Question 1

What is Living Better at Work?

Accepted Answer

Living Better at Work is building an alliance of employers and regional partners to close Yorkshire and the Humber’s health gap, starting with people in work. Our founding aim is to bring together 100,000 employees across more than 50 organisations, from every sector and part of the region. Each organisation that joins gets insight into the health of its own workforce, so it can act early for its people. As anonymised results from many organisations are combined, they will show where poor health is concentrated across the region and what is driving it, so employers, the NHS and councils can act earlier, together.

Question 2

Who runs it?

Accepted Answer

The Living Better Network C.I.C. (company number 17409520), a Community Interest Company: by law, its profits and assets are locked to its community purpose. It is guided by an independent, non-commercial advisory board. The survey, analysis and employer reports are delivered by Parachute Intelligence Ltd, whose founders conceived and built the initiative and also sit on the CIC’s board. Any decision involving Parachute is taken only by directors with no interest in it, and payments to Parachute are disclosed every year in the CIC’s annual community interest report. If you’d like to be considered as a director, email hello@livingbetteratwork.com.

Question 3

How is it funded?

Accepted Answer

Living Better at Work relies on sponsorship to reach every part of the region. Sponsorship part-funds smaller employers and voluntary and community organisations that could not otherwise afford to take part, and supports the work of building the alliance. Participating organisations also pay a fee, which covers delivery of the survey, analysis and reports by Parachute Intelligence, with the remainder going to the CIC. Once the regional data trust is established, charges for approved public-interest research will bring in further income. All income is used for the CIC’s community purpose, and its directors and advisers are currently unpaid. To talk about sponsorship, email hello@livingbetteratwork.com.

Question 4

Can my organisation take part, and what does it cost?

Accepted Answer

Yes, if you have employees based in Yorkshire and the Humber. Organisations of any size and sector can take part: private, public, voluntary and community. Fees are per employee per year, based on your total headcount, on a sliding scale: the more employees you have, the less you pay per head. Public sector organisations, SMEs and voluntary and community organisations pay reduced rates, so cost is not a barrier to taking part. Prices exclude VAT. Each agreement covers a single year and does not renew automatically. For pricing for your organisation, email hello@livingbetteratwork.com.

Question 5

What will we receive?

Accepted Answer

Organisations with 250 or more employees receive their own report. Smaller organisations receive the Regional SME Report with sector benchmarks, because a report of their own could make individuals identifiable. A smaller organisation can have its own report if at least 100 employees complete the survey; if fewer do, it receives the Regional SME Report instead. Benchmarking allows organisations to understand how their results compare with similar organisations in their sector and across the region: where they lead, where they can improve and what is working for others, so they can invest with confidence and measure progress year on year. Every organisation also gets access to our directory of services, with no commercial link to any provider listed, and to our free published regional and sector benchmarks.

Question 6

What if not enough of our employees take part?

Accepted Answer

For your report to be reliable, at least 30% of your employees, and no fewer than 100, need to complete the survey. Fees are based on headcount rather than responses, so they stay the same however many take part. To help, sponsorship funds engagement across the region, from senior leaders and regional partners championing the survey to employee champions and community networks encouraging colleagues to take part.

Question 7

Will anyone else see our results?

Accepted Answer

No. Your report is confidential to your organisation. Living Better at Work receives only anonymised, combined data, with all personal and organisational identifiers removed, so no employer can be identified.

Question 8

Do I have to take part?

Accepted Answer

No. Taking part is entirely voluntary. If your employer takes part, you will be invited to complete a short, confidential survey, and whether you do so is your choice. Your employer has agreed not to require anyone to take part or to treat anyone differently because of it, and is never told who has or hasn’t taken part. The survey takes about 10 to 12 minutes, and nothing is saved until you press Submit.

Question 9

What will I be asked?

Accepted Answer

It isn’t a clinical or performance assessment, and there are no right or wrong answers. Questions cover aspects of health such as mental wellbeing, lifestyle, memory and concentration, and managing any long-term health condition, as well as awareness and use of the support available and how you experience your working environment. A small number of demographic questions, such as age, are also included so that results can show how needs differ across groups. The survey can be completed on a phone, tablet or computer.

Question 10

Will my employer see my answers?

Accepted Answer

No. Nobody at your organisation, including HR or managers, can see individual answers or find out who took part. Your employer only receives combined, anonymised results, shown only for groups large enough that no one can be identified.

Question 11

Who holds my answers, and what happens to them?

Accepted Answer

Parachute Intelligence, which runs the survey, holds your answers as the data controller, separately from Living Better at Work. Living Better at Work never sees your answers or anything that could identify you. Once all personal and organisational details have been permanently removed, results are added to the regional data trust for public-interest research. Parachute’s privacy notice, provided at the start of the survey and available at parachuteintelligence.com/privacy, explains how it uses and protects your data, how long it keeps it and your rights.

Question 12

Can I change my mind, and what are my rights?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Nothing is saved until you press Submit, so you can stop at any point. Your rights over your personal data, and how to use them, are set out in Parachute’s privacy notice at parachuteintelligence.com/privacy.

Question 13

How do you make sure no one can be identified?

Accepted Answer

Employers only ever see combined results, never individual answers, and are never told who took part. A report is produced only once at least 100 employees have taken part, and results are shown only for groups large enough that no one can be identified, with any figure hidden if it could reveal a smaller group. Before results join the regional data trust, all personal and organisational details are permanently removed, and every figure combines results from at least three organisations.

Question 14

What is the regional data trust?

Accepted Answer

The regional data trust holds only anonymised, combined results, which are used for regional research and economic modelling to inform policy and investment, so the region can act earlier on health. It is held by Living Better at Work, and the trust, its governing body and its rules for access will be agreed and in place before any results are added.

Question 15

Is data sold or used for anything else?

Accepted Answer

No. Living Better at Work never receives or sells individual answers. The regional data trust exists only for public-interest research, to improve health and reduce health inequalities, and access is never granted to develop or market commercial products.

Question 16

How can we use the regional insight?

Accepted Answer

It adds a working-age view to the plans you already own, from population health needs assessments and prevention to growth, employment and skills planning. Regional and sector benchmarks, reports, findings and practical guidance are published free for anyone to use, broken down by council area and sector wherever numbers allow, and updated each year so you can track change. No participating organisation is ever identified.

Question 17

Can researchers access the regional data trust?

Accepted Answer

Yes, for public-interest work. Universities, NHS bodies, councils, government departments and research organisations will be able to apply for access to anonymised, combined data, for work on health inequalities, population or workforce health, or health-related economic inactivity. Charges apply. Access will be governed by rules agreed before any data is added to the trust.

Closing Yorkshire & the Humber's health gap starts with people in work.