HR changes save NHS Wales board £740k and improve wellbeing

Changes in HR practices have helped an NHS Wales organisation save more than £738,000 a year and boosted employee wellbeing, new research has revealed.

In a study backed by Birkbeck, University of London, a shift in an employer’s approach to HR – specifically by not carrying out disciplinary investigations in the first instance and using informal methods of resolution, such as coaching and mentoring and training – was found to cut sickness absence and improve wellbeing.

According to researchers, NHS Wales organisation Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, which has more than 16,000 employees, implemented the HR changes and benefited from a 71% drop in employee investigations. It also saw a reduction of annual sickness absences by 3,000-plus days and annual savings of more than £730,000.

Dr Kevin Teoh, senior lecturer in organisational psychology at Birkbeck, University of London, said: “The findings support wider research which shows that we need to focus on improving the working environments and experiences of healthcare workers as a key part of supporting their wellbeing. Often the response has been that this is not possible, or that nothing will really change. However, this intervention provides evidence demonstrating that we can, and should, make such changes.”

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Source: Personnel Today, 6 August 2024