This document discusses supporting staff motivation and wellbeing in the new year. January can be difficult for many workers as they return to work after time off over the holidays. This impacts productivity due to issues like financial pressures from holiday spending, seasonal affective disorder, and increased sickness absence which is highest in January. The document recommends several ways for employers to help support employees in January, such as providing lifestyle and salary discounts to ease financial burdens, implementing an employee assistance program for confidential counseling, and starting salary sacrifice programs before tax rules change in April 2017.

1. Supporting staff motivation,
engagement and wellbeing
in the New Year
JANUARY
BLUES

2. January can be a particularly tough month for
the UK’s workers:
Returning to work after Christmas.
Financial pressure after festive spending
(more than half struggle with
January bills).
Increased ill health (January has the highest
level of sickness absence).
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD affects
between 3% and 20% of the UK).

3. The added pressure in January impacts productivity
and motivation at work. The most commonly cited
distractions in the new year are the following:
40% struggle to get back into the pace of things after time off
45% suffer from January blues
14% come in to work with ill health
20% are distracted by financial burdens at work
7% are distracted by looking for a new job
Source: Survey of 1,004 UK consumers employed full or part-time aged 18+, The Leadership Factor, 2016.

4. Reduced motivation and increased
absence have a knock-on effect on
business performance:
Sickness absence in the UK costs
as much as £28bn per year,
with the highest proportion of
this taken in January.

5. The best-performing sectors
have the lowest level of
sick days – for example,
PricewaterhouseCoopers’
research found that tech
companies had a sickness rate
three times lower than in the
public sector.
The indirect cost of mental
health problems through
reduced productivity is far
greater than what most
companies spend on mental
health support for employees.

6. How can you
support employees in
the new year?

7. Reduce financial
burdens through
lifestyle discounts
Lifestyle discount programs can
provide annual savings of up to
£4,000 or more, based on average
spending per year – far in excess of
a pay rise.

8. High street discounts with the UK’s largest chains,
including Asda, Sainsbury’s, Boots, Argos, Currys and
more, with typical savings of 15%.
Travel discounts of 50% or more.
Lowest available corporate gym rates, promoting good
health in the new year too.
Online and in-store discounts are available.
Source: Office of National Statistics Living Costs and Food Survey, 2014.

9. Provide support
through salary
sacrifice
There is still time to implement salary
sacrifice programs for the new year before
the rules change in April 2017.
Savings of more than £2,000 a year
can be made on childcare, transport,
education and tech, providing further
financial assistance.
Payments are made from the pre-tax
salary, providing NI and tax savings for
both employees and employers.

10. Provide an
employee
assistance
program
Encourage employees
who need additional help
to talk to a professional
through a lifestyle
support scheme.

11. Confidential services that specialise in
workplace issues.
Reduces burden on HR staff, more than half of whom
support employees with personal problems outside of
their job description.
Provides a range of private counselling options, with
immediate support, rather than waiting over a year
for NHS services.
Face-to-face and telephone counselling provides
flexibility, and the right level of support as needed.

12. Can we help?

13. If you’re looking for salary sacrifice, voluntary benefit and
employee assistance support in the new year, please don’t
hesitate to contact us with any questions you may have –
we’ll be happy to offer our advice!
Remember that salary sacrifice rules for new programs
change in April 2017, so start thinking about
implementing a program today to ensure you and your
employees receive the maximum possible benefit from the
current arrangement.
Avalon House, Breckland, Linford Wood
Milton Keynes, MK14 6LD
e: benefits@p-mm.co.uk
w: www.pmmemployeebenefits.co.uk
t: 0845 272 8713
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