Wellbeing - How employees feel about stress, pressure at work and life balance
The Wellbeing factor is closely linked with Fair Deal. If the scores for Fair Deal are low, the first place we’d recommend you look is Wellbeing.
If Wellbeing is also low, it may be that employees are being worked too hard and feel they are not being fairly remunerated for it.
The organisation has a staff counselling service which is available to all Touchstone employees and volunteers. Staff can access up to 6 confidential sessions, paid for entirely by Touchstone. It also pays for counselling from a therapist of staff’s choice, including a male or female counsellor, BME or LGBTQ+ background.
The CEO is an ex-Touchstone service user with lived experience of mental health and is supported by a Senior Leadership Team who also have lived experience of mental health and neurodiversity conditions. The CEO produces videos for employees and attends team meetings highlighting his personal vision and experience aligning this to Touchstone’s mission and values.
The organisation organises at least two fun away days per year, with teams doing additional social days as well. In September 2023, it held an whole organisation away day at Herd Farm. The day allowed staff to take part in activities such as giant swings, archery, pottery, walks, face painting, and much more.
The team has access to a mental health channel on Teams, and there are regular wellness-themed 'Thinking Thursday' sessions to discuss issues such as stress and fatigue. There's also an office gym and regular online yoga sessions. The company has also listened to staff, addressing the issue of increased workload pressure.
New starters get a structured, gradual introduction to the business they’re not overloaded from day one. A mention at Pizza Fridays means everyone is prepared to welcome the new member and knows their role. And workstations, phones and business cards are ready and waiting for them.
The company's working to become a Zero Carbon business in 2023. It has LED lights, low-energy VRF heating and uses carbon-neutral electricity. It also has a green purchasing policy and looks to buy locally. Team members are encouraged to purchase electric vehicles through their car allowances.
Fareham College is embedded in the local community, supporting the area's economic growth and up-skilling its people. It also works with local charities. This has included inviting a local mental wellbeing charity to support employees' personal development and help the College strengthen its offering and support for students and staff.
Employees have access to a Health Cash Plan, including skin cancer screening, dental check-ups, specialist consultations, discounted gym membership, and money off at cinemas, shops and restaurants. Staff also have free 24/7 access to counselling services. And in early 2023, managers will be trained to support team members through menopause.
Aspiring and existing managers are supported through development training, covering areas such as self-awareness, agility, commercial and financial acumen and operational effectiveness, including becoming great people managers. The College also offers bespoke support for aspiring leaders, including external strategic qualifications, professional courses and conferences.
CIMSPA’s wellbeing committee (Welbots) supports employees with signposting, awareness activities, and creating the opportunity for social interaction. Employees have access to a range of benefits including a healthy living allowance, access to the CALM app for themselves and up to 5 family/friends, an employee assistance program, and initiatives to get them out at lunchtime.
The organisation’s three core values (Respect, Quality, and Teamwork) sit at the heart of everything it does. It holds quarterly all staff team meetings, off-site, and at all these events it has team awards, one of which being the LOVE Award (Living Our Values Everyday), to acknowledge those who promote the organisation’s culture and values.
CIMSPA has put together a list of resources that people working in sport and physical activity can use to help people who have fled the war in Ukraine. Chief executive Tara Dillon says: "I believe sport and physical activity can be a lifeline for many who have arrived in the UK."
Staff have highly rated the company's wellbeing and coaching service in supporting their mental health, resilience and stress management. Almost half have returned for a second session. Pax8 UK also offers wellness rooms to help with work-life balance and chat about personal issues. And for peace of mind, staff get private medical cover.
A dedicated 'Talent Enablement and Development Department' supports staff to achieve their ambitions. Monthly competency workshops empower employees to understand the skills they have and the ones they want to develop. An e-learning platform gives access to 88,000 courses, and an internal jobs board helps staff quickly identify opportunities for moves and promotions.
There's a 'Principals of Leadership' course for anyone interested in stepping up. It includes collaborative decision-making and building team pride and purpose. And those already in leadership positions benefit from a 'Transformational Leadership' programme aligning with the company's 'Culture Canvas' principles. Topics include psychological safety, self-awareness and a leadership mindset.
Evolito runs a fitness challenge where departments compete against each other, with the winners receiving Nike vouchers. Many employees participate, with people walking at the weekend to add to their team's success. The organisation invited a bike doctor onsite and employees were able to bring up to two bikes each for a free service.
The organisation builds employee relationships through a number of social activities such as a weekly football, badminton, biking and walking groups, and an in-office social area with jigsaws, chess, and ping pong. It also has a company pet Tortoise, Donna. Employees share responsibility caring for her at work and taking her home at the weekend.
Employees have the opportunity to win prizes every week during Friday’s ‘Spin the Wheel’. If some employees work late, the organisation will order them food for free. The organisation also sends thank yous to employees’ families. It recently sent flowers to the partners of two employees who had been working late for several weeks.
Whilst it doesn’t provide a formal programme, Cloverleaf regularly looks at management development opportunities. Management have access to Level 5 qualifications, apprenticeships, and external management training. Managers also have monthly discussions where they can raise any concerns. It also encourages a peer support system, where managers buddy up to support their services and wellbeing.
Organisational clarity is key. Leadership runs a quarterly employee briefing to provide company updates and strategy. This is reinforced by a monthly managers forum which directors attend; this goes into further detail about the plans and workstreams so that the information can be passed to teams in team meetings and supervisions.
The charity has Mental Health First Aiders for its people to speak to regularly if times are hard. It subscribes to Perkbox so employees have access to its wellbeing platform which include fitness and mental health tools such as mindfulness podcasts. The charity also runs weekly mindfulness sessions.
Employees enjoy a morale-boosting 'office dog day' where one owner brings their pet to meet the team. Staff also benefit from a health cash plan, employee assistance programme and full health checks from a local gym. The team is scheduled to return before year end to check progress and celebrate employee achievements.
From meals out to charity challenges, meet-ups are planned in advance to ensure everyone can make them. There's a Town Hall every quarter for business updates, staff awards, food and social time. And Christmas and summer events, including a ball, encourage colleagues and their partners to catch up and let their hair down.
There's a generous annual budget for learning and development, and employees are encouraged to request any training they believe would benefit their roles, from degrees to professional courses. And the company works with staff with specific career aspirations to formulate career pathways and development plans.
