In today’s fast-paced and ever-evolving work environment, the mental and physical health of employees is not just a luxury—it’s a pivotal element of a successful and sustainable business strategy.
When employees feel cared for and supported, they are not only happier but also more productive, creative and loyal. Companies that prioritise the wellbeing of their staff see reduced absenteeism, lower turnover rates and higher job satisfaction, leading to an overall healthier organisation.
We spoke to some of our accredited organisations to explore their proactive efforts in meeting the employee wellbeing component, looking at how these organisations prioritise employee welfare.
Blu Sky is a North East based accountancy firm that supports scaling tech and professional services businesses across the UK.
Blu Sky invests in the teams' professional growth and skill development to help enhance job satisfaction and overall wellbeing; can you give some examples and the impact they have had?
“At Blu Sky, we see continued growth as essential for supporting employee wellbeing and job satisfaction. As a growing practice, we encourage our team members to always strive for better which is why we offer so many growth opportunities.”
“Everyone in the team has a personalised CPD plan with SMART goals based on their individual interests and strengths. These are reviewed quarterly in a session with the individual and their manager to ensure the plan is still relevant and to make any updates. The whole team is also encouraged to attend events and workshops to upskill themselves. Our COO is currently on a scale up leadership program and has taken various team members along to workshops with him. We also do less ‘formal’ lunch ’n’ learns with clients to broaden the wider team’s knowledge. Everyone at Blu Sky is offered a mentor or encouraged to get one. Depending on the fit, coaching with the internal team is available too.”
Josh Sanghera, Client Relationship Director
Blu Sky has established a supportive environment/culture that actively embraces mental health; can you share how you have achieved this and the difference it has made?
“As a company, we actively work to create an environment where people can be open about mental health. We also implement measures to ensure we support team members as much as we can if they need mental health support.”
“Day to day, we promote flexible working so employees can plan their working days around other commitments. Several team members also work remotely so we consciously ensure topical discussions, including mental health, are scheduled in our monthly and quarterly full team meetings. This helps keep our trusting and supportive team culture alive as it makes it much easier for people to have informal chats with each other about any issues they may be facing – no matter where they work or which team they’re in. It also means that line managers are more comfortable asking team members about how they are feeling, as well as how they are getting on more generally at work.”
Josh Sanghera, Client Relationship Director
MES Systems is the Midlands’ leading fire and security specialists, established in 1988.
MES Systems has been working with Thrive at Work and has recently gained bronze accreditation for their commitment and investment in employee health and wellbeing. Can you tell us about Thrive at Work and any examples of how you ensure employee health and wellbeing?
“Thrive at Work is a Midlands based workplace commitment with criteria and guidelines on creating a workplace that promotes employee health and wellbeing.”
“With the help of Stacy as the company’s Health and Well-being Champion, we send out a staff survey, then take on board the results of the staff survey and make positive changes. Some of the changes have included:
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Giving staff 1 extra day of paid leave available to volunteer
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We set up a Primary health plan which includes money back for optical, dental chiropody and therapy treatments plus a range of health & wellbeing benefits.
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We joined WeCare service which offers 24/7 GP service, a get fit programme, as well as mental health, financial and legal support
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We offer Westfield rewards where employees can get discounts from leading retailers, restaurants, cinemas and gyms”
Richard Morgan, Managing Director
MES Systems prides itself on its outstanding customer service – with hundreds of five-star reviews. Have you seen a correlation between employees feeling valued and cared for and their commitment to giving outstanding customer service?
“We believe in the ‘Givers Gain’ philosophy throughout our organisation including how we treat our employees. If you feel ‘looked after’ by your employer (not only financially but also with regards to your health and wellbeing) then you feel motivated to work smarter/harder.”
Richard Morgan, Managing Director
Telescope offer a whole host of creative solutions to save their clients time, money and take the stress out of their marketing.
Employee wellbeing is very important to Telescope Group and forms one of its core values. How do you ensure that employees are empowered and happy?
“We believe in transparency and nurturing an open environment where employees feel comfortable expressing their thoughts, ideas and concerns (and also have anonymised feedback channels for those who perhaps feel less comfortable). We conduct regular polls and listen to employee feedback before making team-related decisions, to empower the team and allow everyone to have their point of view heard, and one-to-one feedback sessions and career reviews with our senior leaders.”
“We take a very holistic approach to managing our team, so offering our team a healthy work-life balance is also crucial to us. We offer flexible work arrangements such as hybrid working, flexible hours, and “work from anywhere”. Although nearly all of our team choose to work in a hybrid setting, it’s important to us that we still maintain the same bond and culture within the team. With this, we have regular team meetings, one-on-one check-ins, paid volunteering days and team social activities.”
“To promote physical and mental wellbeing we have our EVP (Employee Value Proposition) in place, where employees can choose a tailored package of benefits, including a private healthcare plan, additional holiday days, an annual gym membership, or even a spa day! We acknowledge and celebrate our team’s achievements and milestones. Whether it’s through our monthly “wheel of fortune” where employees are nominated by their colleagues, or additional holiday for length of service, showing how much we value our team goes a long way in boosting morale and motivation.”
Ian Leach, Managing Director
How is your commitment to employee wellbeing reflected in your work and the relationships that you have with your clients?
“We are a values-led business, and hold the values “Teamwork”, “Integrity”, “Pride” and “Passion”. Our team live these values every day, and so this is woven into everything we do and is reflected in our client work. We value and respect our clients, and only deliver the outstanding level of honest, efficient service we’d be happy to receive ourselves.”
“Giving our team the right environment to build strong interpersonal relationships and feel valued and heard contributes to a positive work culture and employee satisfaction. Naturally, this translates to a motivated and engaged team who are supporting our clients. We have so many incredible comments from our clients about how helpful, supportive and enthusiastic our team are, and we strongly believe that our approach to employee wellbeing empowers our team to perform at their best at work.”
Ian Leach, Managing Director
Feeling inspired?
We are incredibly proud of the work our accredited organisations do within the employee wellbeing component, having truly embedded and championed the GBC framework. By investing in wellness programs, providing support for mental health, and creating an environment that promotes physical health, companies can build a resilient, motivated and highly effective workforce. This not only enhances productivity but also cultivates a positive workplace culture that attracts top talent and retains them.
If you are feeling inspired by these organisations, visit our other component pages to see how organisations are embedding the other nine components and see how you can make similar actions!
