Whilst health and wellbeing has always been an important part of managing and supporting
staff, Covid has created acute pressures on our workforce and it is essential we make every
effort to support our colleagues in managing these pressures, both now and in the future.
It’s informal and supportive so the tone of the conversation should reflect this. The attached
checklist is designed to help you have a conversation with your direct reports. It may be that
there is an obvious issue or set of issues the individual wants to discuss with you but equally
some issues may need to be teased out, either because they’re not obvious or are quite
complex
Yes, there is a boundary between the information people want to share and that they wish to
keep private. From the manager’s perspective, you can only ask the question and deal with
the information people are willing to share. This is particularly true in terms of family or mental
health issues which, by definition, are more sensitive in nature.
You should direct the individual to the extensive range of health and wellbeing services
available under the four pillars of physical, mental, family and financial health (details can be
found on the intranet). If you are unclear about which service to signpost please contact your
HR Business Partner.
These conversations should be part of a good supervisory relationship, but the request is that
you have a more formal recorded discussion at least twice a year linked to the appraisal and
mid-year review cycle. A note of your health and wellbeing conversation should be kept
alongside a more formal appraisal discussion.
Quite simply because leave is a very important way of helping staff achieve a work/life
balance and many of our colleagues have accrued significant amounts of leave during Covid.
Our expectation is that staff should try to use as much leave as possible before the end of the
leave year. If for whatever reason it is not possible for all leave to be taken before 31 March,
and subject to colleagues having taken the statutory minimum of 20 days in the current leave
year, the Trust will support them to carry over up to 20 days of leave across the next two
financial years.
However we would encourage the use of leave that is to be carried over within the first
quarter of 2021/21, balancing the demands of the job with the needs of the individual.
We would also recommend that you develop a clear plan for your 21/22 leave by the end of
quarter one of the year, and have any residual carry forward leave booked.
Depending on its nature, you may want to share this with your manager and/or your HR
Business Partner, so that appropriate action can be taken or support given
