Respect at Work: CIPD 2025 Insights for Scottish Employers

In what must surely make disappointing reading for employers, a quarter of Scottish workers reported that their job negatively affects both their mental and physical health with nearly half of workers reporting a physical condition, and 44% of workers experiencing mental health challenges in the past year. Unsurprisingly, high workloads, stress, and exhaustion contributed to poor well-being. As employers will know, encouraging and promoting a healthy workplace where workers can thrive has obvious benefits for employers, as well as for workers, including in relation to recruitment and retention rates, reduced sickness absence and increased productivity. However, in practice this can be difficult to achieve whilst managing other operational priorities and ensuring budget efficiencies.

Some practical steps to help improve worker well-being include

• Ensure that your policies provide genuine support to employees during periods of ill health. One meaningful way to do this is to review your sickness absence procedures to ensure they are empathetic, effective, and fit for purpose – some suggestions for how to do this are set out below.
• New rights contained in the Employment Rights Bill (ERB) will see important changes to statutory sick pay (SSP) from April 2026. SSP will become payable from day one of absence and those who earn below the lower earnings threshold will also become eligible to SSP (see our ERB handbook for detail on this). Employers need to prepare for these reforms not least given the financial implications of this change in entitlement. You may need to make changes to contracts of employment and sick pay policies, including reviewing any enhanced sick pay you offer, Payroll and time & attendance systems) may also need to be updated. These reviews can be time-consuming so now is a good time to do this.
• Often overlooked by managers, who are just keen to see the employee back at work, routinely conducting Return to Work meetings after a period of absence can help identify potential issues early on which you can then address. For example, a worker with a good attendance record who suddenly takes repeated time off can be an indicator of stress. Managers may need some additional training or guidance in conducting these meetings, for example, to help them identify when to refer employees to other support, including Employee Assistance Programmes, or occupational health (OH), where disability and/or reasonable adjustments may need to be assessed. Return to Work meetings also enable employers to track and monitor trends of sickness absence and can operate as an effective deterrent for non-genuine absences.
• Seek medical support and consider workplace adjustments: It will not be necessary in all cases to seek a formal OH report in order to facilitate a return to work or provide ongoing support, however in cases of a return from long- term absence or where there are other factors (such as uncertainty about fitness to return) an OH report may be useful. For long-term conditions (lasting or likely to last 12 months or more), there may be a legal obligation to make reasonable adjustments. An OH report can identify possible adjustments, which should be considered by the employer and discussed with the employee.
• Review benefits to prioritise the importance of rest and mental health as part of a healthy working culture. Some employers offer “duvet days” or “mental health days” as part of their benefits package. These allow employees to take leave at short notice, separate from holiday or sick leave, giving them space to recharge without the need to disclose illness. When implemented properly, this approach can contribute to a reduction in sickness absence by addressing well-being needs before they escalate into longer-term health issues.
• Managers play a vital role in supporting employee well-being, which includes being mindful of workload demands and the impact of overwork on mental health. To equip managers for this responsibility, employers should provide training that enables them to: identify early signs of mental ill-health, confidently and sensitively engage in discussions with affected employees, and how and when to escalate concerns.
• Support open dialogue about mental health so employees feel comfortable to speak up if they are struggling, without the fear of repercussions, and ensure managers are aware of the support available for employees. Make sure all resources and support for employees with physical or mental ill-health are well signposted and easy to access. Consider whether mental health first aiders might be something you want to introduce, and whether you can offer Employee Assistance Programmes with access to funded external support.

Strong relationships at work are vital: poor relationships can undermine productivity and significantly increase staff turnover. Most Scottish workers reported positive relationships with colleagues, although full-time homeworkers experienced poorer relationships. Positive workplace relationships and strong manager ratings are also associated with higher job satisfaction and better performance.

• Employers can adopt a variety of strategies to promote positive workplace relationships:
• A deteriorating relationship with line managers is a common reason for increased turnover, and hybrid working has added new challenges to maintaining connection. To help address this, it’s important for managers to maintain consistent communication and regular engagement with their team members. Creating informal opportunities for social connection can make a meaningful difference, especially for remote workers, who are most at risk of feeling disconnected. Managers might consider introducing team anchor days, where colleagues are encouraged to be in the office together. Buddy systems can also be effective, pairing team members to offer peer support and helping new joiners feel more integrated. In addition, regular 1-to-1 catch-ups provide space for open dialogue, early identification of concerns, and a chance to celebrate progress.
• Review policies on diversity and anti-harassment to actively promote a workplace culture which prioritises respect. Employers are under a duty to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment, and upcoming changes under the ERB extend this to all reasonable steps, and introduce new provisions to protect against third-party harassment. Employers should ensure their policies are not only compliant but culturally impactful. This includes:
  – Clearly communicating expected standards of behaviour across all levels of the organisation. A strong leadership commitment to uphold these standards is key.
  – Ensuring your onboarding process for new joiners includes an explanation of your workplace values, behavioural expectations, and how to report concerns safely and confidently.
  – Establishing visible and accessible reporting mechanisms, supported by a culture that encourages speaking up without fear of retaliation.
  – Providing regular training and leadership role-modelling to reinforce a zero-tolerance stance on harassment and discrimination.
  – Conducting regular risk assessments to identify potential exposure to sexual harassment (including from third parties) and implementing proactive measures to mitigate these risks.

Despite generally strong relationships, over a quarter of workers reported conflict at work, including humiliation, verbal abuse and shouting. 40% said they let it go, with only 30% raising it with managers or HR. These statistics highlight the importance of creating and maintaining a culture where employees feel safe, supported, and empowered to speak up.

Where conflict arises, there are tools available to help employers manage and respond to the situation:

• In many cases, informal resolution may be more appropriate than formal procedures, and regular manager check-ins or one-to-ones can also surface problems before they escalate.
• Establish clear, accessible, and trusted channels for reporting conflict. Consider anonymous reporting tools, which have proven effective for some organisations, to encourage individuals to raise concerns. Ensure that where a concern is raised, it is responded to promptly. Where an issue is identified and resolved, identify and implement any learning points from that to reduce the chances of it happening again. Provide training for those with responsibility for dealing with concerns, so that they understand what to do when they become aware of an issue.
• Navigating conflicts between workers with conflicting beliefs (for example religious beliefs, sexual orientation, and transgender rights) can be particularly tricky. Whilst there is no legal right not to be offended, in certain circumstances, comments may amount to harassment (if they satisfy the legal test) which can result in employer liability for damages if there is a successful claim. Some employers choose to implement a Code of Conduct to help manage expectations around behaviour at work and the importance of communicating in a respectful way.

Work-life balance is reported to be a challenge: for workers with heavy workloads, nearly half struggled to unwind after work, and 40% found it difficult to maintain personal commitments. The statistics show that caring responsibilities exacerbate this as does commuting. We will explore actions that employers can take to address work-life balance in a later article in the series, which will look at flexible working in detail.