Lead With Play’s Post

Employers who want to re-energise your workforce, it's time you discovered the power of serious play. "Employers are reassessing how they praise staff and helping individuals connect their work to a broader purpose, as they try to re-energise a rising number of employees who feel stuck in their jobs due to a weakening labour market." The Australian Financial Review calls out that employees are fearful of losing their jobs, so they're working even harder. This leads to burnout, quiet quitting and a high levels of disengagement. "Last year, about 155,000 Australian employers collectively lost more than 655,000 days of work to workplace mental health injuries, according to Allianz Australia data. The average length of time off for each claim was 76 days." Here are three ways play can mentally re-energise your workforce: 1. Play activates the brain's reward pathways, increasing dopamine levels. This neurotransmitter is crucial for motivation, pleasure, and reinforcement learning, making individuals more engaged and motivated. 2. Play is our brain's favourite way to learn. Psychologist, Dr Karyn Purvis’s research shows that it usually takes 400 repetitions to create a new pathway in the brain and through play, it only takes around 10-20. 3. Through play, neural circuits in the brain undergo a process of refinement, a kind of mental gardening. Synaptic potentiation is where connections between neurons associated with play experiences are strengthened, and synaptic pruning eliminates weaker or less relevant connections. I'm here to help you mentally re-energise your workforce. Let's connect and explore how to make that happen within your organisation. Book a chat here: https://lnkd.in/gPNn7WSX #prioritiseplay #playmatters #playatwork #seriousplay #playforpurpose

Interesting - "A lack of meaningfulness at work - What I do do does not contribute...."Employees dubbed “quiet quitters” are so-called because they do the minimum work required in their job and do not go above and beyond in their efforts. Research from Gallup found this month that the UK’s employees were among the least motivated by their work in Europe, with only 10 per cent saying that they were engaged in their job. The lack of engagement in work is estimated to cost the UK economy 11 per cent of GDP, or £257 billion annually. The 2 major reasons seem to be: "A lack of meaningfulness at work, so a sense that what I do doesn’t contribute. The second factor is harmful aspects of work such as burnout, toxic work environments, when work is so draining that even though I may want to still engage I can’t." Helen Richardson at Moorhouse Consulting said: “We’ve seen an increase from clients asking for help engaging and motivating their workforce. Clients are feeling the impact of quiet quitting on their key performance metrics and looking to us for support in boosting productivity." “For us, the key is generating desire in employees and helping them to ‘fall back in love’ with their work. How? By working in partnership with organisations on their vision, values and culture and helping employees to understand and articulate the impact their role has on the big picture.” #meaningfulnessatwork #quietquitting #whatdoesworkmean?

The concept of toxic workplaces has gained significant attention in recent years. What used to be considered as giving your all or working hard in the past often turned out to be toxicity. Toxic workplaces are often the root cause of people eventually deciding to quit their jobs. I can relate to this from my own experience. During my last six months at a previous job, I became increasingly detached and disengaged, doing only the bare minimum. I was even willing to accept a lower salary elsewhere in order to protect my mental health. Eventually, I left that job to focus on entrepreneurship, and fortunately, my idea, which I had tested for three months, succeeded. Here are some signs that indicate you might be in a toxic workplace: 1. There's no proper or fair salary grading system in place. 2. Employers act as if they've done you a favor by hiring you, even when you're working hard and delivering results. 3. You're unsure of your salary payment date, and you're paid irregularly at the employer's discretion. 4. Your good performance goes unnoticed or unappreciated. 5. There are no opportunities for career development. My personal mantra is this: No amount of money can replace your mental well-being. If you find yourself in a toxic work environment, muster the strength to leave, even if it's just three months after joining the company. If recruiters view this as job hopping, that's their problem, not yours. Your mental health should always be a top priority.

Biggest lesson EMPLOYMENT has taught me: 1. HR is not your friend. They are there to protect both the employee and the company. 2. Document EVERYTHING. 3. Train and develop yourself to be relevant in that place of work 4. Everyone is replaceable. 5. Your family and mental health is more important than any job. 6. Some of your coworkers secretly hate you. 7. Never stay at one job longer than 4 years unless the pay increase is substantial. 8. Don't let them promote you in title but not in compensation. 9. Keep your personal life private. Do not overshare. #Thinking #ProfessionalLife #Workplace #Job

Burnout, toxic management, and a lack of meaningful work are three primary reasons why workers "quietly quit," according to an expert who has studied the phenomenon. Quiet quitting, where employees do the bare minimum at their jobs without actively seeking new employment, is becoming increasingly common as workers become disillusioned with their work environments. This trend is deeply concerning. Employers must do better to address these issues and create supportive, engaging workplaces! At Stress Point Health, we specialise in treating burnout and supporting employers in fostering healthy working environments. By addressing these challenges head-on, we can help organisations retain talent and ensure a motivated, satisfied workforce. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/gckau_kB

Burnout. Overwhelm. Frustration. Fatigue. This is the emotional state that most clients come to me in relation to addressing their pay gaps. As a result a huge aspect of my work revolves around: ➡️ Acknowledging their feelings ➡️ Understanding the pressure they face ➡️ Rebuilding their confidence ➡️ Managing expectations ➡️ Rekindling the purpose driven fire ➡️ Preparing them for internal resistance This work is not just about number crunching. It involves seeing the people behind the numbers (both employees and employers) and figuring out what a 'better' pay gap situation would look like for them. It's a big undertaking. Which is why without support it can feel like nothing but a thankless task. We're here to support organisations who are fed up with their current approach and want to do this differently. If that's you, let's talk. You can DM me or book into my diary using the link below. ♻️ Please reshare this with your networks, especially for those who are struggling with this.

