Member Article

FSB launches new wellbeing campaign for small business community

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) is today launching a new campaign with the health and wellbeing of small business owners, their staff and the self-employed at heart.

The new drive from FSB will help its members - and the wider 5.5 million-strong small business community across the UK - reap the benefits of a positive approach to wellbeing, which are felt not only by the business they run but also by the economy and society as a whole.

The campaign has been launched in response to a rise in incidents of health and mental health conditions across the UK’s workforce, including business owners and the self-employed.

The annual bill for sickness absence already sits at £29 billion across the UK, while research from FSB’s medical and health advice service, show that the number of small businesses seeking mental health advice has doubled in the last five years.

Mike Cherry, FSB National Chairman, explained: “Owning and running a business can be hugely rewarding. However, it brings with it demands, responsibilities and risks that can bring personal pressures that can impact a person’s health and wellbeing.”

“Wellbeing can help increase our productivity, improve our performance and reduce absenteeism. There is a clear business case, however, the benefits are felt just as much in our health as individuals, but also by our communities and the wider economy.”

Alongside Public Health England and other organisations, such as the mental health charity, Mind, FSB has developed ‘Wellbeing in Small Business:How you can help’, a guide aimed at providing small businesses owners and the self-employed with a raft of ideas they can adopt to improve mental health and wellbeing.

It includes advice on how to start conversations about stress, mental health and wellbeing, tackling loneliness, managing pressures including through flexible working arrangements, networking, ‘in-work’ fitness groups and improving the physical environment.

Despite 60 per cent of the UK’s private sector workforce now being employed by small businesses the advice and support for employers and individuals in supporting health and well-being has generally focused on large companies. This guide and the campaign aims to be the first step in addressing this.

Mike Cherry continued: “Small business owners can play a vital role in improving the lives of their employees through a variety of actions - from innovative and new ideas to simple steps such as encouraging more activity and regular breaks.

“There’s never going to be a ‘one size fits all’ approach, and not every idea will be suitable for every business. We are, however, seeing some real innovation from small business owners for themselves and their teams.”

Mike added: “It is important that small business owners find the ideas that work for their business, themselves and their staff.”