Supporting staff wellbeing during industrial action

During periods of industrial action it’s crucial to make sure support services are in place for your staff 

CREDIT: This is an edited version of an article that originally appeared on NHS Employers

Looking after the health and wellbeing of healthcare staff has always been important, and continues to be so during periods of industrial action. NHS leaders and managers should continue having regular and compassionate wellbeing conversations in order to understand how staff are feeling, and how their organisation can support them.  Here are some helpful resources that you can use to support your staff with their health and wellbeing.

• Health and wellbeing conversations: regular health and wellbeing conversations should continue to take place during periods of industrial action. Managers should be supported to do this sensitively and compassionately. 
• How are you feeling? NHS toolkit: it’s often easier to recognise someone’s physical wellbeing than their emotional wellbeing. The NHS emotional wellbeing toolkit explains the contributors to decreased emotional wellbeing and can be used in teams to support colleagues. 
• Supporting the wellbeing needs of NHS staff - this guidance supports NHS health and wellbeing leads and managers to prioritise and fulfil staff wellbeing needs. It helpfully demonstrates the importance of meeting basic wellbeing needs, which act as the foundation for fulfilling overall health and wellbeing.  
• Health and wellbeing communications guide - this guide provides practical tools that will help NHS organisations to effectively communicate industrial action updates to staff.  

The wellbeing of staff can be affected by all kinds of factors at work including workloads, capacity and relationships with colleagues. The imminent prospect of industrial action is likely to impact on the health and wellbeing of some NHS people, so it is essential that organisations continue to encourage and facilitate supportive and compassionate cultures that prioritise workforce wellbeing.  

It’s also important that, during this time, staff are reminded of the existing support that is available to them, including: 

• speaking with their line manager;
• through existing national offers; 
• staff mental health and wellbeing hubs;
• health and wellbeing champions; 
• professional nurse/midwifery advocates; 
• occupational health and other health and wellbeing services.