Wellbeing at Work
In a team of eight, one person struggling affects everybody
Small businesses have no HR department and no wellbeing programme. They have an owner who notices that somebody is quieter, later or more irritable than usual, and is not sure whether to say anything. This session helps owners notice strain, start a respectful conversation, change what is within their control, and point people towards professional help, while staying clear that they are an employer, not a counsellor.
Explore this page6 sections
In a small team, the owner is the wellbeing policy.
In a large company, somebody who is struggling may have a manager, an HR partner and perhaps an employee assistance programme. In a small business, there is usually only the owner. What the owner notices, says and changes is most of the support available.
Owners often stay silent because they fear intruding, saying the wrong thing or being expected to fix something they cannot. This session sets out a middle path: notice, ask privately, change what the business can change, and point to professionals for everything else.
What owners can do
29 topics across 6 areas. Six areas, and the limits of each. 5 apply to almost any business; the rest only in a particular case.
Noticing Strain Without DiagnosingDescribe what you see. Do not guess why.5
These are changes in how work is going. An owner is not in a position to say what is behind them, and should not try. The aim is to notice early enough to ask.
- Changes in timekeeping or attendance
- Work that slips when it usually does not
- Withdrawing from the team
- Irritability or conflict that is new
- Working very long hours without being asked
Starting the ConversationPrivate, specific, and with no pressure to explain.5
- Choose a private moment, not a team meeting
- Describe what you have noticed, factually
- Ask an open question, then listen
- Make clear they do not have to share details
- Agree what, if anything, happens next
What an Owner Can Actually ChangeThe workplace levers are yours.6
- Workload and deadlines
- Clarity about priorities and expectations
- Working hours or temporary flexibility
- Leave, including at short notice
- Who they work with, or on what
- How feedback and pressure are delivered
Responding FairlyWhat you offer one person, others will notice.5
- Keep anything personal confidential
- Be consistent about what you can offer
- Write down any agreed adjustments and review dates
- Do not make promises the business cannot keep
- Take advice before any decision about employment
Pointing to Professional HelpYour role is to signpost, not to treat.4
- Encourage them to speak to a doctor or qualified professional
- Share the Tele-MANAS helpline, 14416, free and available 24 hours a day
- Check what any health insurance you provide covers
- In an emergency, call 112
An owner who tries to act as a counsellor can make things harder for both sides. Knowing where to send people is the useful skill.
The Owner's Own LoadIf it appliesOften the heaviest in the business.4
- Who do you talk to about the business?
- When did you last take a full day off?
- What would happen if you were unwell for a week?
- Where would you go for support yourself?
Things to avoid
- Raising it in front of the team
- Guessing at a diagnosis or a cause
- Telling others what was shared with you
- Treating a struggle as a disciplinary matter by default
- Promising to fix things outside work
A simple monthly habit
- A short one-to-one with each person
- One question about workload, one about what would help
- A note of anything agreed
- A look at hours worked across the team
How the session runs
An experienced employer or HR practitioner describes the situations small teams commonly face, using made-up cases rather than real people. Owners then practise opening a conversation and work out what their own business could realistically offer. The session is clear throughout that owners are not counsellors, and that employment decisions linked to health need professional advice.
What your students leave with
- Recognising changes at work that may signal strain, without guessing at causes
- A simple, private way to open a conversation
- A list of practical changes an owner can actually offer
- Habits for responding fairly and consistently across the team
- Knowing where to point people for professional support
- A look at the owner's own load, which is often the heaviest
Scheduled sessions
Nothing scheduled yet
Sessions are arranged with a college once a date is agreed. Ask us and we will find the right person for it.
A student rather than a college? See what is coming up, or ask your placement team to host this.
In a small team, the owner is the wellbeing policy.
Tell us who your students are and what stage they are at. Sessions are free for participants.