Last week I was invited to two radio interviews to discuss the imminent change in legislation in Australia about the 'right to disconnect' which comes into effect at the end of August for most employees (doesn't come into effect for small businesses in Australia until August 2025). The underlying principle is that employees can 'reasonably refuse' requirements to undertake work out of paid work hours and/or to respond to calls from an employer unless they are 'on call' (and being paid to be on call). It will be interesting to see how employers/employees and policy makers interpret what is and isn't a 'reasonable refusal' and the extent to which employers who make unreasonable demands are managed (fines of up to $18k may be imposed). From an individual perspective it does give pause for thought - how can we be empowered to take charge of our lives/careers and sense of responsibility to work requirements. Research shows very clearly the importance of 'time out' and 'time away' from work but despite all the evidence an increasing number of people are working longer hours and technology means that 'constant connectivity' makes it difficult to switch off. From a leader's perspective I would argue that it is essential to create an organisational culture where colleagues do feel empowered to switch off and no obligation to respond to e mails or calls outside of 'work hours'. Some years ago (long before I arrived at Curtin University) I was on a promotion panel where an employee was reported as responding to emails 'at all hours' - I was rather dismayed that the panel saw this as a good thing - knowing that the employee had two small children and responsiblity for his elderly parents. I do hope we can move away from seeing 'always being on' as a 'badge of honour'. Of course there may be exceptions, during an emergency or crisis situation. For my part I make a point of not sending e mails outside of 'regular work hours' - and encouraging others to respect private time and the importance of disconnecting.... I welcome the new legislation and hope that as a society we can feel empowered and recognise the need to 'switch off'....

PRESENTEEISM VS ABSENTEEISM The economic and political kaiju continue their battle over the great british workforce in today’s headlines: ‘The participation crisis’. 1. Another report of a ‘command and control’ return to a 5 day working week as Amazon stomps its feet. “If you value and trust people to get on with their job, and give them autonomy – and flexible work is one of those – they’ll work better, you’ll retain them, and they will be less likely to have a stress-related illness.” (Sir Cary Cooper - who coined the term Presenteeism in the 80’s - Professor of organisational psychology and health at the University of Manchester’s Alliance Manchester Business School) VS 2. £25bn hole in the UK economy with 16bn of lost tax receipts from the 800,000 people who have left the job market - a 1.5% contraction in the share of people aged 16 and over either in work or looking for work since the eve of the pandemic. ‘Many people who were out of work before the pandemic have remained jobless, when they would previously have retrained and found work again. Meanwhile, there is a growing band of young people who have never worked, often staying out of the jobs market after leaving school or college because they suffer from ill health.’ (Philip Inman, The Guardian) Awesome to witness the heavy handed corporate vs government smackdown of policy, structure and process, when the reality is deeply human. My brother would have it that the British workforce is proving itself to be innately lazy and quotes Billy Ocean: ‘when the going gets tough, the tough get going’. I think we are quietly snuffing out the pilot light of connection, purpose and personal agency in our workplace systems. Too many corporates can’t see it (or choose not to). While the Government struggles to know how to reignite it. The system keeps the monsters in combat. Links below. Humanness New Working Class

Work Life for Thought 5/14 According to an article by HRMorning, the top 6 Retention Trends are; 📍 Benefits 📍 Upskilling, Soft Skilling 📍 Hybrid Work 📍 Measuring Productivity 📍 Pay Transparency 📍 Mental Health Personally, the trends that have kept me happy and satisfied in my day to day work life are "Upskilling & Soft Skilling" along with Pay Transparency. If I am getting better at my job every day with great leadership and there are no questions behind my pay and how I can make more money, than consider me happy and ready to rock. I am interested to hear from my Linkedin Network, what is most important to you? What attracts you to a company to stay for the long haul? What are companies missing? #RecruitmentforThought #Retention #worlklifebalance #Openforum #OpenDiscussion #Sales

A negative work environment can have severe consequences on employees' well-being, productivity, and job satisfaction. Some common characteristics of a negative work environment include: 1. Poor communication: Lack of transparency, unclear expectations, and unresponsive management. 2. Unprofessional behavior: Gossip, bullying, harassment, or favoritism. 3. Lack of support: Inadequate resources, unrealistic workload, or unsupportive colleagues. 4. Unclear expectations: Confusing roles, uncertain goals, or constantly changing priorities. 5. Unhappiness and stress: High turnover rates, absenteeism, or presenteeism (being physically present but not productive). 6. Lack of recognition: Ignoring employees' achievements, contributions, or work anniversaries. 7. Unhealthy work-life balance: Excessive overtime, inflexible scheduling, or expecting employees to be constantly available. 8. Discrimination or bias: Unequal treatment, prejudice, or stereotypes. 9. Unrealistic goals: Setting unachievable targets, micromanaging, or constant criticism. 10. Lack of growth opportunities: No training, development, or opportunities for advancement. If you're experiencing a negative work environment, consider: 1. Addressing issues directly: Talk to your manager or HR representative. 2. Seeking support: Reach out to colleagues, mentors, or employee assistance programs. 3. Exploring options: Look for new job opportunities or consider transferring within the company. 4. Prioritizing self-care: Take care of your physical and mental well-being. Remember, you deserve a healthy and supportive work environment. #Workenvironment #Bhagmal #PeopleMatters