effective health decision making, particularly says Benifex Chief Innovation Officer Gethin Nadin, when people are looking for support in a state of distress.

“At point of crisis, employees are often not in the best headspace to make the right decisions. For example, being diagnosed with cancer. At that point, wading through a tonne of information and guidance can be overwhelming. But it’s at this point where we can see how AI could really help,” he says.

An employee could tell the platform or app what kind of diagnosis they have received, and the system could reveal all the ways their benefits could help.

Directing to overlooked benefits

“They could tell them about the free (and often overlooked) vocational and rehabilitation services,” continues Nadin. “The app could also show how immediate help can be provided with a referral to a specialist or even suggest the option to talk through your diagnosis with a therapist.”

Wysa’s own research shows that the therapeutic bond established with AI and the user builds trust three times faster than with a human therapist. 

“That’s because it is a bot,” explains Baldry. “People can say whatever they like to it, without fear of judgment. They can be horrible about their spouse, their boss, their children and it won’t judge them. And people really understand that, so they open up about their worries and what they’re angry or sad about and start to learn how to express and manage their emotions better.”

AI could particularly help men

This could be particularly helpful for men who typically find it harder to open up in face to face situations about their emotions. Not only that, unlike with humans, the user can choose to delete the AI’s memory of the conversation, too, adding another layer of reassurance.

The fact that trust is built so much quicker means that employees can progress to recovery solutions quicker, and therefore AI could be a crucial ally in the industry’s desire (and government’s) to shift from a culture of cure to prevention. 

The other way AI supports this is by exposing employees to therapeutic language and models before they are, potentially, referred to ‘human’ therapy. “In many instances with our NHS work, by the time they get to this human therapy many of them have already achieved their target outcome, so AI is improving therapeutic outcomes,” says Baldry.

Wearable AI tech

Additionally, individuals who do go on for therapy are more ready and engaged when they start treatment. Wysa also has evidence that the drop out rates are much lower because they are mentally prepared for what therapy is going to look like.

Another way that AI is driving cultures of prevention and personalisation is through wearable tracking technology.

“AI powers our personalised approach,” says Reeva Misra, Founder and CEO, Walking on Earth (WONE). “Advances in wearable technology and AI now allow us to draw richer insights by integrating physiological, psychological, behavioural, and environmental inputs into our platform.”

AI personalises recommendations

Because of its ability to instantly aggregate vast amounts of information, and learn about its individual users over time, AI can adapt and personalise further its recommendations, offering up more relevant, effective interventions. “And, as a result, sees higher utilisation of the solution,” says Misra.

As well as this, companies like WONE and Wysa can feed back these large anonymised data sets to employers in order to create Health and Wellbeing strategies that best serve the workforce’s actual needs and situations. 

The data can even help them identify particular areas of concern, whether it be segments of the employee base that are particularly stressed, and look for commonalities – such as whether they are in the same team / function, whether this happens at a particular time of year or whether the individuals share any demographic characteristics.

How AI helps with prevention

“You can tackle workplace stress before it becomes a chronic issue by detecting and addressing early signs of burnout out we can improve overall employee health, which has a direct impact on business health,” adds Misra.

Baldry agrees, saying employers can “slice and dice the data by geography, or by office, as long as there’s 20 people in a group so it retains it anonymity”. Wysa has had employer clients where they’ve been able to notice a problem in a certain office and been able to address it.

“You can see which offices need attention because their scores are worse than the office in the next city or the next country, which could suggest something like toxic management. We also have word clouds for words coming up most in conversion. So you can actually start to genuinely support those employee groups,” she says.

AI can identify toxic cultures 

In this way, AI can help to change culture by noticing and addressing unhelpful, unaligned behaviour and recognising and encouraging helpful behaviour.

This feature initially set out to consider how AI can boost benefits uptake and, through doing so, also showed how it can help support a shift to a more preventative approach, as well as be a tool for culture change, too. But where is the future of AI and benefits specifically?

With such rapid change, it’s hard to predict but there is one change which seems obviously waiting to happen according to Baldry – and that’s the way benefits are paid for.

AI could lead to paying for benefits on demand

“Personalisation thanks to AI means you can have benefits available on demand from a massive pool of providers,” she says. “It also opens up a case for employers just paying for what their employees use.”

So what would she do, in light of where the market is currently with AI, if she were in charge of an employer’s Health and Wellbeing benefits?

“I would go to my benefits provider and say ‘I want everything you’ve got and I want to put AI upfront, but I want to pay on a utilisation basis’. Doing this puts the employer back in the driving seat of seeing what is really being used and working. Yes, it’s early days, but it can happen now…”

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In the UK, of those who’ve reported experiencing some form of sexual harassment in the past year, more than a quarter of those incidents have occurred in the workplace.

