Our library

Purpose: There has been a rapid increase in the number of mental health interventions implemented in the
workplace. The efficacy of these interventions has been mixed. The factors influencing implementation may offer
insights to why some interventions fail to be effective.
Method: We conducted a meta-synthesis...

The Digital Mindsets project aims to develop our understanding of people's attitudes and beliefs regarding technology and change in the workplace (their digital mindset) and use this understanding to help support people through change, thus ensuring a more inclusive workplace.

Affinity Health at Work...

Supervisors play an important role in supporting employees to return to work following sickness absence due to common mental disorders; stress, anxiety and depression, however, employees may not always feel supported. We examined employees' perceptions of their supervisors' attitudes and behaviours pre,...

Remote working has become increasingly common in the modern workforce, hugely accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, meaning that support for wellbeing in organisations has had to adapt to a new context. The aim of this research, carried out by Affinity Health at Work on behalf of the International SOS...

This review examined the extent, nature and quality of the current empirical evidence for physical workplace adjustment to support occupational longevity, performance and health/well-being in ND workers because of their specific sensory needs. Our results indicate that the research is generally not well-developed,...

This paper provides guidance on the identification and management of Long COVID - particularly regarding return to work. This guidance has been produced by members of The Society of Occupational Medicine Long COVID Group, of which our Managing Partner Jo Yarker is a member, and other work and health...

Mental ill-health is the leading cause of sickness absence, creating a high economic burden. Workplace interventions aimed at supporting employers in the prevention of mental ill-health in the workforce are urgently required. Managing Minds at Work is a digital intervention aimed at supporting line managers...

We were pleased to be BITC's research partner to create the 'Your Job Can Be Good For You' report which sets out how businesses can revolutionise the way employees work while supporting broader responsible business goals. It also includes recommendations to begin post-pandemic re-sets of employee wellbeing...

This study investigated the relationships between the context of home-based teleworking during the pandemic (pandemic-teleworking conditions), productivity perceptions during home-based teleworking, and employees' future teleworking inclinations (FTI) beyond the pandemic. Specifically, the study examined...

Drawing on Affinity Health at Work's research with the University of Sheffield and CIPD, these guides produced by the CIPD offer advice and practical recommendations to provide support to employees with long COVID. This guide is for colleagues to help them support workers with long covid. There are also...

Drawing on Affinity Health at Work research for the CIPD, involving returning workers, line managers, occupational health, employment advisers, and rehabilitation professionals, HR professionals and the Long COVID Support group, these CIPD guides offer advice and practical recommendations to provide...

Drawing on Affinity Health at Work research for the CIPD, involving returning workers, line managers, occupational health, employment advisers, and rehabilitation professionals, HR professionals and the Long COVID Support group, these CIPD guides offer advice and practical recommendations to provide...

Drawing on Affinity Health at Work research for the CIPD, involving returning workers, line managers, occupational health, employment advisers, and rehabilitation professionals, HR professionals and the Long COVID Support group, these CIPD guides offer advice and practical recommendations to provide...

A growing body of research demonstrates the impact of management behavior on a range of individual and organizational health and wellbeing outcomes; however, efforts to train and develop managers often fall short. This chapter focuses on research to identify competencies–or the collection of skills,...

An estimated 1.3 million people (1.9% of the population) were experiencing self-reported long COVID as at October 2021. The prevalence and impact of long COVID is emerging as a significant concern and needs ongoing attention from people professionals.
In order to provide timely and appropriate support...

Over 15 million people live with a long-term health condition in the UK1 and in 2019/20, there were 32.5 million estimated working days lost due to work-related ill health2. Having good management practices gives employee the best chance of staying in work and fulfilling their potential.

This guide introduces...

The cost of sickness absence has major social, psychological, and financial implications for individuals and organisations. Return-to-work (RTW) interventions that support good quality communication and contact with the workplace can reduce the length of sickness absence by between 15 to 30 days. However,...

Mindfulness is increasingly being used within leadership development to enhance managers' wellbeing and leadership capability. Given the relational nature of leadership, we posit that an interpersonal form of mindfulness has the potential to offer benefits over and above those provided by personal or...

Sustainable return to work in mental health issues; what works for whom?

This review examines the evidence and guidance available to inform practices around work adjustments for mental health at work.
It is important that employees experiencing mental ill-health are able to access the support they need to return to work following sickness absence, stay in work and continue...

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the way workers with common mental disorders use job crafting to adjust their work to their levels of functioning after returning from long-term sick leave. Thirty-eight workers who had returned within the last 24-months from sickness absence due to...

Parenthood can be one of the most fulfilling, altering, and challenging life events. This book is set within the background of the reality of many parents' return-to-work experience, the task of re-engaging with work and maintaining a job or a career, and the difficulties that parenthood poses for balancing...

This guide has been developed for managers to support employees to return to and stay in work following absence due to mental ill-health drawing on research conducted with the University of Sheffield.

This guide has been developed for individuals who are returning to work to support them in returning to and stayin in work following absence due to mental ill-health drawing on research conducted with the University of Sheffield.

This guide has been developed for HR professionals to support employees to return to and stay in work following absence due to mental ill-health drawing on research conducted with the University of Sheffield.

This guide has been developed for colleagues to help them support an employee to return to and stay in work following absence due to mental ill-health drawing on research conducted with the University of Sheffield.