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.
Ontic is committed to creating an open and supportive culture. It wants employees to feel comfortable speaking about how menopause-related symptoms may be affecting them at work and be able to ask for the support that they need to help manage their symptoms. Managers have been provided support to help them have conversations about menopause.
Ontic has a dedicated People Managers' Communication channel - a monthly, action-driven communication platform with clear expectations of what managers are expected to read/understand and share/do with their teams. This is backed up by a dedicated Managers Hub which provides managers with all the information they need to do their job effectively.
The company continues to see considerable growth in the business through acquisitions. However, this means that it has inherited a lack of female representation at all levels. To tackle this, Ontic employed 30 new starters, of which 17 were female, and it has seen increased numbers of women joining its Early Careers Programme.
The company understands that quality time is crucial to overall employee wellbeing, and ensures that all staff have their birthday off every year. It shows gratitude to one star performer weekly by awarding them an all-expenses paid break at a luxury barn in the Lake District, including paid leave and £100 spending money.
To ensure that the company informs its colleagues, improvements, developments, and successes both big and small are communicated. It has an open-door policy and adopts a non-hierarchal approach to feedback. Is leadership team alternates weekly ‘Tea Trolley’ duties, providing opportunities to share ideas/feedback whilst delivering yummy treats.
It is keen to help employees develop and grow, and achieve their own professional and personal goals. Due to the nature of the service it provides, it relies on its colleagues’ strength and passion. When Health Assured was formed, demand for workplace wellbeing solutions was a shadow of what it would become.
Charles Tyrwhitt has implemented many sustainable measures to reduce its environmental impact, such as eco lightbulbs, making its brochures fully recyclable, and has offset its remaining emissions, making the business carbon neutral for the first time. It has also incorporated a "Plastic action group" who have reduced the amount of plastic used in its packaging.
Charles Tyrwhitt recognises the importance of development to its colleagues and has recently launched a new learning platform to give colleagues easy access to self-service learning and development material. To raise colleagues self-awareness it has taken the entire workforce through their individual "Insights" profiles, which will support their working relationships with each other.
Devoted to supporting the mental and physical wellbeing of its colleagues, Charles Tyrwhitt has a number of trained Mental Health First Aiders who are on hand to help and direct colleagues who find themselves in a difficult time. Providing personal support and multiple resources online means that everyone has access to the help they need.
Employees get a complimentary breakfast and fresh fruit every day. They also get longer lunch breaks so they get time to exercise without having to rush back. And each office’s ‘vibrant and contemporary feel’ is created through break-out zones and relaxing areas with activities such as table tennis and darts.
The company ensures everyone knows their role in its vision and purpose. Employees get weekly leadership round-ups that give updates and highlight performance against long-term goals. And there are team and office meetings at least three times a week to share ideas and celebrate success.
The ‘Engager of the Month’ award recognises colleagues who’ve exceeded in performance, effort and demonstrating the values. And employees who’ve gone above and beyond are treated to a meal with the directors. In addition, if sales team members hit their targets, there are vouchers, experience days and holidays for the taking.
Employees now have access to a workplace health programme with annual health checks, online GP appointments, counselling sessions and other benefits, including health screenings and gym memberships. The company is also happy to pay if employees want to take a gym class together or hire a venue for a game of football.
Employees are recognised for their efforts and hard work with rewards and incentives. There are bonuses for passing exams and team nights out for hitting targets. And if staff recommend a candidate for a role, they can get £500, £1000, or more (depending on the seniority of the position) if they’re appointed.
Charity and community are part of the fabric at Fitzrovia IT. In the last 12 months, employees have participated in two 10k runs and raised £2000 for the MS Society. The company is always happy to match the donations or sponsorship raised by its employees.
Outside regular team meetings, the company is keen to ensure that no one feels isolated and that the spirit of One Meridian is maintained, as it is a geographically diverse business. As a result, several unofficial groups from across the business have allowed teams to interact in a fun and less formal way.
The sky is the limit for Meridian Business Support's staff. They believe you don't have to have previous experience to be considered for a role, what is more important is that you demonstrate that you have the right behaviours and attitude to give something a try and they will provide the support to develop you.
Ensuring staff wellbeing has always been a key priority, and a host of initiatives are in place to support this. In 2019, their Mental Health Awareness programme was launched, this has had a tangible impact on its culture and contributed to making it the open and supportive environment which it is today.
All employees can undertake mental health awareness training, and staff and their families can access help – including legal and financial – through the Employee Assistance Programme. ‘Myth Busters’ have been published on topics like domestic abuse, often linked to a colleague sharing their story. There are also wellbeing talks and monthly ‘desk yoga.'
All staff are on the digital learning portal giving them access to content, events and training and helping them create development plans. There are also open sessions throughout the year on topics including ‘unconscious bias’ and ‘building resilience’. And staff can undertake technical training or academic study and learn from internal coaches and mentors.
In the past year, employees have donated more than £200,000 to causes they care about through the Payroll Giving Scheme. And NATS also supports two corporate charities – the Jon Egging Trust (JET), by offering young people communication and leadership workshops and Aerobility, which gives disabled people the chance to fly a plane.
Employees struggling with their mental health or specific issues can access telephone, online and counselling support via the company's Employee Assistance Programme. There are factsheets and HR support on topics such as financial wellbeing and menopause, and manager-level staff benefit from private healthcare, including online GPs. Team members also get free meals on shift.
The 'Heart of Oakman' is the company's bespoke reward and recognition scheme. It celebrates colleagues who live the values and go beyond the call of duty with instant, branded rewards chosen specifically for them and accompanied by a personalised message. The gift and the story behind it are then shared group-wide for all to see.
The Oakman Group has a proud history of supporting local community organisations and national charities – including a £25,000 donation to the Epilepsy Society. Now the company's taking a more venue-based approach to charitable giving, letting the team choose who they want to support. Good causes include hospices and animal shelters, lifeboats and food banks.
The CEO and Executive Leadership Team (ELT) provide regular strategy and business updates, encouraging employee feedback during Q&As where employees can remain anonymous, allowing them to ask questions without fear. The CEO and ELT hold 'meet and greet' sessions with all new employees, welcoming them to the organisation and providing an open and approachable workplace.
All employees have the opportunity to attend several training programmes, including in-house Client Experience training and other development courses through Phoebus Software’s Udemy licence. New leaders can also attend the organisation’s bespoke leadership course, LEAP, which provides a level 5 ILM accreditation upon completion.
Phoebus Software have introduced a wellbeing allowance which employees can use towards any activity or item that positively supports their wellbeing. The organisation also provides access to a wealth of services to support mental and physical health, including online fitness programmes, lifestyle and skills development, and an in-office games room and personal training sessions.
Employees can access a new mental health hub on the company’s wellbeing platform, making it easy to explore all options for support, including the 24/7 employee assistance service. Staff can also access up to six paid-for counselling sessions. And new recruits are invited to a wellbeing afternoon, including a well-received workshop on personal resilience.
Every team member gets a monthly fun budget of £10 which can be spent on anything to encourage team building, from dinners to escape rooms. And employees who a colleague has nominated for going the extra mile could win a prize if they win the monthly vote.
More than 600 nominations were received for the company’s inaugural ‘Simply Oscars’, which aim to reward and recognise employees for their efforts. Including behaviour-related categories such as ‘guiding light’ and fun ones like ‘best dressed,’ the winners – chosen by the CEO – were announced at the end-of-year party, all receiving a £100 gift card.