This growing concern has driven the introduction of the Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act 2023 (the “Act”), which strengthens existing protections for employees against sexual harassment.

Why was this Act introduced?

Sexual harassment can manifest in many ways, including inappropriate propositions, intrusive questions about someone’s personal life, sexual gestures, or discussions about one’s own sex life.

While many organisations have made significant progress in fostering respectful workplaces, incidents of harassment persist. The way a company addresses and adopts the new legal requirements sends a clear message to employees about its commitment to their wellbeing, impacting not only employee retention but also recruitment efforts.

Understanding your new obligations

Under the Act, employers are now required to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment of employees. This responsibility extends beyond interactions between colleagues to include third parties, such as clients, vendors, and members of the public.

Importantly, an employer can be held liable for harassment even if they were unaware of the incident. If an employee successfully brings a harassment claim, the employer’s failure to take reasonable preventative steps may result in additional compensation being awarded – up to 25% more than the initial amount. Compensation for sexual harassment can be made up of both past and future loss of earnings, injury to feelings, and personal injury. Since there is no upper limit on compensation for sexual harassment claims, this uplift could be significant.

What constitutes “reasonable steps” will depend on the organisation’s size, resources, and industry. Larger employers are typically expected to implement more comprehensive measures.

Key Actions Employers Should Take

To comply with the new legal requirements and create a safe work environment, employers should take the following actions:

1. Conduct a Risk Assessment

Identify potential risks of harassment across all work-related settings – whether in the office, at networking events, during off-site meetings, or even during business travel. Assess how protections can be extended to cover these various environments.

2. Update Policies and Procedures

Review and revise your organisation’s policies to reflect the broader scope of the Act. Clearly define sexual harassment, outline how complaints will be handled, and specify potential outcomes. Update the Employee Handbook to include guidance on how employees can report incidents, what to expect during the investigation process, and the potential consequences for those involved.

This guidance should be applicable not only to individuals who experience harassment firsthand but also to those who witness it.

3. Address Anonymity and Reporting

Employees may hesitate to report harassment, especially if the alleged perpetrator holds a senior position. Implementing a process that allows for anonymous reporting can help reduce fear of retaliation and encourage individuals to come forward. Organisations could consider appointing equality champions and dedicated lines of communication where harassment concerns can be safely brought.

4. Training: A Crucial Component

Providing targeted training for managers is essential to ensure they know how to respond appropriately to reports of harassment and to build awareness. Managers should be equipped to handle sensitive disclosures, offer support, and escalate issues as necessary. Active bystander training is also important. All training should be meaningful and maintained; it should be more than a one off or “tick box” exercise which will not be adequate.

It is equally important to provide guidance on managing allegations against the accused in a fair and impartial manner, maintaining a balanced approach until the investigation is complete.

5. Documentation and Continuous Monitoring

Document all actions taken to prevent and address sexual harassment, including risk assessments, policy updates, training sessions, and reported incidents. Regularly review the effectiveness of these measures and track cultural changes within the organisation. 

In the event of a claim, detailed records can serve as evidence that the organisation took reasonable steps to prevent harassment, which may strengthen the employer’s defence before an Employment Tribunal.

Why action is important

Being unprepared opens the organisation to risk. Being proactive in implementing these steps will ensure you are doing what you can to prevent your business from becoming vulnerable to tribunal claims, costly payouts, and significant reputational damage. 

For more information on your responsibilities under the new Act and how to implement effective policies and training, download the Loch Associates Group guidance note at Loch Associates Group.

About the author

The author, Lauren McLaughlin, Partner with Loch Law which is part of Loch Associates Group, is one of an extensive team of experts advising organisations on how best to manage and support their teams. Working across the UK, and with experience of most sectors, our award-winning team can develop solutions that encompass legal guidance, HR consulting, training, and wellbeing initiatives to ease your work-related issues and support your long-term organisational goals. 

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When we asked the readers of www.makeadifference.media on our homepage poll whether employers should help to target the obesity crisis, a resounding 69% voted “yes”, 18% voted “no”, and the remainder “not sure”. It’s a hot topic that clearly resonates with many and it’s one that we’ll be tackling at our sister event The Watercooler, on 30th April and 1st May.

Interesting to see then that health and life insurer Vitality has announced its members will have access to weight-loss medications through their Vitality health insurance cover.

The weight loss medication will be available to Vitality members who meet certain criteria later this year and will be provided in conjunction with lifestyle support and one-to-one coaching with a dietitian, through Vitality partner Second Nature. 

