The workforce is about to get more power than it’s ever had. It’s about time

Shifting the balance and prioritising the welfare of employees cannot just be a reaction to circumstance, says Clare Munn. It is an essential part of running any business

‘In 1934, the weekend became official Boots policy, inspiring a nationwide shift to the five-day working week’, writes Clare Munn. Could we soon see another shift? (Getty Images)

In 1933, John Boot was looking for a solution to end the redundancies that were commonplace at Boots corporation. A new factory had opened that year, and the uptick in efficiency meant surplus stock was a constant threat to his workers’ jobs. Company morale was low.

His solution was to close the factory on Saturdays and Sundays but keep the same number of workers on the same pay. The impact was monumental. The redundancies slowed and his workers were happier, resulting in higher productivity and fewer absences. The weekend became official Boots policy in 1934, inspiring a nationwide shift to the five-day working week.

The introduction of the five-day week marked a new era for workplace culture. The value of workers’ wellbeing was recognised at an institutional level, bringing a major shift in power from employer to employee. And we’re seeing a similar shift now.

The coronavirus pandemic has forced the hand of employers to put employee welfare front-and-centre. Returning to the office has been caveated as optional, there’s been an uptick in integration amidst fears that distance would tear teams apart, and employers have gone out of their way to ensure the mental and physical health of their workforce is safeguarded as much as possible.

When our office closed I contacted each employee and established twice-daily team calls. I asked them if they had Wifi, enough room to work, a good desk setup, and simply asked how we could help. Since starting the business wellbeing has always informed the way I’ve led our team. But this isn’t always the case – far from it.

A survey undertaken prior to the pandemic found one-in-ten employers did not believe in supporting employee wellbeing. It’s no surprise then that fewer than one-third of the workforce feel a sense of belonging at work. And some 39 per cent report suffering poor mental health as a result of their job. For too long there has been a power imbalance favouring the employer and it’s taken a global health crisis to bring about change.

Shifting the balance and prioritising the welfare of employees cannot just be a reaction to circumstance, it is an essential part of running any business. It has a positive impact on productivity, team morale and company finances. With the UK in the midst of a recession, we cannot afford to go back to our old ways.

Reflecting on the actions employers and employees alike have taken to limit the damage of the virus – where workers have been empowered to voice their needs and their bosses have taken meaningful action – I am optimistic that this will be a lasting change. I am sure we will remember the sense of comradery, duty and unity that has underpinned the national response to the virus, and it will be echoed in the way we work for decades to come.

Just as John Boot revolutionised the workplace by putting his employees first, so too should businesses today. As we come out of lockdown and work returns to some semblance of normalcy, we should never truly go back to the way things were.

Clare Munn is Founder and CEO of Box Media, a media and tech company that helps organisations prepare their workforces for the future