Continued focus on prevention

Vitality will offer access to these medications, including Wegovy and Mounjaro, for members based on their BMI and weight related health conditions. This will build on the success of Vitality’s existing weight loss programme, which uses reward-based incentives to encourage lifestyle change, and has seen significant results for members embarking on their weight loss journeys with 48% of enrolled members reaching their weight loss targets*. 

By integrating weight loss medications into its health insurance offerings, Vitality is setting a new standard in health management, ensuring members have access to a variety of tools and support that will help them to achieve their goals and prevent health conditions related to obesity and deliver better health outcomes for its members.

Addressing a UK health challenge 

As our Features Editor Suzy Bashford pointed out in this article focused on “Why employers need to take action on the obesity crisis”, unhealthy diets are estimated to cost the UK at least £268 billion in lost productivity, health and social care costs, as well as costs to the individuals (ref. Nesta).

As of 2024, obesity alone was estimated to cost the NHS around £6.5 billion per year and is a major driver of poor health in the country.  It can lead to multiple health complications such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and non-fatty liver disease – and have broader implications for an individual’s healthspan meaning that they are living longer, but in worse health.

Vitality’s announcement recognises that this is a pressing health challenge in our society, and through incorporating these medications into its existing weight-loss programme, aims to address these issues head-on. 

In their official press release announcing the innovation, Vitality point out that, in line with clinical guidelines, medication assisted programmes have also been shown to be beneficial for those with a particularly high body mass index and coexisting conditions. For example, Wegovy, approved for use by the NHS in 2023, has been shown to achieve up to a 15% reduction in body weight after one year. 

The role of employers

In their article on the topic, The Guardian points out that In the US, fewer than a fifth of large companies include coverage for weight loss drugs in their health insurance plans, according to a survey published in Health Affairs in October.

In the same article, The Guardian cites Dr Katie Tryon, Chief Commercial Director, VitalityHealth as saying: “While some risk factors are reducing in the workplace, like smoking and alcohol … the ones that are coming out as ever increasing are the number of people living with obesity as well as mental health and MSK [musculoskeletal] issues.”

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As the countdown to our sister event The Watercooler begins, each week we’re profiling three of the show’s wide range of exhibitors, sponsors and partners.

Taking place on 7th and 8th May 2025 at ExCeL in London, The Watercooler Event is Europe’s leading trade show, with free-to-attend content, dedicated to creating workplaces that empower both people and business to thrive.

Now in its fourth year, it’s two days of cutting-edge employee health, wellbeing, workplace culture, networking and product discovery – celebrating the future of work. Co-located with The Office Event for the full 360 degree workplace experience.

You can find out more and register to attend here.

HealthKey

HealthKey offers a simple way to access affordable, flexible healthcare. Since 2022, they’ve built a digital health ecosystem that connects users to hundreds of vetted health services with multiple payment options. 

As the digital front door to better health, HealthKey’s platform is designed to empower users to take control of their wellbeing. With no admin fees and quick onboarding, their goal is to make high-quality healthcare more accessible and affordable for everyone, no matter who they are.

Gov.uk Help to Save

Gov.uk Help to Save is the government savings scheme designed to support low-income individuals. It is a simple, accessible way for employees to build a savings habit and achieve their financial aspirations.

This year’s The Watercooler Event is particularly significant as it coincides with a major expansion of the Help to Save scheme’s eligibility criteria. Starting in April 2025, Help to Save will be available to all Universal Credit claimants in work. This change will open the scheme to more people, enabling them to save and build their financial resilience with the support of a 50% government bonus.

Financial wellbeing is a crucial aspect of overall employee wellbeing. At The Watercooler Event, Gov.uk Help to Save is keen to speak with HR professionals, wellbeing and business leaders who prioritise employee welfare. They’re exhibiting to demonstrate how Help to Save can be integrated into employee benefits packages and the positive impact this can have when organisations promote it within their workforce.

YuMuuv

YuMuuv is an employee wellness challenges app – used by 850+ companies across 50 countries to foster healthier, more engaged workforces. It interfaces with seamlessly with Garmin, Fitbit, Apple Health, Google Fit, and more, so that employees can easily connect, track their progress, and stay motivated.
With features like real-time leaderboards, personalised progress tracking, and company-wide stats, YuMuuv supports 37 languages and is scalable and inclusive for global teams of all sizes.

At The Watercooler Event, the YuMuuv team will share success stories from their global partners, including JLL, who have transformed their work cultures using YuMuuv. The team is eager to connect with HR leaders, benefits managers, employee experience specialists, and organisational health and wellness advocates who are looking to implement or enhance their company’s wellness strategies.

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